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Have you ever thought about first treatments of acne in a dermatology history and how successful they were? How many traditional treatments of acne did you go through in your life? And how many new treatments will be discovered in the feature before the word “acne” would become a history? A Proven Protocol To Cure The 'root Cause' Of Acne Without The Use Of Prescription Medications Or Dangerous Drugs!
Believe or not, the acne treatments first developed by the dermatologists way back in the 1800s differ little from the over-the-counter medications you'll find in your neighborhood drugstore today.
Applying sulfur results in drying of skin and this was standard therapy in 1800s. The sulfur was often accompanied by other irritants, which helped loosen the impactions within the clogged pores. During the 1940s and 1950s dermatologists also used mixture containing sulfur, which were known as drying lotions. Some of these lotions included antibacterial ingredients, to assist in efficacy. Clearasil, is still popular sulfur-containing over-the -counter acne treatment. Sulfur medications work initially, but they tend to lose their efficacy with prolonged use. It has been shown that the skin quickly acclimates to the active ingredients, whose purpose is to irritate the blemish, causing it to peel and expose the impaction.
In the 1800s another interesting discovery was made regarding acne. Thanks to the microscope, scientists were able to examine acne lesions and one of the things they found was that bacteria were present in the lesions. In the late 1940s and early 1950s antibacterial treatment was used in the fight against acne. Penicillin, the first available antibiotic, was tried as an acne therapy, but appeared to have no therapeutic effect. Scientists surmised that penicillin circulated in the bloodstream it didn't get into the skin.
Other antibiotics (such as tetracycline) were subsequently discovered and that did demonstrate activity in the skin. Early studies revealed that acne patients who were treated with oral tetracycline showed some improvement, making this the preferred acne treatment for several decades. Other antibiotics that were also popular were erythromycin and clindamycin. While clindamycin showed some efficacy, its possible side effect included diarrhea and colitis, an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. It should be also noted that a number of severe cases, the colitis proved to be fatal. In addition to oral antibiotic therapy, antibiotics may also be applied topically. The antibiotic (such as erythromycin or clindamycin) is mixed with alcohol, penetration enhancers, and emollients, and applied to the skin once or twice daily. This treatment has been shown to be effective.
Benzoyl peroxide is another popular acne medication that is available over-the-counter and it's effectiveness comes from antibacterial properties and its ability to act as a peeling agent. It also appears to limit the secretion of certain oils that contain fatty acids, which contribute to acne flare-ups. It also true that combination of Benzoyl peroxide and topical antibiotics work well. In 1960-1970s another important treatment was developed, it is vitamin-A acid, also known as Retin-A. When applied topically, it normalizes the desquamation inside the follicle, helping to loosen the patches of dead material. Of course Retin-A, or Retin-A acid, like Benzoyl peroxide and other topical treatments, is quite irritating and most patients experience tremendous amounts of inflammation during the first few weeks of therapy. This has been an ongoing problem with traditional acne treatments, they are extremely irritating, especially for adult patients, who do not have the oily skin.
Accutane (isotretinoin) is a highly effective, but somewhat dangerous drug of last resort. It works by inhibiting the production of sebum, and it is almost magically effective against even the most severe acne. However, it has two side effects, one of which is that it can cause devastating problems. Accutane taken during pregnancy can cause birth defects. Obviously, it should not be taken by any woman who is pregnant or who intends to become so. A woman taking Accutane should not allow herself to become pregnant until at least 2 months after ending the use of this drug. Reduced sebum may result in severely dry skin, leading to nosebleeds, cracked lips, bleeding gums, a raspy throat, and other discomforts. Accutane can also cause more general symptoms such as headaches and occasionally even musculoskeletal problems. All of these are generally (but not always) mild. And they all cease as soon as the Accutane is discontinued. Other prescription treatment include oral contraceptives, which have proven effective for women with acne. Oral contraceptives may normalize the hormonal changes, helping to prevent the hormonal surges that can aggravate acne.
Alpha hydroxy acids, such as glycolic acid (derived from sugar cane), are another over-the-counter acne treatment. They work by helping to increase shedding of skin cells. This helps to clear the impaction within the follicle. Glycolic acid also is very powerful antibacterial and anti inflammatory agent.
Back in the early 1900s, German physician treated their acne patients with X-ray therapy. Initial studies showed this type of therapy to be extremely effective. This led to X-ray therapy being used on tens of thousands of patients, who later developed multiple skin cancers of the thyroid from the radiation. To make matters worse, at a later date, dermatologists who tried X-ray therapy found that it had no effect -good or bad-on their patient's acne.
Ultraviolet radiation: Starting in the 1950s and continuing through 1980s (and occasionally today), physicians administered artificially generated ultraviolet light treatments to their acne patients. Like the X-ray treatments, this, too, has proved to be an unfortunate therapy. As we all know , ultraviolet radiation increases our risk of cancer and accelerates the aging process.
Cryotherapy- targeted freezing of the skin. Physicians either rub dry ice onto the skin or apply liquid nitrogen directly to the acne lesions. The down side is that to ensure optimum effectiveness, cryotherapy should be administered daily, which makes this form of treatment impractical for the average patient.
Acne surgery. The physicians use a small instrument that presses down upon the acne lesion, forcing out the impaction. This treatment must be performed regularly. However, insurance companies do not cover this mode of treatment, so it is not very popular. Today we have a few new therapies with promise to win this “acne battle”. Laser light treatment. Some physicians are treating acne with a specific wavelength of laser light that focuses on a pigment known as prophyrin (a pigment in the skin), which is produced by the Propionibacterium acnes bacteria. This prophyrins are very sensitive to laser light of 410-420 nanometers; laser light at this intensity can destroy the bacteria, which, in turn, decreases levels of fatty acids and cytokines (such as interleukins)-resulting in decreased inflammation. Some experts believe that the heat produced by the laser light may also be therapeutic.
Radio waves-is another new therapy, which actually heat the dermis (the lower portion of the skin), without burning the surface. The surface of the skin is first rapidly cooled with liquid nitrogen, after which a measured dosage of radio waves is applied. Proper implementation of this therapy requires the administration of an anesthetic to the skin; and so patients undergoing this treatment must be under a physician's care.
Acne is a disease that can occur in virtually anyone at almost any stage of his or her life. So many acne therapies we went through for these many years and yet people still suffer from it today. Maybe it is because traditional therapies are designed to treat a specific condition without looking at the overall person affected by condition? Often these therapies fail because they do not address the underlying condition of which the disease is just a symptom. The body is incredibly smart complex, and it tries to take care of us, warning about the things we are doing wrong. So maybe we just should look closer at our lifestyle, diets, cosmetics trying to understand the cause of our symptoms before we make a decision take another medicine with a dangerous side-effect? Maybe then it would be even easier to treat acnes?
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