:: Acne Treatment

Acne is the most common skin condition to affect mankind. It affects all ethnic groups with the peak age of onset between 11 and 15 years in girls and 15 to 17 years in boys, with an incidence of over 90 per cent in adolescents. Acne may, however, appear for the first time in the mid twenties, or even later, and persist in a significant number of people into their forties or even their fifties.

In the skin the disease can occur as both inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions such as blackheads, whiteheads, papules, nodules and cysts. Acne can also be aggravated by many medicines, most commonly cortico-steroids and anti-epileptic drugs. If you think the medicines you are taking are making your acne worse, you should speak to your doctor first. Never stop medication without medical advice.

The management of Acne depends largely on the severity of the condition. At the consultation, our dermatologist will assess your skin and give advice on a treatment plan, which may be oral (e.g. tablets) or laser treatment or even chemical peel.

:: Acne scarring

Acne can also leave scars which are permanent and are easier to prevent than to treat. Acne scarring can be improved by several methods, including Nlite to stimulate collagen production, laser resurfacing, dermal fillers, punch excision etc. Clearly, you are best assessed by a Dermatologist with specialist interest and experience in treating acne scarring. Prevention of scarring is achievable as long as the treatment is started at an early stage.

:: Nlite laser

There has been little worthwhile research over the last three decades on acne. The last major therapeutic advance was the development of oral retinoids, Roaccutane, over a decade ago. In the last decade the only new treatments have been more topical antibiotic formulations or newer topical retinoids, eg Retin A and Differin cream. The effectiveness of the Nlite laser in treatment of acne was assessed in a controlled double blind study at the Hammersmith Hospital in London. The results of the trial show that one treatment can suppress acne for three months with no side effects. Meanwhie, four out of five patients noticed significant improvement in their acne and a quarter of the patients reported cure of the condition. Dr Tony Chu, the Consultant Dermatologist overseeing the trial described the Nlite laser as “the most significant advancement in acne treatment for over twenty years” and “the most important thing is that it has a prolonged effect”. The Nlite laser also produces natural collagen, to improve texture and soften acne scars.

At Canterbury Skin and Laser Clinic you will have an initial consultation with the Dermatologist who will make a full clinical assessment of your acne, to not only confirm the diagnosis and grade the severity of the acne, but also to exclude any underlying factors that might be aggravating the condition. Not all acne sufferers are suitable for or will benefit from Nlite treatment and often other concurrent treatments are necessary which can only be prescribed, hence the importance of having an initial clinical assessment by a Dermatologist cannot be overemphasised.

USEFUL LINKS:

:: For Acne Resource Centre, go to: www.acne-resource.org

For more information about acne treatments and the latest research, visit the Acne Resource Centre. Get plain english answers to all of your acne questions and breakdown the misinformation and myths about acne.

:: For Acne Facts and how to Get rid of Acne, go to: www.acne-facts.info/

Tired of your Acne? For more information on how to cure it - visit the Acne Facts website.

:: For general Acne Information, go to: www.acnehelper.com/treatments.html

Learn how to treat and prevent your acne - visit the Acne Information site.