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Acne is More Than Just "PIMPLES"

Acne has many causes and contributing factors. During adolescence the sebaceous glands enlarge and become more active under the guidance of circulating hormones (androgens). Sebum production increases with rising levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEAS). The increased sebum production and enlargement of the glands leads to an environment which supports bacterial overgrowth, white-head/black-head production, and Milias. In some individuals these can progress to deep cysts which are painful and can lead to permanent discoloration and scarring.

Acne may continue into adulthood and beyond. As we age other factors such as the sun, dirty air, impure water, makeup, and medication can contribute to recurrence of acne.

Many other factors such as hormonal changes during monthly cycles, menopause, genetic predisposition, bacteria, hair products, make up, and certain habits such as holding the telephone too close against the face may contribute to the presence of acne.

Part of our mission statement here at Forever Young, Inc. is to treat and control acne using aggressive combination therapies. We will design a program that is unique for you and which will addresses your needs and desires. Using several different modalities the facial oil production is decreased, bacterial counts are lowered, sebum is removed and the pores are cleansed.

Furthermore; the top dead layer of the skin is chemically or manually exfoliated. This will prevent the recurrence of acne and improve scarring and discoloration. If needed the larger cysts are drained or rarely completely excised. Additionally, occasional injection of very dilute cortisone (Kenelog) can reduce the deep cystic type acne and prevent scarring. Oral contraceptives and spironolactones can normalize hormonal imbalance and oral antibiotics and Accutane can be used to control deep cystic acne. More recently, lasers, light sources, and Radiofrequency devices have shown long lasting improvement in acne and acne scarring with little to no downtime and no need to take oral medication.

Evaluating your skin type

Your experience at Forever Young will start with a thorough skin evaluation by Dr. David Rahimi. Dr. Rahimi is board certified in dermatology and in cosmetic surgery. He has over 10 years of experience practicing dermatology, cosmetic surgery, and laser surgery.

Once your skin type is determined (oily, dry, sensitive, mixed, T zone, sebaceous, etc.) a unique treatment regimen is designed for you. The right combination of topical creams, scrubs, and moisturizers are selected. You then will meet with Dr. Rahimi or our experienced staff of estheticians every 2 to 4 weeks for an intensive facial steaming, cleaning, acne extraction, chemical exfoliation, microdermabrasion, or application of carbon dioxide. Lasers, light sources, radiofrequency energy, oral antibiotics, and accutane are added as needed. Our final goal is a radiant, flawless, acne free complexion which you can maintain forever.

What is Acne Rosacea?

Acne Rosacea usually manifests itself as pustules, papules and diffuse redness over the cheeks, chin, and forehead. Patients often complain of flushing quickly with such common triggers exercise, alcohol, tobacco, emotional stress, taking hot baths and even the consumption of certain foods such as cheese, spicy foods, shell fish, soy sauce, and nuts.

The presence of thousands of very fine blood vessels (telangectasias) makes the face appear red. In men this condition can be much more aggressive and even lead to a red bulbous nose usually associated with W.C. Fields. The eyes can rarely be affected and cause serious problem including corneal damage. The cause of this relatively common condition is not entirely known and many theories including exceedingly sensitive facial vasculature, circulating hormones and even a hair follicle mite called Demodex Folliculorum only explains part of the picture.

With proper treatment this condition can be effectively treated and the facial redness and blood vessels erased.

Here is a partial list of treatments currently available for acne and Melasma.

As you can see the list is long and confusing. The main problem in treating acne and Melasma is that everyone reacts differently towards the above mentioned modalities. For example Retin-A may work well for your friend but it may make your skin red and itchy. Another example is Oral antibiotics. These can help some patients; however others can develop stomach aches, rashes, and rarely even develop bacterial resistance.

Melasma and Post Inflammatory Hyper pigmentation

The treatment of Melasma or the "mask of pregnancy" is yet another challenging topic in dermatology. Millions of people suffer from it and have simply accepted to live with it. Genetic predisposition, hormone replacement therapy, birth control pills, pregnancy and sun exposure are some of the contributing factors.

Melasma and post inflammatory hyperpimentation (brown spots left after acne spots have healed) can effectively be treated. Treatment initially starts with effective sun protection, topical bleaching lotions such as hydroquinone (4%, 6%, and 8%), kojic acid, alpha and beta glycolic acids and microdermabrasions. In some instances more aggressive treatments such as medium depth chemical peels (jessners and TCA) and lasers are indicted. Allow us to evaluate your skin and design a regimen that works for you.

Soaps, cleansers, scrubs and moisturizers

Acne soaps can reduce facial oils and also reduce the number of bacteria inhabiting the skin. These need to be used judiciously since overuse will lead to excessive dryness and discontinuation of the entire regimen. Moisturizers and sunscreens should be non-comedogenic, acne and oil free. Facial scrubs containing Benzyl Peroxide will gently exfoliate the skin and also open up whiteheads and blackheads.

How does proper diet help keep acne away

A fair number of patients with acne notice that a diet full of carbohydrates, sweets, and processed sugars worsens their acne. Stress, lack of exercise and sleep may also worsen your acne. I personally do not believe in diets in general. A diet by definition will eventually come to an end and the problem will recur. Eat a balanced diet with plenty of water and fresh fruits and vegetables and reduce fast foods and chocolate. Everything is O.K. as long as it is in moderation. Remember we want you to be able to keep your regimen forever.

Treatment of acne scarring and facial blemishes

Once the acne is under control and the blemishes have resolved we will address any scarring. Lasers, chemical peels, dermabrasions, punch excision of scars, subsicion, grafting, injection with collagen, perlane, restylane, hyaline, radiance, alloderm and your own fat are some of the possible options.

You are in good hands with Dr. Rahimi and the staff at Forever Young, Inc.

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