Life After Acne

Hurtful expressions, social rejection and self-loathing are all part of the acne cycle that begins in youth, often rages into adulthood and can return later in life. Acne is a medical mystery with multiple opinions and very few facts. What we do know is that 20% of the population – that’s two out of every ten clients who visit a spa, have blemish problems that require and benefit from skincare services.

Acne is largely genetic. Most forms are caused by dead cell matter and sebum (excess oil) clumping together to create a sticky substance that clogs up the pores. This is an ideal environment for the survival of bacteria. These organisms contribute to papules, pustules and cysts.

The only thing that is clearly understood about acne is that it is most often misunderstood.

There are so many things that are believed to cause breakouts, with stress being at the very top of the list. People have busy lifestyles. They run off to the gym, sweat, clog up their pores and then believe they have acne.

Certain common cosmetic ingredients can stimulate an acne condition. Avoid products that contain ingredients such as dand c-colored dyes and isopropyl myristate, which cause irritation.
These oily ingredients are commonly found in non-mineral based powders, blushes, eye shadows and lipsticks, often to help them apply more smoothly and give them a slick, sheer feel. If your skin is acne-prone, it is important to avoid these ingredients in skin care products.

There is no cure for acne, but we have learned to control the condition with proper skin care products and services. More natural approaches for treating acne that are slowly being recognized by the scientific community involve ingredients like vitamins A and C, camphor, sulfur, tea tree oil, green tea and lavender. Salicylic, glycolic and enzyme peels are proving effective in removing dead skin cell congestion and microdermabrasion is being used
successfully as an additional treatment to help unclog pores and allow congested follicles to clear.

The first step in instituting any acne program is education.
A complimentary skin care consultation at Enza Medispa will help you develop a skin care plan for your skin type and lifestyle. Our skin care professionals can recommend appropriate cleansers, toners, masks and moisturizers so you can avoid using soap and astringents that contain alcohol and strip the skin. In addition, exfoliating products will help prevent buildup by removing dead skin cells. Combined with anti-microbial agents to reduce the activity
of bacteria, you will see rapid improvement of acne conditions.

Should your skin condition, acne or acne scarring require more in-depth treatments or services, an appointment can be scheduled with Dr. Joseph Rucker, cosmetic and plastic surgeon and founder of the Enza Medispa.

Controlling acne is just like maintaining your weight. Whether there are active breakouts or the skin is completely calm, acne requires constant care. We at Enza Medispa are ready to help.

Don’t forget, an important tip for all skin types: Eat a well-balanced diet, drink plenty of water and develop healthful personal hygiene habits.


Enza Essentials Oil-Free System for acneic & problematic skin conditions.
Cleansing and Balancing Ingredients: Salicylic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Papain, Camphor, Witch Hazel, Tea Tree, Cucumber and Sage.

Deep Purifying Cleanser
Clarifying Astringent
Cucumber Cleanser
Citrus Rinse
Oil-Blotting Hydrating Lotion
Multivitamin Aloe Conditioner
Oatmeal Buffing Crème
Fine Facial Beads
Vegetable Mud Masque
Glycolic Serum
Overnite Oxy-Complex
Camphor Treatment Stick

Call (800) 456.8222 or (715) 832.1774 for your free skin care consultation.

ACNE

What is it?
Acne is also referred to as ‘acne vulgaris’ and it manifests as white heads, blackheads, papules,
pustules and deep cysts predominantly on the face or upper back and chest. Acne vulgaris originates in ‘pilosebaceous units’ in the skin, each unit consisting of a sebaceous gland, hair follicle, follicular canal and keratinocytes (cells which line the follicle). The sebaceous gland manufactures an oily substance called ‘sebum’ that empties onto the skin surface through the opening of the follicle – a pore. The sebum lubricates the hair and skin and helps the skin retain
moisture.

Symptoms
Acne occurs when the hair, sebum and keratinocytes block the skin pore, and the sebum builds up beneath the surface and causes a ‘white head’. If the sebum is exposed to air but still stuck in the pore it becomes a ‘blackhead’.

The mixture of sebum and cells allows bacteria to grow which in turn attracts white blood cells that cause inflammation. When the wall of the plugged follicle breaks down, it spills everything (ie sebum, dead skin cells and bacteria) into nearby skin leading to pimples.

Why it happens?
Current thinking suggests that the causes of acne may include:

• Hormones – the male sex hormone ‘androgen’ increases the size of sebaceous glands, sebum secretion and keratin production. Androgens increase in both sexes during puberty. Other hormonal changes may relate to starting or stopping the contraceptive pill or may occur just before a menstrual period (premenstrual). Acne that begins outside puberty may indicate a disorder of the endocrine system.
  
• Genetics – there is a school of belief that says if other members of an individual’s family had acne as teenagers, there is a chance that there will be an inherited tendency towards the condition.

From a naturopath’s perspective, acne is related to food sensitivities and a build up of toxins due to poor elimination from the liver. Therefore many naturopathic treatments for acne focus on strengthening liver function and reducing or eliminating ingredients that aggravate your acne. The liver purifies the blood removing toxins and hormones that aggravate acne.

It is also recognised that there are several factors that may make acne worse and should therefore be avoided:

• Squeezing pimples ~ which forces sebum into the surrounding normal skin, causing redness and swelling
  
• Harsh scrubbing or rubbing of skin ~ which irritates the skin
  
• Certain cosmetics that are comedogenic (promote acne)
  
• Some medications ~ such as steroids and lithium
  
• Emotional stress and nervous tension ~ a recent study found that acne severity correlated with increasing emotional stress.

What natural therapies can help?

Vitamin A – is important for maintenance of epithelial tissue, which covers the external surface of your body – your skin.

Zinc – helps heal acne blemishes, reduces inflammation and may help reduce sebum
production. If you are zinc deficient, your vitamin A levels may not be too crash hot either. Zinc is required in the liver for synthesis of retinol binding protein and without adequate zinc, vitamin A also suffers.

Vitamin E and selenium – increase glutathione peroxidase, an enzyme that prevents inflammation of the hair follicle.

Probiotics – normal flora also helps absorb nutrients. Naturopaths believe if the digestive system isn’t in balance this can lead to food sensitivities and decrease your body’s ability to heal.

B group vitamins – help support the nervous system, skin and aid proper digestion.