The Minster Practice, Lichfield
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Updated 14/04/2007 Acne vulgarisAcne spots are caused by an abnormal response in the skin to normal testosterone levels causing skin glands to produce excess oil, become blocked (blackheads and whiteheads) and attract bacteria (Propionobacterium acnes) and release inflammatory substances. It affects 80% of teenagers peaking at age 18. Most will grow out of spots by their late teens but adult acne is increasing, affecting up to half of adults starting in 20s and 30s, and with a severity that may not match the person's teenage experience. 60% of teenagers either self-treat or seek medical advice with up to half of 12-20 year olds developing psychological or social problems as a result of acne. For tips on management, including when you can squeeze (and when not to!), visit www.stopspots.org . The site gives you advice on what to try yourself and when to see your doctor. There is no instant cure and all treatments are long term until the condition subsides. Whilst there is no evidence that chocolate aggravates the situation, it is worth avoiding it and also oily foods if you notice yours gets worse. Another site is http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/ which has a question and
answer format. The majority of acne is self treated or managed with the advice of pharmacists or GPs using topical or oral antibacterial agents (e.g. erythromycin or oxytetracycline) with topical keratolytics (e.g. Panoxyl or Quinoderm) or topical retinoids (Retin-A or Isotrex). Roaccutane (isotretinoin) is an oral treatment available for severe acne which affects 0.6-1.4% of young adults. It is only available from hospital specialists.
Laser treatment in acneRecent news articles referred to the use of pulsed-dye laser in acne. This is only available privately at present at a cost of about £300 per treatment. As far as we are aware, only Dr Chu's department offers the service in the UK. This is a link to the summary of the article in The Lancet regarding its use in 41 people. Pulsed-dye laser treatment for inflammatory acne vulgaris: randomised controlled trial
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