Acne on back and the appearance industry

Acne on Back Logo Being preoccupied with appearance, the acne on back sufferer usually have a negative self image, and may develop psychological problems. Because the color, texture, and appearance of the skin, are important physical factors contributing to outer beauty; and when many people are more concerned with physical beauty, though inner beauty is more pleasing to the mind, real beauty would cease to matter. Needless to say that, it is not a person’s skin that makes them attractive but a combination of all the unique characteristics that they are. The media, and television in particular, actively promote levels of attractiveness related to appearance and particular physical properties. Attractiveness has thus shaped people attitudes in favor of physical beauty in many life aspects, such as employment, social opportunities, friendship, s*xual behavior, and marriage. The media transmit messages concerning physical beauty, perfection and disfigurement, and usually offer suggestions and practical advice as to how the influence of these aspects can be reduced or altered. As they are promoting certain products, they are creating markets for advertisers at the same time. the media have propagated the idea that perfection is a normal thing in society and that those who are unattractive can easily gain this supposedly ‘normal’ appearance. The concept of body image defined as our perception of the way that others see us, is therefore affected by any physical changes to the way that we look. As acne develops in adolescence, a time when people are generally most sensitive about their appearance; symptoms such as depression or social anxiety reflect their real concern over body image. The costs of treatment may also complicate the problem and can cause great distress. The visibility of acne on back may attract attention in certain social situations, thus making the individual feel that they can’t keep their condition private or personal.The sufferer may find that some people react negatively towards them or treat them differently because of the way that they look. Negative misconceptions about acne are still there; some people still think it is associated with a person’s inability to ‘properly take care of themselves or a lack of cleanliness and reactions to this can range from curiosity to rejection therefore, acne sufferers become socially withdrawn...to be continued.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

acne on back FAQs logoAcne Treatment : local therapy

LOCAL THERAPY

Cleansing
There is no evidence that either surface sebum or surface bacteria aggravates acne. Therefore, in order for a soap or topical antibacterial agent to be of aid in the therapy of acne, the topical agent would have to remove the lipids or the bacteria (or both) from within the follicle. Certainly, the action of a soap will not remove open or closed comedones. Any dermatologist can readily describe cases of acne that he or she has seen in compulsive washers. It would appear that washing as a therapeutic measure is often overemphasized, but many acne patients do not have a pronounced seborrhea, and washing or cleansing to remove this excessive oil, if not overdone, provides subjective benefit.

Topical agents
Topical therapy of acne has undergone periodic change. Many years ago, empirical reliance was placed on the use of sulfur- and resorcinol-containing products, and to a degree, they are still used in the over-the-counter market. Their mechanism of action has not been defined. Products containing salicylic acid, a keratolytic agent, have also enjoyed some popularity. However, the major topical agents now in use are retinoids and antimicrobials such as benzoyl peroxide and topical antibiotics.

Topical retinoids, such as tretinoin and tazarotene, and agents with retinoid activity, such as adapalene, are used extensively for their comedolytic activity. These agents can be irritants; in general, the order of irritancy increases as one progresses from the use of cream preparations to gels to the solution. Most patients can use low-potency tretinoin or adapalene cream daily without developing an irritant reaction. Patients must also be cautioned about sun exposure, because an exaggerated burn may follow what previously was an easily tolerated sun exposure. Unlike tretinoin, adapalene and tazarotene are specific for a subset of retinoic acid receptors (RARs). These two drugs selectively activate RAR-ß and RAR-, but not RAR-a receptors. The binding of these agents to nuclear retinoic acid receptors affects the expression of genes involved in cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and inflammation. At the cellular level, the result may be a modification of several acne pathogenic factors, including corneocyte accumulation and cohesion, and inflammation. Topical retinoids are comedolytic, and reversal of the altered pattern of follicular keratinization has been seen at an ultrastructural level. Epidermal cell turnover is increased in comedones.

Salicylic acid is also comedolytic but is not as effective as topical retinoids.

Benzoyl peroxide preparations are among the most common topical medications prescribed by dermatologists, and benzoyl peroxide is a major therapeutic agent in the over-the-counter acne market. Benzoyl peroxide is a powerful antibacterial agent, and its effect is probably related to a decrease in the bacterial population and an accompanying decrease in the hydrolysis of triglycerides. Benzoyl peroxide preparations are available in both lotion and gel forms, the latter generally being considered more active. The compound can produce significant dryness and irritation, and allergic contact dermatitis has occurred, but this is an uncommon event.

Topical antibiotics are also used for the treatment of acne, the most popular preparations containing erythromycin or clindamycin. These two agents have also been used in combination preparations with benzoyl peroxide. Increased levels of P. acnes resistance have been reported in patients who are being treated with antibiotics. However, the development of resistance is less likely in patients who are treated with a combination of benzoyl peroxide/erythromycin or clindamycin, these combination products are preferable over topical antibiotics alone. Another topical agent is a cream containing 20% azelaic acid.

Azelaic acid is a naturally occurring dicarboxylic acid found in cereal grains. It is available as a topical cream, which is effective in inflammatory and comedonal acne. The activity of azelaic acid against inflammatory lesions may be greater than its activity against comedones. Azelaic acid is applied twice daily and its use is reported to have fewer local side effects than topical retinoids. In addition, it may help to lighten postinflammatory hyperpigmentation. Because comedolytic agents, such as topical retinoids or salicylic acid, and antimicrobial agents, such as benzoyl peroxide or antibiotics, have different modes of action, they are often used together in an individual patient. However, they should be applied at separate times.



Acne On Back

Posted by SSS at 9:56 AM

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