Wide range of treatments for acne available

It's a scourge that affects as many as 90 percent of all teens and young adults. The good news is that acne does respond to treatment. A wide range of treatments - topical preparations, oral medications, and specialized therapies - are now available to keep acne under control.

A type of acid that occurs naturally in fruit, milk, and sugar cane is one of the hottest new treatments for acne. Alpha-Hydroxy acids, known as AHAs, have been found to have a number of beneficial effects on skin and already have found their way into a number of commercially available cosmetic preparations. One form of AHA, glycolic acid, is already being used in medical concentrations by some facial plastic surgeons as an effective "light peel". Because it penetrates into the skin and actually breaks down the substance that holds the skin's outermost layer, glycolic acid cleans blocked pores and reduces production of new ones.

A glycolic acid peel, performed in a facial plastic surgeons office, may help stop an acne breakout in its tracks and restore a healthy, natural complexion almost instantly. The benefits may be extended with regular use of a preparation containing a milder concentration of glycolic acid.

Dermabrasion (facial sanding) is sometimes used to treat severe cases of cystic acne that have not responded to other medical treatment. Using a rotating brush, the surgeon sands off the skin's top layers. Local anesthetics and topical freezing agents make dermabrasion relatively painless.

Medical treatments for acne included Accutane, an oral medication that is sometimes effective in reversing acne symptoms, and Retin-A, a derivative of Vitamin A that is available only by prescription. Other treatments are liquid nitrogen spray, which lightly peels the skin's surface and intralesional steroids, which are injected directly into large acne cysts to reduce inflammation and relieve pain.

What if the ravages of severe acne already have taken their toll? Take heart - several techniques are available to reduce acne scarring. Deep pits may be corrected with punch elevation, a technique in which a circular instrument is used to make a round incision slightly larger than the scar. As this heals, it elevates slightly, giving the skin a smoother appearance. Collagen and other materials may be injected into deep scars with a fine needle to fill the depression and smooth the facial skin. Hyperpigmentation - a darkening of the skin that may result from acne - may be treated with glycolic acid or deeper skin peels, sometimes combined with mild bleaching agents. Dermabrasion also is used to smooth old acne scars.