Comments on: Acne http://www.yearserased.com/acne/ Cosmetic Skin Care Answers With Dr. Bonnie Marting DNP ARNP Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:45:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bonnie Marting http://www.yearserased.com/acne/comment-page-1/#comment-133 Bonnie Marting Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:38:29 +0000 http://www.yearserased.com/?p=1087#comment-133 Hi, this is Bonnie. I got this comment on Twitter and thought it was important enough to answer on the blog. Being 16 may be great to remember, but when you are there, it has its challenges! She Wrote- im am 16 and my skin has started to breakout no matter what treatment i use it doesn't get better. Can you suggest anything? I have tried Zineryt, tea tree oil, bp gel and clearasil. These were all the thing suggested by my doctor... they work on my friend, but not on me My Response- I feel for you. Most everyone your age goes through this and its not fun. I am going to try to answer your question in order- Zineryt is a topical solution of erythromycin and zinc acetate, and is effective in some people. Truly, the gold standard for acne is a retinoid (such as Retin-A, Differin, Tazorac, etc.). While some people feel they get an initial flare, after several weeks blemish counts are most often greatly reduced. Retinoids change the way your skin reproduces and promotes the evacuation of the sebaceous plug. While it may be somewhat challenging to get used to the product due to initial irritation, this almost always subsides with continue use. A retinoid that may be more tolerable is Retin-A Micro, which is time-released. Additionally, it is important to not wash your face more than twice daily. Increased washing creates irritation and greater sebum production. Tea tree oil is an essential oil obtained from the leaves of the Australian Malaleuca alternifolia. Tea tree oil is a favorite in many home remedies due to its antiseptic, antifungal, and antibacterial actions. The problem is that it can be irritating, even when diluted. Irritation and over drying can worsen acne. Benzoyl peroxide is a main ingredient in Clearasil and treatments such as ProActiv. It has been used for decades and is often quite effective in the continual fight against acne. It not only helps to clean the follicle of debris but introduces oxygen into the pores, creating an aerobic environment that kills proprionibacterium acnes, the bacteria responsible for blemishes and breakouts. If it becomes too irritating, back off to every other day. I would suggest obtaining a retinoid and sticking with some use of benzoyl peroxide. There are also very effective mixtures such as Duac – clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide 5%, or Epiduo Gel – a retinoid (adapalene) with benzoyl peroxide 2.5%. Some sources say (along with some patients) that the 2.5% bp is more tolerable. These can be obtained through a prescription from your health care provider. Most importantly, you will need to continue these treatments for awhile, even if your acne clears up. Hope this helps. Let me know. Thanks for your question Dr. Bonnie Hi, this is Bonnie.
I got this comment on Twitter and thought it was important enough to answer on the blog. Being 16 may be great to remember, but when you are there, it has its challenges!

She Wrote-

im am 16 and my skin has started to breakout no matter what treatment i use it doesn’t get better. Can you suggest anything? I have tried Zineryt, tea tree oil, bp gel and clearasil. These were all the thing suggested by my doctor… they work on my friend, but not on me

My Response-

I feel for you. Most everyone your age goes through this and its not fun. I am going to try to answer your question in order-

Zineryt is a topical solution of erythromycin and zinc acetate, and is effective in some people. Truly, the gold standard for acne is a retinoid (such as Retin-A, Differin, Tazorac, etc.). While some people feel they get an initial flare, after several weeks blemish counts are most often greatly reduced. Retinoids change the way your skin reproduces and promotes the evacuation of the sebaceous plug. While it may be somewhat challenging to get used to the product due to initial irritation, this almost always subsides with continue use. A retinoid that may be more tolerable is Retin-A Micro, which is time-released.

Additionally, it is important to not wash your face more than twice daily. Increased washing creates irritation and greater sebum production.

Tea tree oil is an essential oil obtained from the leaves of the Australian Malaleuca alternifolia. Tea tree oil is a favorite in many home remedies due to its antiseptic, antifungal, and antibacterial actions. The problem is that it can be irritating, even when diluted. Irritation and over drying can worsen acne.

Benzoyl peroxide is a main ingredient in Clearasil and treatments such as ProActiv. It has been used for decades and is often quite effective in the continual fight against acne. It not only helps to clean the follicle of debris but introduces oxygen into the pores, creating an aerobic environment that kills proprionibacterium acnes, the bacteria responsible for blemishes and breakouts. If it becomes too irritating, back off to every other day.

I would suggest obtaining a retinoid and sticking with some use of benzoyl peroxide. There are also very effective mixtures such as Duac – clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide 5%, or Epiduo Gel – a retinoid (adapalene) with benzoyl peroxide 2.5%. Some sources say (along with some patients) that the 2.5% bp is more tolerable. These can be obtained through a prescription from your health care provider. Most importantly, you will need to continue these treatments for awhile, even if your acne clears up.

Hope this helps. Let me know. Thanks for your question

Dr. Bonnie

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