With proper diagnosis, treatment and a healthy dose of good, old-fashioned skin care, acne and rosacea can be less of a nuisance for patients, dermatologists have said.
Speaking today at the 68th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy), dermatologist Jenny J. Kim, MD, PhD, FAAD, associate professor of dermatology at the University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) David Geffen School of Medicine in Los Angeles, discussed the latest treatments for acne and rosacea and how ongoing research into the causes of these conditions holds promise for future therapies.
"Sometimes it is hard for patients dealing with acne or rosacea to understand why, even with ongoing treatment, they cannot get rid of their symptoms forever," said Dr. Kim. "I explain to them that these conditions are similar to having any chronic disease, like having diabetes - there is no cure yet, but we can control the symptoms. Just like insulin helps maintain a diabetic''s blood sugar, patients with acne and rosacea need to find a treatment regimen that works for them to maintain clear skin."
Acne: An Equal-Opportunity Skin Condition
It is estimated that 40 million to 50 million Americans are affected by some form of acne. While acne is commonly associated with teenagers struggling with the growing pains of adolescence, this skin condition can strike at any age. In fact, Dr. Kim emphasized that it affects adults in their 20s, 30s, 40s and even in their 50s, especially in women and even in people who never had acne as teenagers. The causes of acne include excess oil production, skin inflammation, skin cells in the hair follicles that shed too quickly and an increased number of the acne-causing bacteria Propionbacterium acnes. However, hormones also influence both oil production and the shedding of skin cells, thereby contributing to the formation of acne lesions. For example, when androgens (the male hormones present in both men and women) over-stimulate the oil glands and hair follicles in the skin, hormonal acne flares can occur.
