Cystic Acne in Women: Ways to Make the Healing Process Faster

Cystic acne denies personal privacy. It's like wearing a
billboard that screams, "Yes, something is wrong with my
skin!" Acne poses multiple cosmetic and emotional problems
for women, and as researchers Christina Williams and Alison
Layton found, transforming a nodule infested face into
flawless skin takes time and a serious patient commitment.
But no one wants to, or should, have to wait indefinitely
to "look better".

To ease the burden of cystic acne, a qualitative study of
women with acne presented in Canadian Family Physician
found that many females get cosmetic relief from supportive
family members, using makeup to cover acne lesions and
trying self help methods.

When isotretinoin is not enough

Women may also soothe away acne pain using isotretinoin, a
drug released in the 1980s to treat severe acne that does
not respond to three months of moderate acne medications.
Since its arrival to pharmacies, examiners have
consistently tested the efficacy of isotretinoin.

Though isotretinoin stands as a superior acne preventing
agent, according to a recent historical review of
isotretinoin published in Dermatology, patients can
experience cystic acne relapses after a course of
treatment. For instance, if the first prescription of
isotretinoin is too low, patients may endure severe acne
again-sometimes within three months to a year after having
used isotretinoin.

Laser treatments to make the skin look better

When oral medications do not provide cosmetic improvements
fast enough, women can opt for in-office doctor treatments.
Now, lasers are replacing quick-fix acne treatments like
steroids injections that reduce the inflammation cystic
lesions can induce. And unlike temporary injections, lasers
seem to impart lasting results.

For example, in a study presented in the Journal of
Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, scientists treated women
suffering with severe acne with the LaserPeel (2940nm
ebium: YAG laser). During the investigation, patients
received three laser sessions over the course of three
months and witnessed satisfactory improvements in their
inflamed acne lesions.

Similarly, investigators using a Glass laser (1540nm
ebium:Glass laser) found that this treatment elicited an
isotretinoin-like effect on the skin- it shrank the oil
follicle size. Moreover, patients noted that the
oil-reducing effect and minimal acne incidences lasted for
at last a year after the laser treatment.

Even though laser treatments are pricey, it's hard to put a
price on dramatically improving the way you look and feel.

Sources:

Angel, Sylvie; Dominique Boineau, Serge Dahan & Serge
Mordon. Treatment of active acne with an Er:Glass (1.54 µm)
laser: A 2-year follow-up study. Journal of Cosmetic and
Laser Therapy; December 2006, vol 8, no 4 , pp 171-176.

Magin, Parker et al. Psychological sequelae of acne
vulgaris: Results of a qualitative study. Canadian Family
Physician, August 10, 2006; vol 52, no 8, p 979-986.

Zaniewski, Michelle; Sukhbir Inder & Paramjit Basra.
Erbium:YAG laser resurfacing in patients with inflamed
cystic acne. Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy,
December 2006; vol 8, no 4, pp 163-166.

Zouboulis, Christos. The truth behind this undeniable
efficacy –Recurrence rates and relapse risk factors of acne
treatment with oral isotretinoin. Dermatology, 2006; no
212, pp 99-100.

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Naweko Nicole Dial San-Joyz pioneered the acne trigger
approach to naturally controlling moderate to cystic acne
in her internationally published book, "Acne Messages".
San-Joyz continues to serve the acne community by
developing customized acne scar dermabrasion treatments for
the face and body. If you want free tips for removing acne
scarring, visit http://www.Noixia.com .