STUDY SAYS: ACID PEELS GREAT FOR ACNE

Acne is one of the most common and well-known skin disorders around the world. If you have already been through your teen years, then you probably had acne, as it affects 85% of adolescents. What’s even more annoying is the fact that, in many cases, acne may not disappear once we reach adulthood. The spots and zits, that can be red and inflamed or not, stay there on your skin, erupting daily and making your life very unpleasant.

If acne products at the pharmacy aren’t helpful, then you have the choice of acne-erasing chemical peels here in our plastic surgery practice in Delaware. Glycolic and salicylic acid peels have both been found very effective against mild to severe acne, according to a study performed at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

The acids in chemical peels remove the outer layer(s) of the skin and thus control acne risk. The study mentioned above and published in the latest issue of the Dermatologic Surgery journal found that both AHA (alpha-hydroxy or glycolic) and BHA (beta-hydroxy or salicylic) acids are potent enough but also safe to use for acne control. Dee Anna Glaser, M.D., vice chair and professor of dermatology at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine stated: "This is good news for the millions of Americans who suffer from mild to moderately severe facial acne. This provides more options for patients and doctors to choose from when it comes to tailoring a treatment program for each individual."

Glycolic and salicylic acids are less aggressive compared with TCA (trichloroacetic acid) and phenol, which stronger can be more destructive to the skin. They both come from organic compounds: glycolic acid is extracted from unripe grapes, sugar beets, sugarcane, cantaloupe, pineapple and salicylic acid is obtained from salicin, used in aspirin.

The good news is that a chemical peel made with one of these acids is not only going to treat your acne, but it will also leave your skin smoother, brighter and free of fine lines and wrinkles.

To your health & beauty,

Dr. Joe Danyo

One more reason to quit smoking: Adult Acne!

If you or someone you love is still smoking, here’s another good reason to quit this New Year: smoking increases the risk of developing adult acne!

A study was performed at the Istituti Fisioterapici Ospitalieri in Rome by Dr. Bruno Capitanio and his colleagues. It focused on 226 adult women with adult acne. The study’s goal was to learn whether there was a connection between smoking and the development of adult acne.

There is.

Two types of acne are most common in adults. The first one, called CPAA, is short for comedonal postadolescent acne that is much like regular teenage acne. A few breakouts here and there. The other acne more common in adults is the pustular kind, called papulopustular postadolescent acne.

The researchers were surprised to find that the most common acne in adult smokers was CPAA, not pustular acne. In fact, 66.3% of the 266 women in the study were smokers. Of those 159 smokers, less than 30% of them had papulopustular postadolescent acne. However, of the smokers, almost 73% had CPAA. Results of the study were published in the November issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

For those of you still smoking, this should give you another reason to quit! If you cannot quit, or if you have acne in the absence of smoking, we have a multitude of treatments available for you, such as the Portrait Skin Regeneration treatment for acne scarring. We also have prescription medications for acne here in our Delaware cosmetic surgery office.

There’s no reason to suffer with adult acne, as it can be treated. Call today and come in for a skin evaluation. 

To your health & beauty, 

Dr. Joe Danyo

Cigarettes Not Only Cause Wrinkles, They Cause Acne

Cigarettes are undoubtedly bad for you. They’re expensive, have been linked to cancer and are known to cause premature wrinkles. If that isn’t enough to make someone kick the habit for good, the American Academy of Dermatology recently published a report claiming that smoking is correlated to adult non-inflammatory acne.

The study, which was done in Rome, found that 85% of the women had comedonal post-adolescent acne (CPAA), a type of acne characterized by black heads and large pores. Prior to the study, CPAA was believed to be less common than cystic inflammatory acne.

Not only did the majority of subjects have CPAA, 72.9% of the women with CPAA smoked. On the contrary, only 29.4% of women with cystic inflammatory acne identified themselves as smokers. The study also found that the more the women smoked, the worse their CPAA was. Smoking showed no effect on the skin of women with cystic inflammatory acne.

The average smoker spends $2,000 a year alone on cigarettes. Add in medical costs, skincare treatments and other related expenses and you have yourself one expensive habit. Not only that, the negative effects to your health should be enough to persuade anyone to quit. For Delaware residents who are interested in quitting, the state Quit Line is an excellent resource for support advice.