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Banishing adult acne

Carmel Thomason
16/ 5/2008

ACNE is the bane of many a teenager's life.

Just at the time when our hormones awaken us to the opposite sex, our skin starts to erupt to knock our confidence in the dating stakes.

The only saving grace is that about 80 per cent of teenagers are going through the same thing.

"I've had spots since I was about 13 but I never really felt that bad when I was younger because so did a lot of my friends," Nic Stacey remembers. "I've never had what you might call really bad acne - you know how you see on some people and you feel really sorry because it looks like squashed rice on their face. I did try lots of creams which never worked, but I just thought that once I got a bit older it would disappear."

For most acne sufferers this is the case. It is a skin condition that usually starts in puberty because of changes to hormone levels that are occurring at this time. It is caused by increased sensitivity to testosterone, which is present in both boys and girls. The hormone causes excessive sebum to be secreted from the skin's sebaceous glands. At the same time skin cells are rapidly dividing and sometimes block the opening of hair follicles. Changes in skin acid levels, also occurring at this time, encourage the growth of bacteria. And the three things together cause teenage acne to develop.

Acne remains

However, increasingly for many people, once the pains of puberty are over the acne remains. It is not infectious and not caused by poor hygiene. Neither is there any evidence that eating certain foods such as chips or chocolate cause or aggravate acne. Indeed if it were so simple to control we wouldn't see A-list celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Cameron Diaz and Kate Moss still suffering outbreaks.

It is thought that there may be a genetic factor involved in adult acne, while stress is also significant. In women, hormonal changes which occur during the menstrual cycle can be a trigger as well as excessive hormone production caused by conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome.

Because of the hormonal link some women take the pill to control outbreaks successfully. For male sufferers, however, that is not an option.

"Girls can go on the pill, but obviously being a boy I couldn't do that," says Nic, a 21-year-old student from Cheadle Hulme. "I did try loads of other things though. I've got a list as long as my arm of the different creams and lotions I tried."

For severe cases dermatologists sometimes prescribe a strong drug, Roaccutane. However, while the drug can have a dramatic effect for some its use requires monitoring as it can cause serious side effects, such as dry eyes and lips, liver damage, birth defects and depression. For this reason doctors are naturally reluctant to prescribe it for moderate cases such as Nic's.

Inflammation

Doctors usually treat moderate acne with a low-dose anti-biotic, which reduces the number of bacteria, inflammation and sebum production. However, as with most acne treatment, seeing a visible improvement takes time. Usually it takes about eight weeks to see any noticeable improvement and patients are often advised to continue with the medication for at least six months.

"I've tried a couple of different antibiotics," says Nic. "I had a bad reaction to the first one and had to stop taking it. The next one I tried didn't seem to make that much difference - but I was told it can take months to see any improvement.

"It's harder when you get older. I thought, give it a few years for puberty, but by the time I was 17 most of my friends' skin had cleared up and mine hadn't. Even my friends who had really bad acne, suddenly they hit 16-17 and it cleared up. It really started to knock my confidence - it's there on your face for everyone to see - I was so self-conscious because you can't hide it.

"I got to a point where I'd try anything. I heard that if you wee on some cotton wool and put it on your face that's supposed to clear it - I only tried it once because it was disgusting - but that's how desperate I was."

Nic then tried a new laser therapy N-lite at Manchester's The Private Clinic. The treatment, which has been hailed as the biggest breakthrough in the treatment of acne for 30 years, was initially developed for use on birthmarks and wrinkles.

It was later tested at London's Hammersmith Hospital on patients suffering mild to moderate acne. Within 12 weeks their acne had halved while those on dummy treatment showed no improvement. Those with the most severe symptoms displayed the most striking improvement, mostly within the first month of treatment.

Pulsed beam

It works by emitting a pulsed beam of yellow light that, when absorbed into the skin, generates heat. This, in turn, encourages the release of chemicals that stimulate the skin's natural healing response and the production of oxygen, which is toxic to bacteria. The N-Lite laser also produces natural collagen, the skin-plumping substance that works to improve texture and soften acne scars.

Laser nurse practitioner, Geraldine Botha, who carried out Nic's treatment explains: "When Nic came in his acne was moderate and still had some, what we would call, active acne.

"We use the treatment for acne vulgaris, which is the type of spots that come to a head. After your first N-light treatment the situation may get a bit worse because it forces the spots on to the surface of the skin. The laser kills the bacteria which causes the spots, stopping further outbreaks. Once you've stopped the active acne the skin has a chance to heal up and the N-light helps to speed that along.

"Nic got a very good result. It is also fairly quick compared to other treatments. The treatment lasts up to 30 minutes so you can even come in your lunch hour so there is no down time. And you don't have any side effects, which can be a problem with other treatments."

To treat his acne, Nic had three N-lite treatments of 20 minutes each at two week intervals.

"At first I didn't seem to notice anything for a few weeks," says Nic. "If anything, my skin seemed to be worse than it was, but they did tell me that might happen. It was other people who started commenting first - noticing that my skin was so much clearer. I think maybe because I was really close to it I didn't see it so much myself first but gradually, over time, I'm noticing I'm not getting as many spots as I used to."

Goggles

The treatment involves the patient wearing goggles while a laser pen is moved over the affected area.

"It doesn't hurt - it's more like an annoying feeling in the way in the way pinching yourself with a pair of tweezers might be. After the treatment my skin was a little bit red and sensitive but nothing that you would really notice.

"I was also advised to start using a special cleanser, which was good because it's quite easy on my skin and doesn't smell chemical or aggravate my skin in any way."

Two months after his first treatment Nic's skin is now almost completely clear, his scarring is also lessened and he is now following his dream to become a TV presenter, winning a slot fronting a debate show produced by his media course at Salford University to be screened on Channel M in July.

"I still get the odd spot because that's just how my skin is, but now it's just one spot rather than a load of spots," Nic smiles.

"It's made me feel a lot more confident. I finish university this summer and I'm looking for jobs as a TV presenter. It's what I've always wanted to do but a year ago I couldn't have even thought about it - I'd be too worried about people looking at my face. Now my skin is clearer it's completely changed how I feel."

N-lite treatments start from £200. For more details contact The Private Clinic, Oxford Street, Manchester on 0800 599 9916 or visit theprivateclinic.co.uk

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