Common Questions and Answers about ACNE

Why do I have acne?
Your face contains hundreds of small white hairs, each of which grows in a small area called a follicle. Each hair comes out to the surface of the skin through a hole called a pore. Acne develops when these pores get clogged up and this pesky bacteria called P. acnes grows inside the follicle. In order to make your face better, we have to open all those pores and kill those bacteria.

What then is our acne-fighting slogan?
OPEN THE PORE, KILL THE BACTERIA.

How can I open my pores?
Believe it or not, scrubbing your face 20 times a day with an apricot scrub does not help! Actually, the best way to open your pores is to apply a prescription medication (e.g., Avita). Put is on your skin all over wherever you get acne each day. Do not spot treat. The best results occur after three months, but you will start seeing an improvement after just two weeks.

How can I kill those pesky bacteria?
Believe it or not, scrubbing you face 20 times a day with an antibacterial soap does not help! Actually, the best thing to kill P. acnes is good old benzoyl peroxide (BP). Get the kind you put on and leave on (not the soap or wash), for example lotion, gel, liquid. Apply it every day all over, not just where the acne is that day. Persa-Gel 5% is a good product but there are others.

Remember that BENZOYL PEROXIDE can bleach clothes or carpet and can be somewhat drying. If needed, you can apply a non-comedogenic (a scientific term which in normal words means okay for acne prone skin) moisturizing lotion (or make-up) after the BENZOYL PEROXIDE dries. If you still have trouble after trying all of this, your doctor can prescribe an alternative medicine that works almost as well.

Don’t I need pills too?
You might. If the topical treatment does not clear your acne in six weeks your doctor may prescribe a pill. This pill (usually a tetracycline) helps kill those pesky bacteria. Do not stop the other medications. Take the pill and continue the topical treatment. Given these three medications another six weeks.

What is the most common mistake people make in treating their acne?
Probable the most common one is to only spot treat. In other words, patients will wait until the acne has broken out and then only put the medication on the pimples. This is definitely the wrong way to go. We want to prevent acne. The second most common mistake is to clear up the acne and then stop the medication. If the medication works, keep using them. (How long? Until you outgrow your acne.)

Do foods make acne worse?
Actually, no (sorry mom). Chocolate, french fries, greasy foods, etc., only make acne worse if you smear them on your face!

Any other tips to help with my acne?

• Make sure anything you put on your face is okay for acne-prone skin. Look for that term “non-comedogenic” or non-acnegenic.
• Wash your face twice a day. Any standard soap or an acne cleanser with salicylic acid will do.
• Toothpaste for acne you ask? No sir. Leave it in your mouth.
• Hands off unless you are applying your medication.
• Too much acne along the hair line? Try to cut back on the conditioners and do not ever use a shampoo and conditioner in one. These products are notorious for causing acne along the hairline.
• Finally, do not watch those infomercials. The prescription medication from your doctor is much stronger than anything you can get in the mail.

For more information about acne go to
www.skincarephysicians.com/acnenet