Posts Tagged ‘acne’

Follow Your Regimen!!

Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

Research indicates that acne patients, for various reasons, often do not follow the skin care regimen that has been prescribed for them. Studies have also shown that this lack of adherence is one of the main reasons that many acne treatments fail to work.

Clients may not fully understand what they are supposed to do, possibly due to unclear instructions from their skin care provider. Acne treatment products may also lead to unpleasant side effects early on in treatment, if acne clients are not made aware of this; they may use products inconsistently or may just stop using them completely. Also, if the client does not see immediate results from their treatment, they may believe that the skin care regimen is not working. All of these problems – lack of understanding, poor communication by skin care professionals, and misconceptions on the part of the acne patient can all lead to poor adherence and may lead the client to discontinue treatment.

We recently conducted a survey of our clients and found that those who closely followed the skin care regimen we had given them were far more likely to get clear, and were more likely to get clear faster. 92% of clients who followed their regimen completely were clear within 6 months, compared to only 28% of those who did not follow their regimens.

table

At Face Reality, we tell our clients from day one how important it is to stick to the regimen that we give them. We explain that the products they are using prevent the new acne from forming and that if they skip their homecare that new “microcomedones” get started inside the pore. Those new acne lesions will make their appearance anywhere from 1 to 3 months later. So, you may think that you are getting away with skipping homecare because you don’t see anything right away, but it catches up to you down the road.

We also encourage them to ask us questions at any time if they do not understand what they are supposed to do or if they are having problems with their skin care regimen. This education about regimen adherence is such an important factor for getting clear; that we also regularly check in with our clients to make sure that they are following it correctly. In my experience, a little nagging from us is well worth it if it helps to get our acne clients clear.

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Supplements That Help Acne-Prone Skin

Saturday, January 16th, 2010

Keep in mind that these supplements will not get your skin clear. You need the right homecare products used in the right way to achieve that. But here are some supplements that can support your skin.

Recommended Supplements:

Zinc Monomethionine: People with acne have been shown to have lower than normal levels of zinc in their systems. Zinc helps with the immune response and exhibits anti-inflammatory activity. Do be careful not to exceed total 100mg with all zinc sources. Rec Brand: Source Naturals 30-50 mg

Probiotics: These supplements are high recommended for people who have long term antibiotic use in the past. Probiotics help to repopulate the gut with “friendly” bacteria thereby encouraging better digestion, improved immunity and optimum nutrition absorption. Rec Brand: Flora Smart or Ultimate Flora by Renew Life. Dr Ohirra’ which is available at Amazon.com and Whole Foods. Take as directed.

High Quality Fish oils and High Quality Flax oil: These oils are absolutely essential for hormone regulation and thus directly affect sebum regulation. They are also incredibly important for almost every other regulation system in your body. Rec Brand: Artic Pure Source Naturals (we carry this one), Renew Life’s Fishsmart ultra or Nordic Naturals’ Cod Liver Oil and Barleans’s flax oil (liquid). Take as directed and please note that these oils may not be warmed or cooked with. One caution: avoid flax oil supplements labeled as “high lignin” as this type is not compatible with anti-acne regimens.

Barley Powder: Barley has been shown to have many trace minerals that the body needs to build a healthy immune system has many enzymes that help “alkalize” the body. This alkalization directly impacts inflammation that is always associated with acneic skins. Rec Brand: Just Barley, 2 tablespoons in water or unpasteurized orange juice.

MSM also known as methylsulfonylmethane: This mineral has a high bioavailable sulfur content that the body uses to build collagen and cartilage. Excellent to heal scars, detoxify tissues and wonderful as an anti-inflammatory compound. Rec Brand: Rich’s MSM torpedo caplets.1000mg. Take as directed.

A good Multi vitamin is always recommended for obvious reasons. Consider getting an iodine free brand as iodine can exacerbate acne conditions. Rec Brand: Dermavites and GNC ultra women’s mega multi without iron and iodine.

Pea Protein Isolate or Hemp protein: For those of you who work out religiously or want to bulk up, please consider switching to the above powders instead of your typical Soy or Whey based formulas. These are more easily assimilated by the body and do not aggravate acne. Recommended brands: Olympian Labs Pea Protein Powder and Ultimate Greens with Hemp, Rice and Pea protein available on Amazon.com, Whole Foods and Berkeley Bowl.

For more information about having and keeping clear skin, please go to our website.

http://www.facerealityacneclinic.com

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Acne Scars and Dark Spots

Friday, November 13th, 2009

Acne can be a devastating disorder – not only is it frustrating to have active acne in the form of spots, redness and pustules, these lesions can leave their mark in the form of scars and dark spots.

In this article I will address the difference between scarring and dark spots. When people call our clinic they will ask me about their acne “scarring”, but quite often what they really mean is the dark spots left over from an acne breakout. This is called hyper-pigmentation - also called post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation (PIH).

Actual scarring is where the skin is pitted or depressed. These types of scars usually take a more aggressive medical modality to see results. For more in-depth information about medical scar treatments go to;

http://www.acne.org/scars.php.

We have had some limited success with clients, using a strong peel solution in the scar itself done bi-weekly for at least 8 treatments. However, seeing a cosmetic surgeon, in most cases, would be necessary.

Let’s talk about dark spots – that is something we definitely can do something about. Post Inflammatory Hyper-pigmentation, or PIH, is the medical term given to discoloration of the skin that follows an inflammatory wound. PIH presents itself as a flat area of discoloration on the skin ranging from pink to red, purple, brown or black, depending on your skin tone and depth of the discoloration.

PIH develops when a wound, rash, pimple, or other stimuli like picking at your acne lesions causes skin inflammation, which triggers the skin to produce too much melanin. Melanin is the protein in the skin that gives the skin its color. The excess melanin darkens and discolors the wounded area. This discoloration remains even after the wound or rash has healed.

PIH is very common among acne sufferers.  It can occur in all skin types, although it is more common in darker skin tones. It affects both men and women equally. Luckily, PIH is not a true scar and therefore can be treated in the clinic quite effectively.

We use chemical peels solutions in various strengths to not only help with acne clearing, but lift the dark spots as well. The acne usually goes away first before the redness or the darker spots go away. It usually takes another few months for the dark spots or redness to completely clear. We also give our clients homecare routines that contribute to the lightening of hyper-pigmentation. The right home care and consistent treatments will clear the acne and lift the dark spots simultaneously. Understand that improvement takes time.

For more information about how we clear acne and the dark spots left over from acne, go to Face Reality Acne Clinic.

Below is the result of four months of chemical peels and home care that lightened this client’s PIH.
alison-before-and-after1

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Don’t Trust Those Labels!

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

Those of us who are acne prone understand how difficult it can be to find moisturizers, sunscreens, and makeup that are safe to use and won’t clog your pores. To help us make the decision of what is okay to put on our faces we often rely on those safe, scientific-sounding words on the labels like “non-comdeogenic” and “dermatologist approved”. These labels suggest to the buyer that the product has been tested by skin care experts who have found the product to meet certain levels of standards. But, what do these labels really mean?

Unfortunately, it turns out that these terms really don’t mean much of anything. These product claims used by manufacturers are not regulated in any way by the beauty industry or by the FDA. There is no official standard against which these terms can be measured or tested - so essentially, any company can claim that their products are non-comdeogenic or dermatologist approved, regardless of what is actually in the products or how the products were tested. For an interesting read on what “Dermatologist Approved” actually means, go to this link:

http://www.skinterra.com/newsletter/winter09_zoskinhealth.php

There are a number of other phrases used on product labels that are not regulated either - including “allergy tested” “fragrance free/unscented”, “hypoallergenic”, “non-irritating” and “sensitivity tested”. The Consumer Reports website contains a very helpful database where you can search common terms used on product labels to determine whether or not they are industry verified and meaningful to consumers:

http://www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels/eco-home.cfm

So, if you can’t trust these claims on product labels, how do you decide what products are safe to use? Here are our suggestions:

• Check the ingredients yourself. Our website has a list of pore clogging ingredients that you can use to check the products you buy:

http://www.facerealityacneclinic.com/pore_clogging.html

• Read product reviews by other consumers - especially those written by those who have acne prone skin. These websites have been very helpful product review pages:

http://www.acne.org

http://www.makeupalley.com

• It may be difficult for you to determine what ingredients are causing you problems. Using your own experiences with products can be tricky since it may take several months to see the effects of pore clogging ingredients. It’s probably not the product you started using three days ago that is causing you to break out, but more likely one that you have been using for several weeks or longer.

• Seek the advice of a qualified skin care professional. Estheticians who are trained to treat acne can be a great resource for helping you select the right products for your skin. However, not all estheticians are knowledgeable about acne, so choose carefully.

At Face Reality, we sell cleansers, toners, moisturizers, and sunscreen - all of which are safe to use on acne prone skin. You can even check our ingredient labels yourself!! See our website for a list of products available for purchase:

http://www.facerealityacneclinic.com/products.html

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One Diet Drug That Can Makes Acne Worse

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

Recently, I had a client who was taking the drug phentermine to help her achieve her weight-loss goals. She had a combination of inflamed and noninflamed acne for which we had given her an aggressive home care routine. Even though we were treating the acne aggressively and strengthening her homecare every two weeks, her skin just wasn’t making any progress.

She then decided on her own to stop taking the  phentermine. It was amazing how quickly the inflamed acne subsided. Really, within just a few days of stopping, her skin looked completely different. We now are working to clear up the little bit of noninflamed acne she has left.

Always let us know if you are taking any medication, or start taking any medications while you are working with us. It can make the difference between clear skin and not.

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It Looks Like Acne But It’s Folliculitis

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
a typical case of folliculitis that looks just like acne.

a typical case of folliculitis that looks just like acne.

There is a skin condition called folliculitis that can look just like acne. It looks like small, noninflamed bumps that frequently shows up on the forehead, but can be anywhere on the face or body.  This skin condition fooled me for years; and I remember being so frustated that this “acne” wouldn’t respond to acne treatments or products. Oftentimes, people can have a combination of both acne and folliculitis.

What is folliculitis?
It is an inflammation of the hair follicles most often caused by a fungal or yeast infection. It can remain dormant for long periods of time and then flare up with humid weather. There are bacterial forms as well and one must be tested to know which it is. (However, trying to find a doctor to test for it has been extremely exasperating - they think it’s acne too….). We can tell that is folliculitis by the way it extracts much differently than an acne lesion. Also, if it’s a condition that “comes and goes” then that is a clue that is is folliculitis and not acne.

It can be caused from the extended use of antibiotics, the use of steroids, oily skin, humidity, occlusive clothing, heavy moisturizers and the use of hot tubs/spas.

How to treat folliculitis

  • Mandelic cleansers and serums are great as an antifungal remedy.
  • Keep the affected areas dry - applying “Gold Bond Powder” can help keep the skin dry (on the body).
  • Avoid sugar and yeast containing foods (bread, alcohol, processed/frozen foods, sandwich meat and dairy).
  • Cotton clothing and cotton sheets are best. Avoid use of fabric softener.

For more information about this condition and for acne, go to our website.

Face Reality Acne Clinic

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Omega 3 Fish Oil to Reduce Inflammation

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009

Research and anecdotal evidence suggests that many of us who suffer from chronic inflammatory acne may benefit from taking relatively higher doses (1000-1700mg) of purified omega- 3 oils present mostly in wild ocean fish such as salmon, mackerel, cod and herring.

Omega-3 oils are anti-inflammatory and the body utilizes them in many ways. Of particular relevance to acne sufferers, they may help regulate hormones and in addition help to shorten the intensity of your breakout.

Our estheticians have found the supplements to be particularly helpful with the hormonal breakouts around the chin and jawline area that women suffer during their cycle.

Please note: that although there is no known toxicity associated with using fish oils over long term, you should check with your physician particularly if you have a chronic underlying illness or are pregnant.

We now carry a high-quality fish oil supplement Source Naturals to help with your acne. Our fish oil capsules are of therapeutic quality and are enteric coated to help assimilate the omega-3‘s in the most efficient way possible. In addition they are formulated not to have a fishy after taste and are guaranteed burp free.

Please take 1capsule/2 capsules with the lightest meal of the day.

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