acne
New Studies Shed Light on the Treatment of Tough Acne and Scars
Acne is one of the most common skin conditions and is often caused by dead skin cells, excessive oil production, and/or bacteria growth on the skin. Regardless of age, patients who suffer from acne will most often try anything to rid themselves of this embarrassing skin condition. Featured in a recent edition of Practical Dermatology, five new studies regarding the treatment of acne and acne scarring may be the answer for individuals whose acne may not respond to other treatments.
The first study mentioned addresses the different cultural and ethnic factors that affect the treatment of acne. For example, individuals with darker skin tones are more prone to hyperpigmentation from harsher acne treatment therapies. Along the same lines, certain cultural attitudes toward acne treatments and folk remedies passed down through families may contribute to the failure of certain dermatological treatments.
The second study looks into the use of CO2 Fractionated Lasers to safely address acne scarring in individuals with darker skin tones. The results of the research show that around 35% of patients who received non-ablative factional treatment and 37% of patients receiving ablative fractional treatments experienced a 50% improvement in the appearance of their skin including a reduction in the appearance of acne scars. Meanwhile, no adverse effects were experienced in the skin tone or texture of patients.
In another study, researchers found that a mixture containing 10% glycolic acid could be an effective treatment for mild acne. Glycolic acid is a chemical often used in chemical peels that works to slough the outer layers of skin and open the pores in the second layer of skin which loosens blackheads and debris clogging pores. The research on this chemical mixture shows that patients responded after 90 days of treatment, and some even noticed a benefit after 45 days.
The fourth study looks into the effects of radiofrequency to reduce the appearance of acne scars and skin texture irregularities post-acne. During the trial, patients received five RF treatments 30 days apart. Researchers observed a 72% improvement in the appearance of acne scars based on the acne scar scale. Patient skin texture and pigmentation improved over 60% each as well.
Finally, in a study conducted in Japan, researchers found that patients are more likely to adhere to an acne treatment plan as prescribed by a dermatologist when patients felt like they had a good understanding of acne as a skin condition and how to treat it. Factors like side effects and personal satisfaction with the treatment also had an impact on whether patients continued with treatment. These findings illustrate that improving patient education regarding acne and treatment may increase patient adherence to acne treatments.
Dermatology Associates of Atlanta’s board certified dermatologists and qualified providers invite you to connect with them on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates in acne and dermatology news.
Don’t Miss Our Special on Chemical Peels!
Now through January 31st, 2012, you can save $50 on some of your favorite Skin Medica® chemical peels from Skin Medics™ Medical Spa. Enjoy a Vitalize Peel® for only $100 to reduce the appearance of melasma, sun damage, and acne with one treatment and no downtime. For a deeper peel that will improve moderate to severe acne, acne scarring, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation, try our Rejuvenize Peel™ for $200. Contact us to schedule your appointment today.
Simple Skincare: Maximizing Skin Health with a Few Easy Steps
For those with no serious skin conditions, skincare can be something that often falls to the wayside when schedules get busy during the holiday season. However, even if you don’t suffer from rosacea or acne and aren’t ready for wrinkle treatments, it’s important to take care of your skin now to prevent future issues like the signs of aging or even skin cancer. There are four main steps to maintaining healthy skin: cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize, and apply sunscreen.
Cleanse: Choose a cleanser that works with your skin type (dry, oily, combination, sensitive, normal), and wash your skin once or twice a day with warm water. Over-cleansing can dry out your skin, and washing in very hot or cold water can cause broken capillaries or visible facial veins. Those with dry skin should choose a creamy cleanser, and oily-skinned individuals should opt for a clear cleanser. If you wear makeup, make sure to remove it with a makeup remover before going to bed to prevent dirt and bacteria from building up in your pores.
Exfoliate: In order to protect you from outside elements, your skin is constantly regenerating new skin cells. However, sometimes dead skin cells don’t slough off as easily as they should. Exfoliation helps to remove the dead skin cells from the surface of the skin. Using a gentle scrub with small polishing particles, lightly rub the face in a circular motion working from the inside out.
Each person’s exfoliation schedule depends on his or her skin type. Those with more sensitive facial skin may need to stick to weekly exfoliation, while those with more durable or oily skin may exfoliate more often. The key to exfoliation is gentleness. Remember that the exfoliation process is supposed to leave the skin healthier afterward, not irritated and red.
Moisturize: There are multiple moisturizers on the market that work well for individuals of all different skin types. Cleansing the face removes any dirt or oil that could clog pores, but it also often strips the skin of its natural moisturizing and protective oils. By applying the appropriate moisturizer for your skin type, your skin can replenish the oils eliminated by the cleanser and protect itself from outside elements.
Apply Sunscreen: Of all the skincare steps one should take, applying daily sunscreen is the most important. The main cause of wrinkles is unprotected sun exposure. UV rays hasten the aging process, breaking down the support structure behind the skin creating lax tissue that makes us look older than we are. A simple daily application of a broad spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen on facial skin can help prevent advanced signs of aging as well as skin cancer. There are currently many moisturizers on the market that include SPF for a combination of the last two steps.
Skincare is often much simpler than people think. A quick 4-step regimen takes less than 10 minutes to complete and sets you up for healthy skin now and in the future. Our Skin Medics™ Medical Spa can formulate an easy skincare program catered toward your age and skin type.
For individuals who may suffer from dermatological problems like psoriasis or eczema and need more than a simple skincare regimen, we recommend you make an appointment with one of our highly trained dermatologists. We can also offer information on our other services like vein removal, laser tattoo removal, facial rejuvenation, and treatment of other skin conditions.
You can keep up with DAA’s latest news on Facebook and Twitter as well!
Harvest Something Beautiful this November at Skin Medics Medical Spa
Dermatology Associates of Atlanta’s Skin Medics™ Medical Spa is offering a fabulous fall special on Microdermabrasion paired with a Pomegranate Peel. Prepare for those holiday parties and family get-togethers with this relaxing facial rejuvenation combination. See the flyer below for more details and schedule your microdermabrasion/peel combo before this great deal expires by calling (678) 552-2163.
Dermatology Associates of Atlanta Featured in Jezebel Magazine Who’s Who of Atlanta
Dermatology Associates of Atlanta‘s Drs. Griffin, Karempelis, and Curtis were featured in Jezebel Magazine‘s October Who’s Who issue on newsstands now! For more information on DAA and our doctors or to schedule an appointment, contact us! You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for more news and updates.
Treating Skin Conditions for Children, Teens, and Patients of All Ages
Although Dermatology Associates of Atlanta offers various cosmetic skin services like laser hair removal, fat reduction, and facial rejuvenation (to name a few), we are still board certified dermatologists trained to treat a variety of skin conditions. A blog from Best Health magazine earlier this month reminded us of how difficult it is for children and teens to deal with acne, psoriasis, eczema, and more. The Article was intended to help parents teach their children how to maintain a positive body image and equip them with tools to deal with insensitive peers.
As we all know, acne is frustrating at any age. No one wants a big whitehead on his or her nose, but most of us remember a period when hormones seemed to cause pimples to crop up like crazy. It’s not only important to teach your children how to ignore teasing from their peers, but also to teach them how to take care of their skin so future breakouts are minimized. You could also take them to see a dermatologist for different alternatives such as skin treatment options like Isolaz™for acne if over-the-counter cleansers are not working and you want to avoid oral medications. However, tried and true medications for acne include benzyl peroxides (OTC), topical antibiotics, topical retinoic acid, and topical salicylic acid (OTC). While some of these medications are available over-the-counter a dermatologist can prescribe stronger versions if needed. Oral medications are usually considered in more severe cases, and in the most severe cases Accutane may be prescribed.
While not as common in younger people, psoriasis is another skin condition that can be physically, emotionally, and socially uncomfortable for a child or even teenager. We have an entire center devoted to psoriasis, the Psoriasis Treatment Center. While psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that is rarely relieved by ointments and medications, our patients often find relief with our PHAROS EX-308 Eximer Laser treatments. We also offer prescription compounds and other therapies like psoralen soaks for the palms and soles to relieve discomfort and itching. Light treatments are also common for psoriasis patients. Now for some patients biologics may be the only treatment that gives total body lasting control, but this is usually reserved for the older patients where all other forms of treatments have been tried.
Although it’s one of the most common skin conditions, itchy eczema can also make kids and teens want to hide their skin. Our dermatologists can prescribe compounds to help relieve eczema symptoms in hopes that children and teens with eczema will feel as comfortable as possible in their own skin. Light therapy is commonly used to tame the more difficult eczema cases. At times, dermatitis may be aggravated by certain laundry detergents and fabric softeners. Avoiding free washing with drying soaps and fabric softeners designed for the dryer seem to be most helpful in the long-term control of this unyielding dermatitis. DAA’s Laser Institute of Georgia can also provide removal of skin conditions or imperfections with laser birthmark removal (hemangiomas), laser wart removal, and mole removal.
Dermatology Associates of Atlanta believes it’s important to educate young patients on proper skin care, skin condition treatment, and positive body image. It’s very important for parents to support their children in dealing with their skin conditions. Talking about problems like skin conditions helps children understand that there are no underlying causes, although, genetics may have something to do with conditions like acne, eczema, and psoriasis. Parents play a role in helping their child deal with these long-term conditions. We also think beginning regular dermatology visits is important for the continued health of young patients through adulthood. To learn more about our general dermatology services or to schedule a consultation, visit our website. Be sure to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter as well.
Sun Myths Debunked: DAA Celebrates Skin Cancer Awareness Month
Dermatology Associates of Atlanta addresses some of the most common sun myths for skin cancer awareness month. Do tanning beds cause skin cancer? Does sun exposure get rid of acne? Pick up a copy of Atlanta’s Best Self Magazine to find out!
Painless Acne Laser Treatment IsoLaz Giving Patients a Radiant and Clear Complexion
If you are frustrated with acne and wish that you had clear skin – you’re not alone. In fact, over 60 million Americans suffer from acne. Unfortunately, many have had difficulty finding an effective treatment. This month, Dermatology Associates of Atlanta, P.C. is thrilled to introduce the FDA approved, IsoLaz™ Acne Deep Pore Laser Therapy at their in-house laser center: The Laser Institute of Georgia. Dermatology Associates of Atlanta is one of only two practices in the state of Georgia to offer this new technology.
The new treatment is painless and short; easily performed during the span of a lunch break. IsoLaz’s ™ revolutionary Photopneumatics™ technology combines vacuum and laser therapy to loosen and extract dirt, blackheads, and excess oils from deep within your pores so the laser light can better destroy the underlying acne-causing bacteria. For most patients, just a few IsoLaz™ treatments produce noticeable improvements to uneven skin tone, sun damaged skin, facial redness, pronounced veins, and even unwanted hair.
In addition to its’ almost immediately noticeable results, and unlike other laser treatments that can produce redness and crusting post-procedure, the IsoLaz™ system is safe for all skin types, does not cause sensitivity to light, and allows you to resume your normal activities immediately after your treatment .
Did you see Us in Best Self Magazine’s June issue?
Be sure to “like” us on Facebook during the month of June and automatically be entered to win a FREE Oxygen Facial ($200 value!)
DOT Laser Can Pin-Point Skin Problems
The professional laser technicians at Dermatology Associates of Atlanta’s Laser Institute of Georgia will regularly use a combination of their over 15 different lasers to best remedy patients’ skin issues. The laser technology world is also learning the advantages of combination treatments evidenced by the invention and increased popularity of the DOT (Dermal Optical Thermolysis) laser.
The advancements in laser skin therapy have come a long way in the past couple of years. Invented more recently, the Fractionated (Fraxel) CO2 lasers have the marked advantage of being able to increase collagen and elastin production to treat wrinkles, hyper pigmentation (skin darkening), and facial scarring in specific areas of the face, neck, and hands through tiny columns penetrating the dermis.
Originally introduced in the 1960’s, CO2 Laser Resurfacing was a great invention for eliminating deep wrinkles on those patients with fair complexions. The down-side to the original CO2 Laser was that it had to be used over the entire face to prevent an uneven appearance, and the strength of the treatment required significant recovery time (typically a whole month.)
The DOT laser combines the main advantages of both the original CO2 and Fraxel CO2 by penetrating the lower collagen-containing layers of the dermis through tiny microscopic points. This combination results in magnified results (smoother, tighter, younger looking skin) with significantly decreased pain and recovery time.
While the DOT laser is a viable option for most skin-types and a variety of skin issues, it’s important to schedule a consultation and speak with one of Dermatology Associates of Atlanta licensed laser technicians by calling (404) 256-4457 or visiting our website.
iPhone a Treatment for Acne? There’s an App for That.
A Houston based dermatologist is the mastermind behind the new AcneApp, an iphone application that was designed to help treat and/or eliminate your acne. The new app was inspired by professional acne light treatments, sometimes known as blue light therapy that uses light energy to kill the bacteria that causes acne.
The AcneApp, is supposedly a mini version of traditional acne light therapy, and alternately emits blue and red lights to kill acne bacteria and ultimately clear up zits. The app recommends use of the “light therapy” at least two minutes per day.
Does the acne light app really work? In our opinion, no. The laser and light energy used in professional acne light treatments are much more powerful than those that would be emitted from a cell phone light bulb covered by a blue or red screen. So far, the FDA agrees with us and has not validated nor even investigated these claims.
If you have a real acne problem, you should make an appointment with a board certified dermatologist, and not rely on a blinking cell phone app to cure the problem. Any of the dermatologists at Dermatology Associates of Atlanta will be happy to meet with you and develop a treatment plan most suitable for your needs.
Get Equipped With the Right Tools to Battle Acne
Everyone will have to fight with acne. Nobody is born immune to it because all of our bodies excrete oil and all of us have pores with the potential to clog. The most common form of acne is called Acne Vulgaris and presents predominantly on the face, neck, chest, back, and shoulders. Severe cases of acne may result in scarring, a small percentage of which can be permanent even with laser and other corrective treatments. To prevent such a situation from happening, it’s important to stay on top of Dermatology Associates of Atlanta’s do’s and don’ts when it comes to acne prevention.
Please click on the Continue Reading link to get equipped to battle acne!
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