Biological Treatment of Acne Scars

The best way of treating acne scars is to start early and continue for as long as is necessary. There are, however, a number of treatments available when suffering from scar formation. The idea behind biological acne scarring treatment is that old, damaged tissues and scars are replaced by new cells. Some topical treatments contain ingredients that start this chain of events. These treatments focus on the creation of healthy skin cells instead of aggravating the body´s inflammatory immune system response. The natural ingredients can saturate deep into the skin and promote cellular turnover. Damaged tissues and acne scars are diffused into their own amino acid components and released back into the body as the basis of new cellular growth. One step in the healing process involves an enzyme that starts a metabolic effect and a signal transduction that triggers the process of skin repair and skin remodeling. This metabolism works with extremely complex sequences of controlled biochemical modification of chemical compounds in living organisms and cells. Through these metabolic processes the enzymes can affect how fast a swelling or an edema of injured tissue is reduced. They do this by “digesting” or breaking down the damaged tissue. The waste material is thereby removed from the skin lesions so as to reduce inflammation, speed up the healing process and encourage regeneration of new tissue. In biology, signal transduction is any process by which a cell converts one kind of signal or stimulus into another. These processes often involve a sequence of biochemical reactions inside the cell. These reactions are carried out by enzymes and linked through second messengers. The processes can last a millisecond or as long as a few seconds. In transduction processes, an increasing number of enzymes and other molecules become engaged in the events that proceed from the initial stimulus. In such cases the chain of steps is referred to as a "signaling cascade" and often results in a small stimulus eliciting a large response. So, biological ingredients with active parts like antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, proteins, peptides, and enzymes can with rather little effort stimulate the speed in which the body heals itself.
Improved exchange between cells promotes proliferation which improves collagen and elastin levels in the skin. Biological ingredients will fuse with the skin cells and stimulate the production of fibroblasts which provide the structural framework for the skin. It dissolves existing post inflammatory scars and also fills in depressed scarring. The biological ingredients do this by stimulating the replacement of damaged skin cells, getting rid of scarring and necrotic tissues. They also stimulate the formation of the extra cellular binding between cells, thus improving skin strength, cutting down on fragility, and inhibit microbiological activity of dangerous, pathogenic skin bacteria, including acne.

Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion is a cosmetic medical procedure in which the surface of the skin is removed by abrasion (sanding). It is used to remove sun-damaged skin and to remove or lessen scars and dark spots on the skin. The procedure is very painful and usually requires a general anaesthetic or twilight anaesthesia, in which the patient is still partly conscious[1] Afterward, the skin is very red and raw-looking, and it takes several months for the skin to regrow and heal. Dermabrasion is useful for scar removal when the scar is raised above the surrounding skin, but is less effective with sunken scars.

In the past, dermabrasion was done using a small, sterilized, electric sander. In the past decade, it has become more common to use a CO2 or Erbium:YAG laser. Laser dermabrasion is much easier to control, much easier to gauge, and is practically bloodless compared to classic dermabrasion.

Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion comes from the above mentioned technique dermabrasion. Microdermabrasion is a more natural skin care that is a gentler, less invasive technology for doing an exfoliation on the skin. The goal of the microdermabrasion is to eliminate the superficial layer of the skin called the epidermis. If the surface of the abraded skin is touched, a roughness of the skin will be noticed. The roughness is keratinocytes, which are better hydrated than the surface corneocytes. Keratinocytes appear in the basal layer from the proliferation of keratinocyte stem cells. They are pushed up through the cells of the epidermis, experiencing gradual specialization until they reach the stratum corneum where they form a layer of dead, flattened, strongly keratinized cells called squamous cells. This layer creates an efficient barrier to the entry of foreign matter and infectious elements into the body and reduces moisture loss. Keratinocytes are shed and restored continuously from the stratum corneum. The time of transit from basal layer to shedding is generally one month. Corneocytes are cells derived from keratinocytes in the late stages of terminal specialization of squamous epithelia. The microdermabrasion is done to eliminate some of the corneocytes. These cells are responsible for the impermeability of the skin. The minimizing or elimination of scars, skin lesions, blotchiness and stretch marks from the skin can be an easy process with the use of skin exfoliation. The result depends on how well the procedure known as "skin remodeling" works. Results are optimal and fewer treatments are needed with more recent and/or superficial scars. Still, microdermabrasion can be used on scars that showed up during puberty or many years later.

Laser therapy
Fractional Laser resurfacing is a procedure which wounds the skin using microscopic pulses of light. Over the course of several treatments scars are softened as the body regenerates the areas of microthermal wounding. Several lasers are now on the market such as the Fraxel Laser, Affirm Laser, and Pixel Laser.
Laser resurfacing is a technique used during laser surgery wherein molecular bonds of a material are dissolved by a laser.

Chemical therapy
Chemical peels improve and smooth the texture of the facial skin using a chemical solution that causes the skin to blister and eventually peel off. The regenerated skin is usually smoother and less wrinkled and scarred than the old skin.

Surgical therapy
Subcision is a process used to treat deep rolling scars left behind by acne or other skin diseases. Essentially the process involves separating the skin tissue in the affected area from the deeper scar tissue. This allows the blood to pool under the affected area, eventually causing the deep rolling scar to level off with the rest of the skin area. Once the skin has leveled, treatments such as laser resurfacing, microdermabrasion or chemical peels can be used to smooth out the scarred tissue.

Antibiotics Used to Treat Acne

Acne is caused by the effects of hormones on the pilosebaceous unit, consisting of a hair follicle, sebaceous gland, and a hair. The follicle becomes obstructed and an overgrowth of a normal skin bacteria, Propionibacterium acnes, causes destruction of the lining of the follicle. This process allows follicular material to enter the dermis, causing an inflammatory response. For a more detailed description of this process, see What Causes Acne?

How Antibiotics Work for AcneAntibiotics work by several mechanisms. The most important is the decrease in the number of bacteria in and around the follicle. Antibiotics also work by reducing the irritating chemicals produced by white blood cells.Finally, antibiotics reduce the concentration of free fatty acids in the sebum, also reducing the inflammatory response. The most frequently used antibiotics for acne are summarized here.

TetracyclineTetracycline is the most widely prescribed antibiotic for acne. The usual starting dose is 500 mg twice a day continued until a significant decrease in acne lesions is seen. The dose can then be decreased to 250 mg twice a day or discontinued. The main drawback for this antibiotic is that it must be taken on an empty stomach to be the most effective. For a teenage boy who eats frequently, this can be very difficult. Tetracycline should not be given to pregnant women or children under 9 years of age.

ErythromycinErythromycin is a very commonly used antibiotic for acne. It has several advantages over tetracycline. First, it has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce redness in lesions, in addition to killing bacteria. Also, it can and should be taken with food - a benefit for teenagers. The dosage of erythromycin varies with the type used, but it is typically prescribed as 250 - 500 mg twice a day. It can cause stomach upset and nausea, but can be used in pregnant women.

MinocyclineMinocycline is a tetracycline derivative that has been used effectively for decades as a treatment for acne. It is especially useful for pustular type acne. While the absorption of minocycline is decreased with food, it is not as significant as the decrease seen with tetracycline. The usual starting dose is 50 to 100 mg twice a day. Major side effects of minocycline include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, skin pigmentation changes, and tooth discoloration. The skin and tooth changes are seen more often in people who have taken minocycline for a long time.

DoxycyclineDoxycycline is often used for people who do not respond to or cannot tolerate erythromycin or tetracycline. The dosage of doxycycline is started at 50 to 100 mg twice a day. It should be taken with food; otherwise it can cause significant nausea. Doxycycline is more likely than tetracycline to increase sensitivity to the sun, or cause sunburns.

ClindamycinClindamycin is very useful as an oral antibiotic for acne, but it is most widely prescribed as a topical antibiotic. The starting dose is 75 to 150 mg twice a day. The major side effect of clindamycin therapy is serious intestinal infection called pseudomembranous colitis caused by the bacteria, Clostridium difficile.

Side Effects of All AntibioticsAll antibiotics can cause candida vaginal yeast infections in women.

Tetracycline seems to be the antibiotic that most frequently has this side effect. All oral antibiotics can also lessen the effectiveness of birth control pills,
Article Written by: Heather Brannon, MD,

Effective Alternative Approach to Treating Acne

I suffered from acne since I was 12 years old. Unlike people whose acne gradually disappear after their teen years, mine continued on for a couple of decades more. I know exactly how it feels as a teenager who agonizes over a big zit on the chin before a date. I also know how a grown-up can lose confidence after a serious breakout and react by canceling important meetings. For the long-term sufferers, I have stumbled along with you the battered psychological journey between high hopes of yet another new doctor and the dashed expectations of the same old result.
I began my study of acne when I was a graduate student at the University of Washington. At one time, I went to see a dermatologist in downtown Seattle. This doctor's office walls were decorated all over with pictures of himself and celebrities. I did the sun lamp for the first time there. When that didn't work, the doctor treated me with liquid nitrogen freezing. The next day, my face was covered with burnt spots all over. I couldn't believe my eyes. My complaint to the doctor was greeted with only a shrug. I vowed then and there to find out what I could about acne and if I could do something about it.What I have found out is that acne is some disease that actually cannot be cured. The goal of treating acne is to control it by reducing the symptoms and to prevent permanent scarring of the skin. Anyone who tells you differently is not telling you the truth.
Effective acne treatment slows the cellular turnover rate and the accumulation of dead skin cells in the pores; slows the production of sebum; and kills or inhibits P. acnes and other microorganisms in the pores. These actions together check the inflammatory activity of the enzymes they produce.For most people, their acnes are not cured by their doctors but by themselves. Acne has the tendency to slowly improve over time and usually go away on its own after the teenage years. Some people who don't have acne earlier can start getting them in their 30's. A few can have acne all through their lives. After about ten years of trial and error, luckily, I've finally found a way to control my acne.
This approach combines Chinese herbal treatment with Western medicines and vitamin consumption. I was treated four years ago by a Beijing dermatologist who, for the first time, was able to clear up my face after a month of treatment. Today, I can still remember vividly the moment of elation and thankfulness I felt towards the physician.
When I talked to the old man, he told me he arrived at his treatment method through years of treating acne patients. He showed me his patients' before and after pictures. They were remarkable. He said he had successfully treated over 5,000 patients with a success rate of 99%. I volunteered to spread his good work over the internet but he didn't want to do it. He is from the old school and believes hoarding knowledge makes him indispensable.
Out of curiosity, I did more research on the subject and read up all the Chinese formulas I could find on treating acne. I experimented with different formulas on myself and friends and eventually came up with a health food that was as effective as the Beijing formula. The health food has been a convenient substitute for preparing herbal medicine. Since the herbs and the ingredients that make up the health food and the formula are all natural and have little side effect, this treatment option therefore provides a long term and safe solution to controlling acne breakouts.

Written by John Mok, owner of the AcneControl Site