What is electrocautery?

Electrocautery is the use of an electric current that is converted into heat and passed through a fine tip in the treatment of acne.

It works by directly applying the heat to the acne lesion that exfoliates the skin and kills the bacteria. It also sometimes used to open our whiteheads (i.e. a type of acne lesion, are white bumps in our skin that are closed to the skin surface. Also called closed comedo) for the contents to be extracted in order to clear the lesion (i.e. a mark in the skin). Nevertheless, there exists a risk of scarring from this treatment that explained why it is not being considered as a main treatment for acne and is not often used.

Is cryotherapy right for me? Is it good to treat acne?

Basically, cryotherapy involves the use of liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide slush to treat our acne. These procedures are useful, but the drawback is that they require special storage containers and are becoming less popular and uncommon as newer acne treatments procedures are being available. Despite this, people do love the way their skin looks after the treatments, though there is a risk of scarring.

Cryotherapy works by exfoliating the localized areas of our skin where the pimples are concentrated. It is noted that liquid nitrogen is very cold, i.e. 195° F, which means that it needs to be stored in a special container as it can evaporate at room temperature. In general, both the liquid nitrogen and CO2 slush are applied by the doctor to specific pimples. The after treatment result is that the site can easily turn red and become a little swollen, which lasts anywhere from half an hour to a day. What followed is that we will find our pimple dries up and exfoliates off with washing over the next few days or so. Sometimes a very light layer of the cryogen can be applied to our entire face for a general peel. What was noted is that our skin will usually turns red, follows by peeling over the next week. However, the peeling process is not an obvious peeling of our skin, but the skin does look smoother and feel softer to the touch.

What is microdermabrasion? Do they really work for my acne?

Microdermabrasion works by using fine crystals blasted at the skin and then vacuumed back away from the skin. These two components help to temporarily clean out the pores, and make our skin feel smoother. Through this, the upper layers of our skin are exfoliated off, this helps to provide other acne treatments to penetrate more evenly.

In general, a series of five to seven microdermabrasion treatments are done in order to get optimal acne treatment results. This shall follow by maintenance treatments every 6 to 8 weeks. It is noted that no comprehensive studies exist showing the benefits of microdermabrasion, nevertheless, people who undergoes for microdermabrasion do suggest that it does help to improve their acne condition.

What laser and light treatments are available to treat my acne?

Laser stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation." Laser energy can be provided by various sources, i.e. from a gas to a liquid to a solid.

These energy sources allow for specific wavelengths of light to be intensified and directed through a column to our sebaceous gland (i.e. oil-producing grand located in the deeper layers of our skin, and are attached to the hair follicles. The oil produced can travel up the follicle to end up on the surface of our skin) or melanin high up or deeper in or within our skin. Also, it can target water in the skin or various components of blood vessels within our skin. In short, it works to heat and damage the skin in a very specific ways without damaging the surrounding skin tissue, hence in the process of healing our skin will look clear and healthy, i.e. without acne or broken blood vessels or brown spots or even wrinkles. Studies have shown that the longer the wavelength, the deeper the light will penetrate. Additionally, there are specific elements in our skin that prefer certain wavelengths of light.

On the other hand, intense pulsed light devices are similar to lasers with the exception that they use a wider range of wavelengths as opposed to only one single beam of light. From the acne clear and acne care point of views, this is very useful as it helps us to target our source within a range of light.

What was noted is that, CO2 lasers were used to heat water within our skin in the past, however, this method is not perfect as it would cause destruction of the upper layers of our skin and sometimes may go even deeper. Usually, a 2 to 3 months’ healing time is quite common, after which there could still be redness for months, and then areas of our skin could appear darker or lighter than the adjacent skin. This treatment is not recommended for the treatment of active acne, or for those within 6 months of taking oral isotretinoin, nevertheless, it is still being used to treat certain types of acne scarring.

The advances in technology have made newer acne devices more effective and specific to target the source of our acne, and within a broader context without damaging the surrounding skin, i.e. the sebaceous gland, the P. acnes bacterium (i.e. short for Propionibacterium acnes, a bacterium that grows and flourishes under certain condition and is the main culprit for inflammatory acne), or the blood vessels that supply the swelling and redness. Additionally, those acne treatments can be done over time without limiting the activities of the person being treated. In short, the newer acne devices are more accessible and more useful in the treatment of many skin conditions, and caused less painful experience than the earlier devices.

It was learnt that the FDA has approved several lasers and light systems for the treatment of acne. Basically, they are designed to treat inflammatory acne associated with the active growth of P. acnes, and are not effective if we have only blackheads (i.e. also called open comedo, is a type of acne that does not contain active bacteria. Is the result of the follicle that have turned black after exposure to oxygen) or whiteheads (i.e. white bumps in our skin that are closed to the the surface. Is a type of acne lesion, also called closed comedo).

Listed below are the laser and other related procedures for reference:

Laser

• OmniLux - blue light
• OmniLux Revive - red light
• Smoothbeam - is a diode laser that used to treat both acne and depressed scars caused by acne. This laser emits energy at 1450-nm. Statistics showed 6 months remission of acne lesions after treatment.
• Aura (KTP - green light)
• CoolTouch - is a 1320-nm laser system that is used for back acne and acne scars. CoolTouch works by targeting the sebaceous glands without damaging our skin's surface.
• Nlite-V - a 585-nm pulsed dye laser that is used for moderate inflammatory acne on the face. Nlite-V emits a wavelength of yellow light that heats our small blood vessels, as well as encouraging the healing and stimulating the collagen (i.e. protein that is responsible for the elasticity of the skin and plays an important role in the development of scars) production.
• CO2 - will heat up larger areas of our skin and can have a significant amount of healing or down time associated with them. It is used to treat certain types of acne scars that are not very deep, and also commonly used to treat signs of sun damage and wrinkles.
• Erbium - as in CO2.

Intense pulsed light

• ClearLight - is the first device to get clearance from the FDA for the treatment of acne. It is used to treat moderate to severe inflammatory acne (i.e. a class of acne where the main lesions are papules and pustules but not comedones). ClearLight works by targeting the bacterium P. acnes by using high intensity light to excite specific elements of P. acnes and to destroy them without harming the surrounding tissue.

Light-emitting diodes

• OmniLux Blue - a new type of system that uses light-emitting diodes in the visible spectrum at 415-nm and is used to treat mild to moderate inflammatory acne, and that treatment are generally well tolerated.

Radiofrequency (is produced by an electrical current instead of a light source and can penetrate more deeply through our skin. It is safer because it is not scattered by tissue or absorbed by melanin.)

• Aurora

Experimental

• Pulsed dye therapy

What we could say about the trend ahead is that advances in technology will sure help in better understanding our acne clear and acne care needs, and to expand their uses in very specific ways for us to better manage to have an acne free complexion.

Can I do laser treatments while I am on oral or topical acne treatments?

We may not aware that laser and intense pulsed light treatment are often best to combine with other, i.e. mostly topical acne treatments for maximum acne treatment results. (Topical means a product that is used on our skin, such as a lotion, cream or gel)

When the laser procedures are completed, we should continue with the usual maintenance acne therapy, i.e. topical acne treatment to prevent the recurrence of the acne. However, we should stop to use retinoids (i.e. products that are generally in the vitamin A family) for 4 to 5 days before a laser or intense pulsed light treatment and then restart again 3 to 4 days after the treatment.

For other acne medications such as topical antibiotics or benzoyl peroxide (i.e. an antiseptic that is commonly used topically to treat acne, and is widely used as it does not induce bacterial resistance), and depending on our skin sensitivity, we may stop for 1 to 2 days around the procedure. From the acne clear and acne care perspective, it is advisable to review all of our acne medications with our doctor prior to any laser or intense pulsed light procedure in order to determine our level of sensitivity.

How many acne treatments do I need from those procedures done in the doctor’s office? How long does it take to see the results?

Studies have shown that the number of acne treatment sessions required to achieve satisfactory results will depend on the system used and the severity of our acne at the start of the treatment. We also need to follow-up with the maintenance acne treatments in order to minimize future acne flare-ups.

The results from the laser or intense pulsed light treatments can occur from 1 day to 1 month after starting the treatment.

Am I a good candidate for laser acne therapy if I have darker skin type?

As we may or may not know that acne is quite a common concern in people with darker skin. In fact, lasers have been avoided for acne treatment for those with darker skin because of the risk of potentially disfiguring complications such as acne scarring, keloids, and skin discoloration.

However, the advances in technology today have made laser treatments for acne safer for those with darker skin types. For instance, there are some acne treatments, i.e. using both lasers and intense pulsed light devices that are being tested and have shown encouraging results for acne on the face and on the chest and back for those with darker skin. It is important to note that as with other skin types, maintenance acne treatments such as by using retinoids, topical acne antibiotics, and benzoyl peroxide, are usually needed to minimize the recurrence of acne.

It was reported that lasers and intense pulsed light devices that are being used to treat acne for this purpose, i.e. in people with darker skin included:

• ClearLight (blue: 405 to 420-nm);
• Aura laser (532-nm KTP laser, green light); and
• Aurora (an intense pulsed light/radiofrequency kind of combination device)

News on Adult Women Acne

A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology has revealed that women continue to suffer from acne well beyond their teenage years.

The researchers involved had surveyed a total of 1,013 men and women aged 20 years and above to determine the prevalence of acne after adolescence or new adult-onset acne. They found that for every age group following the teenage group, the reported incidence of acne was significantly higher among women than men, with 50.9% of women and 42.5% of men experiencing acne in their 20s. During their 40s, 26.3% of women and 12% of men had acne, while in those above 50, 15.3% of women and 7.3% of men reported having acne. Of the pre-menopausal women surveyed, 62.2% noted that their acne gets worse around the time of menstruation.

The study concluded that women are more prone to acne as adults than men.

What is photodynamic acne therapy? How does it work to help my acne?

Photodynamic therapy, is a relatively new acne treatment that uses a combination of a drug called 5-amino levulinic acid (ALA) and blue light or mixed blue and red light for the treatment of moderate to severe acne. This is in contrast to those older ultraviolet light acne treatments that are kwown to provide only transient improvement, added to that the prolonged use of especially of ultraviolet A, may worsen those with comedonal acne (i.e. mostly blackheads and whiteheads). Also, the increased risk of skin cancer and photoaging makes the older ultraviolet light acne treatments even a less desirable acne therapy.

What the dermatologist does is to apply the 5-amino levulinic acid to the affected areas for about 15 to 30 minutes, this followed by using either a pulsed light device or pulsed dye laser to activate the areas where the 5-amino levulinic acid was applied. The results have shown that it is great for those with severe forms of acne condition. It is learnt that photodynamic therapy are also being used to treat certain types of skin cancer.

Remember 10 health news throughout 2009

News about the health of the world was never finished. The number of discoveries of new diseases and new drugs do a lot of reasons for research scientists.
Throughout 2009 and there are several cases of medical findings that could be a polemic and public attention. Starting from is mothers who gave birth to eight babies to stir the death of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
Any health is news of interest to the public? The following commentary was quoted as saying by WebMD. Starting from the first rank:

1. Swine Flu Virus Deadly specter
Top health stories this year begins on April 21, then at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to investigate a series of new flu viruses in humans. It is feared H1N1 virus will spread rapidly throughout the world.
This virus could eventually become frightening specter in the United States. In fact, Barack Obama, President of the United States, must make the decision to close schools in some states of the United States only to prevent the virus developing.

2: Health Reform
Health sector reform became a major issue in the United States. Many of the changes in the health sector needs to be changed to better protect the interests of the United States that has been neglected. Current legislation on health reform is still drawn.

3. Products Containing Peanut Butter Salmonella
In early 2009, Minnesota health investigators to connect a mysterious salmonella infection with peanut products. After it was found that all products, ranging from ice cream to dog food, the possibility of bringing peanuts that have been contaminated with salmonella. Results count mentioning 3.919 withdrawn from the market products, causing 714 cases of illness in 46 states and caused at least 9 deaths.
This case also had a chance to make some peanut butter factory closed because of continued losses, because the peanut butter did not sell.

4. Due to the death of Michael Jackson propofol
Surprised world with the death of King of Pop Michael Jackson. Propofol acute toxicity is expressed as the cause of death. Sedatives were prescribed by a private physician Michael to help him sleep.
Michael's death as a murder accused, but have not filed criminal charges. Until now, this case is not clear whether Michael Jackson was drug toxicity or deliberately killed.

5. Death Due to Cancer Fawcet Farah
After Michael Jackson, celebrity world again with the news of death on the scene actress Farrah Fawcet died at age 62 from cancer anal (rectal). The actress is famous by the TV series Charlie's Angels. In addition to the death of Farah Fawcet actor Patrick Swayze pancreatic cancer is also the public interest.

6. Screening mammograms Controversy
Could is due to debate a statement the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to conduct a routine mammogram in women aged 50 with average risk. These recommendations previously denied suggestions that states the examination begins early breast cancer at age 40. When starting the examination was postponed due to losses such as radiation exposure, one diagnosis, handling of excess and psychological harm is considered greater than the benefits. These changes have a lot of criticism from other medical groups.

7. Problems Acetaminophen
News of acetaminophen, the active ingredients in Tylenol, warm discussed in 2009. News mentions that the 56.000 cases of visits to emergency rooms each year triggered by excessive use of acetaminophen, so that the drug regulatory authority and American food (FDA) recommends reducing the dose for adults.
Every person declared excess acetaminophen is easy because many drugs sold in pharmacies and flu medications, allergies, headaches and arthritis are prescribed, contain acetaminophen.

8. Lower fat Chocolate for Weight Loss.
You can lose 4.5 pounds of fat every year without exercising, if the brown fat in your body is activated. Researchers continue to find ways to make brown fat in the body become more active.

9. AIDS Vaccine Progress
In experiments involving 16.000 men and women of Thailand, an HIV vaccine showed little progress in protecting from AIDS virus infection. The researchers hope will be more success with other vaccines.

10. Octomom
Decision Nadya Suleman, to transfer 6 embryos into her womb as she has had six babies through the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF) became controversial. Many doctors and even her mother, Angela Solomon, raised objections. But she, feeling fit and chose to continue his decision.
The story of women from California who successfully gave birth to eight babies, because two embryos (six embryos diimplan) separately, it became a crowded debate in 2009.