Acne and Acne Treatment

Acne is an inflammatory disease, characterized by redness, swelling, and tenderness of the sebaceous glands (a type of sweat glands most numerous on the face, chest and back).

Causes:

• Heredity
• Hormones, especially when elevated by puberty, menses and stress.
• Cosmetics, such as Noxzema, cocoa butter, mineral oil, Vaseline®.
• Exercise.
• Foods and beverages, including milk and dairy products, caffeine, citrus fruits, and foods containing iodine. But foods are a very uncommon cause of acne.
• Bacteria, which are not a primary cause of acne.

Acne Treatment:

• Oral antibiotics. These have anti-inflammatory properties that can prevent formation of new cysts, but they are not curative and work only as long as you take them.
• Oral or injected cortisone or prednisone to get rid of redness and swollen cysts. Its anti-inflammatory properties are rapid and effective, but only short-term (1 to 4 weeks).
• Topical drying agents such as benzoyl peroxides and vitamin A acid (Retin-A) to keep the skin dry, get rid of blackheads, and help cysts heal more quickly
• Topical antibiotics.
• Incision and drainage of cysts.
• Cortisone injected into cysts.
• Cryo-spraying of cysts with liquid nitrogen to decrease inflammation and speed healing.
• Accutane, an oral medication reserved for the most severe and long-lasting cases of acne.