Accutane before — what comes after?

We should not blame the bacteria that humans treat each other so badly. All they want is somewhere warm to reproduce with plenty of food. That the results cause people so much emotional pain is hardly their fault. Like most other diseases and disorders, acne is what it is. Acne does not judge us. It simply creeps up on us one day and shows its presence on our faces, necks and shoulders. Under normal circumstances, it then moves on and, hopefully, we recover from the emotional scars inflicted by those around us. But, in some cases, there are physical scars as well. Perhaps this was the unfair touch of the condition. That some could be marked for life. Except now there are treatments to deal with the scars left behind.

First, we need to understand why scarring results. There are two basic types of acne scar. Some are pits or depressions in the skin, either with a smooth rolling surface or with sharp angular edges. The other variety is raised portions of rubbery skin. These are most obvious when the outgrowth passes beyond the site of the original wound and may be itchy. Like a cut in the surface of the skin, acne is also a type of wound. It heals when a sufficient volume of collagen comes together and granulation tissue forms. But, because the wound is physically inside the dermis, the resulting scar forms under the surface of the skin. This makes it very difficult to remove. In fact, there is no one treatment that works well for everyone because the nature of the scars is different.

One approach, more cosmetic in nature, is to inject collagen into the site of the scars. This fills out or stretches the skin, and makes depressed scars less noticeable. Although this is a quick procedure, it is less useful when the depressions are deep and it is only temporary. The collagen slowly disperses and the injections must be repeated at regular intervals if a smooth complexion is to be maintained. This pushes many people into more aggressive treatments. For the best results, it is better not to delay treatment for too long. For depressed scars, the aim is to force the skin to regenerate. This is done using ablative techniques, i.e. the outer layer of the skin is physically worn away which encourages new skin to grow from underneath. Alternatively, chemicals are used to remove the outer layers of skin. For the most difficult cases, there is subcision to cut through the layers of skin and punch excision. Many practitioners will try to sell you on laser treatments. This is effective for minor facial blemishes but it has its limitations. The clinical trials have never used statistically significant numbers of participants and there is no real research evidence of their effectiveness.

This may suggest it better not to allow the acne to produce scarring. With effective early treatment, the different types of zit can usually be prevented from producing scars. If the conventional treatments are not successful, there is accutane. Although this has some limitations - there are always some risks for the more powerful treatments - the benefits are real. The benefits? That accutane removes all acne in the majority of people during the first course of treatment lasting three months. If there is some acne left, the second three month course is always successful. by Astro