Acne is on the increase, but a breakthrough treatment is offering new hope for sufferers.
Everyone knows acne is a teenage problem, right? Try telling that to the Hollywood superstar Cameron Diaz, whose skin was so bad before the London premiere of her most recent film, Gangs of New York, that she cancelled the trip and remained holed up at home. “She is very honest about her condition” said a close friend.
In fact, acne is the most skin disease in the world. Eighty per cent of us will be affected at some point in our life and, although it is often an adolescent problem, 30% of us will continue to get acne in adult life.
Like Diaz, many of us know the feeling of not wanting to be seen in public because everyone will be staring at our spots. And while we might not be faced with an A-list bash, it often seems to happen before a big event such as a wedding or a job interview.
Why? Experts believe that stress could be a factor. “Stress increases the adrenal hormones, which stimulates the sebaceous glands and allow acne-producing bacteria to thrive,” says Dr Nick Lowe of the Cranley Clinic.
Dr Tony Chu, a consultant dermatologist, agrees: “Stressed career women are particularly prone to acne.” It is increasingly common for thirty and fortysomething women to be desperate for treatment.
“We still don’t know why acne eventually resolves,” says Trish Coates of the Skin Research Centre at Leeds University. “And research shows that no acne treatment works to the same degree for everyone.”
Roaccutane, a vitamin A derivatives has long been the dermatologist favourite “cure”. While the drug can have a dramatic and permanent effect on some, it provides only temporary relief for others, and side effects, including dry eyes and lips, and possible liver damage, birth defects and depression, have been well documented.
Those who have looked to antibiotics are also beginning to find a loophole in their treatment. According from study from Leeds University, resistance to antibiotics for acne, both in oral and topical applications, has increased from 30% in 1992 to 70% in 1997. “No antibiotics work brilliantly on acne,” says Professor Hywel Williams.
The lack of satisfactory acne cure explains why dermatologists are so excited by the new N-Lite laser treatment. Dr Chu who has carried out trials on the procedure at the Hammersmith Hospital call it “the first big advance for 30 years”.
The N-Lite laser works by emitting a pulsed beam of yellow light that, when absorbed by 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 ski-plumping substance that works to improve texture and soften acne scars.
Specific breakout areas such as the chin or cheeks can be treated during one painless 10-minute session, and the overall “wound healing cascade”, as Chu poetically calls it, appears to result in that mysterious turning-off of the acne switch.
Results of Chu’s double-blind trial, in which patients were treated with placebo laser, have just been released and show that one treatment can suppress acne for three months with no side effects. Meanwhile, 58% of patients reported a 50% improvement in their acne. While hardly a miracle cure, it is an important breakthrough for sufferers, who appear to be running out of options.
“The worst years of my life were also the spottiest” says a 29-year-old PA, Marina Tsangarides, who recently underwent N-Lite treatments. “I had teenage spots that disappeared when I was 20, but came back when I was 25 during a particular stressful period.” After antibiotics, she cut out sugar and tried facial, as well as expensive glycolic peels, cleansers and sunblock - all to no avail. Her confidence, already damaged by years of acne was at an all time low.
“After my first N-Lite treatment, the spots under my skin came to surface the next day and disappeared within a week,” she says. A second treatment a month later resulted in clear, healthy skin. “I’m amazed. The scars from acne are much less noticeable - a tiny dent is still here, but it’s much reduced and the skin that surrounds it is perfect.”
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