VOL. 17, SEPT 2003 : Adult Acne Remedies

1.  Adult Acne?

The acne of your teen years has an ugly medical name: Acne vulgaris. That’s to distinguish it from acne rosacea — more often called rosacea. But regular old acne isn’t just for kids; adults can get it too. Adult acne is a very common problem. At the heart of acne, both in children and adults, is the pimple or what doctors call a comedo. It’s a plug of a fatty substance called sebum, skin debris, and keratin (the stuff nails, hair, and skin are made of) all stuck together in a hair canal. When it is open to the surface of the skin, we call it a blackhead. When it’s closed over, we call it a whitehead. Deeper acne lesions often cause the walls of the hair duct to rupture. This leads to redness, infection, and the papules, pustules, nodules, and cysts of acne. Boys are more likely to suffer scarring from acne than girls. But girls are more likely to have adult acne. Adult acne and teen acne are caused by a combination of several factors: hormones leading to excess oil secretion, faulty closing of the hair duct, and infection. Gentle face washing twice a day is much better than more frequent washing and scrubbing too hard can actually irritate the skin and close off the pores, eventually making the acne worse.

SHIZUKA new york’s recommendation :

Anti-Bac Wash (Dermalogica), $38.50 (16oz), $25.50 (8oz) Dermal Clay Cleanser (Dermalogica), $38.50 (16oz), $25.50 (8oz)
B-Prox Wash (DCL), $23.00 (8oz)

More info at https://shizukany.com/products/eng/index.asp

When adult acne is treated in a doctor’s office it’s called “acne surgery”. When done at home, it’s called squeezing pimples. It gets immediate results — but when you pick or squeeze pimples at home, you are begging for infection and scars. And squeezing pimples is a great way to make your acne worse by pushing the contents of the acne cyst deeper into the skin, where it can cause more damage. Don’t do it yourself! Doctors and the aestheticians in our salons use a special sterile instrument to minimize scarring, infection, and acne spread. Or you can check out the skin care products aisle at your local drug store. If you’ve ever tried to buy acne remedies, you know the drug store is loaded with all kinds of products. Which ones should you use? It’s not an easy choice. Be sure to use oil-free, non-comedogenic lotions or sunscreens. Use something very simple to wash your face with. Low-strength benzoyl peroxide can also help. The biggest breakthrough in acne treatment has been the development of topical and oral retinoic acid, a form of vitamin A. New slow-release topical forms of this medicine greatly reduce the irritation it can cause. Other acne treatments target the various causes of acne. They’re often used in combination.

These acne treatments include:

·  Azelaic acid cream
·  Alpha-hydroxy acids (including glycolic acid, lactic acid, and gluconic acid)
·  Benzoyl peroxide
·  Topical antibiotic creams, gels, and lotions
·  Antibiotic pills (haphazard use may lead to antibiotic resistance)
·  Birth control pills for women
·  Accutane or Sotret for severe acne
One caveat: Oral Vitamin A derivitives, Accutane and Sotret, can cause birth defects.

Women who opt for this treatment must use foolproof birth control. Despite this and other concerns, these drugs are the treatment of choice for acute, cystic acne.

SHIZUKA new york’s recommendation:

Gentle Cream Exfoliant (Dermalogica), $31.00 (2.5oz)
Skin Refining Masque (Demagogical), $31.00 (2.50z)
Special Clearing Booster (Demagogical), $37.00 (1oz)
Medicated Clearing Gel (Demagogical), $32.00 (2oz)
AHA Oily & Acne Solution 8 (DCL), $32.00 (4oz)

More info at https://shizukany.com/products/

2.  September is National Ovarian Caner Awareness Month

If you have forgotten to see your gynecologist, it’s good to do so because September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Before we enter the holiday seasons, make sure you go for a check-up. By the way, have you ever heard of PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)? It is very common, but many of us do not know about it yet. Some common symptoms include: excess hair growth on women’s face and body and adult acne. For more information log on to www.pcos.net.

3.  Treat your skin with Multi Vitamin Facial after the UV rays exposure

Treat your skin with Multi Vitamin Facial after the UV rays exposure We did not have a very hot summer this year, however there were certainly very strong UV Rays to cause some damage. For people who did not take the time to have microdermabrasion or chemical peels to rejuvenate their skin, Multivitamin therapy is an alternative. It gently removes dead skin cells that may prevent premature aging skin, when environmental factors such as sun exposure, smoking or stress are contributing factors. Multi Vitamin Facial 60 min. A nourishing cocktail of Vitamins A, B, C, E & F, botanical extracts and conditioning agents to improve your skin’s elasticity, tone and texture. A revolutionary blend of 20% Alpha Hydroxy Acid and Vitamin A is used to exfoliate the skin and insure maximum penetration of the nutrients. For best results, we recommend this treatment in series of six sessions.
Each : $100
Series of 5: $540