Acne Magazine : Skin Care, Tips, Treatment Reviews

The first time I saw the name “Spironolactone”, I definitely did not think of it as an acne treatment, let alone a medication, but it is indeed a medication that is used to treat acne, just like antibiotics, topical dermatological creams, and the ever so controversial isotretinoin (Accutane).

Spironolactone is actually a somewhat serious acne medication, as it is actually a synthetic steroid. Because of it’s androgen inhibiting abilities (this means it inhibits androgens, male hormones), it is really only used in adult women with acne, since excess androgen production is usually a prime cause for female acne, and many times it is used in conjunction with a birth control pill to treat female acne.

This acne medication is usually used once or twice a day, in the morning one pill is taken, and sometimes a second pill is taken in the evening, depending on the course of treatment decided on by the dermatologist and the severity of the patient’s acne.

Side effects of Spironolactone can range from irregular periods to fatigue and breast tenderness – mostly typical side effects of hormonal interference. Other maladies that are treated with this medication are high blood pressure and interfering puberty that is severe.

You may want to check out some of the best natural acne treatments first before taking on a treatment like this, since it does have some sort of unappealing side effects.

It usually takes at least two weeks to begin to really work, for whatever purpose it is intended, and some patients respond very well to acne therapy with Spironolactone combined with oral contraceptive therapy, since they complement one another and calm the hormones responsible for the acne.

Some large, cystic acne postules simply cannot be treated by medication, and need to be physically interfered with so that they may drain properly or “dry up” and not cause severe scarring and pitting.

It appears that this division is a warranted one.  While acne occurs in all ethnic groups, it appears that it is much more prevalent in one specific ethnic segment.  Caucasian people (those of “white” descent) have much more occurrence of the acne skin condition than those of say, African American or Asian descent.  Why would this be?

Unfortunately there is no concrete explanation for the frequency of acne in caucasians, but it is likely just a genetic specific that is passed on through generations, or perhaps a tendency that the caucasian community has, such as dietary or lifestyle wise, that may contribute more to acne. 

Or perhaps it is the chemical makeup of caucasian skin, and this is just a genetic weakness, so to speak.  Whatever the cause, the treatments for acne remain the same across all ethinic and racial groups.  Salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide still remain the most popular and widely used OTC acne treatment products for all races, and it works the same on all ethnicities. 

Or, some of the best natural acne treatments that are available today are appropriate for all types of ethnic skin as well, as they are all geared toward “TLC” care for acne prone skin, which can many times be delicate and needs to be handled a bit differently than other skin types.

There may be some small variations in skin care, since tendencies tend to differ slightly in oiliness, skin tone and texture between different ethnicities.  Those tendencies would be accounted for in the skin care routines in small adjustments, say like a more moisturizing cleanser, or a heavier moisturizer, or lighter one, based on the dryness or oiliness of the person’s skin.

You know, my mother, who is now 54 years old, stopped smoking about one and a half years ago.  I’m really proud of her, because she had smoked about a half pack a day since she was 16 years old, so this was no easy feat.  She actually will still have a cigarette here and there today, but many times will go days without even having one cigarette. 

The first thing I noticed about my mom was how healthy her skin looked after she had quit smoking.  She actually had a better color, more tone and instead of her skin taking on almost a “grayish” hue, her skin looked rosy, like it was glowing.  Amazingly enough, she looked like she was at least 5 years younger in a matter of about one month after she quite smoking. 

Her wrinkles were less apparent, and she didn’t even have any blotchiness going on.  This brings me to the topic.  Smokers skin.  We all know what we’re talking about here.  How you can almost always tell by looking at a person’s face, their skin, that they have been smoking for quite a few years.  Many times a smoker’s skin looks somewhat sallow. 

This is due to the lack of oxygen circulating in their blood and being conveyed to their skin, making their skin take on an unnatural color and palor. Not only that, but smoking has been shown to actually destroy the mechanisms that create collagen, a necessary component to having youthful looking, regenerated skin.  Collagen is also imperative in the repair of acne scarring. 

Also, it is due to increased toxins and free radicals, the destroyers of healthy regenerative skin cells, floating around in their blood streams, being delivered to the outer layers of skin, and wreaking havoc on the healthy glow that skin should have when it is healthy. 

How might smoking affect those with acne?  Well, those with acne, or even with a past problem with acne (acne scarring), will be greatly set back by smoking, since it hinders the skin’s ability to heal itself. 

This means you may scar more easily, and that the smoking itself may even lead to more acne breakouts, since smoking is a stimulant that makes some nervous, and can contribute to the stress and anxiety that can many times trigger acne breakouts in both men and women. 

In short, if you are a smoker, and you have either acne or aging skin, it would be in your skin’s best interst to QUIT.  Your skin will look better for much longer, and no one can tell you’re a smoker in twenty years just by looking at your skin!

I think everyone – even people with the most beautiful, pristine skin in the world, have blackheads on or around their nose.  Heck, my boyfriend and I both have tiny blackheads on our noses which just tend to look like bigger pores.  Is there anything that you can do to get rid of these nose blackheads, or are they just there for good?

Well, you can go get a professional, comprehensive “corrective” facial and request to have all of the blackheads on your nose extracted.  There is no guarantee that even a versed aesthetist will be able to extract your blackheads on your nose though, especially since some blackheads are especially stubborn and will not come out. 

You can also try to perform the delicate blackhead extractions yourself, but this may not be a good idea, since you can actually end up with infected or inflamed pores (or both) and also since you may end up with a permanently open, red looking pore if you don’t do it just right. You may end with more acne scarring, and that’s definitely not what anyone wants. 

I know this from experience.  I used one of those Biore pore strips on a particular blackhead on my nose, and now am still suffering from an open pore that just looks like a small red scar.  I removed the blackhead with a Biore pores strip about two years ago, and you can still see the red dot.  It doesn’t look good, and I’m sorry I did it!

Another thing you can do to at least lessen the appearance of blackheads on the nose, and help to loosen them so they are more easily extracted, as well as prevent further blackheads, is to use a home microdermabrasion kit, or to go get professional microdermabasion done. 

Using a toner, or an astringent, after you wash you face at night may help, since it seals the pores up, leading to clear pores as well as sealing off any dirt or sebum from blocking the pore, lessening the likelihood of more blackheads from forming. 

Be careful with astringents though, and I would say only use them at night, because they can cause excessive drying since they are mostly alcohol based when used too often or too agressively.

I got this email question from a reader who has acne scarring and would like to know more about the Zenmed scarring treatment kit.

Question :

Hi -

It’s been some months since I last emailed you inquiring about the Zenmed Scar Treatment System, asking about the product’s benefits and success in minimizing pock marks and pitting from acne scarring. At that time I believe you were just starting out using it. I was wondering what your comments and findings are now. I’m contemplating purchasing the product(s), but I just wanted to check in with you & see how you faired with it. Any comments or observations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again!

Answer :

Sorry for the delay in responding.  I really like the microdermabrasion complex kit, it has really smoothed out the rough areas.  I’ve made sure to consistently use the products, and I even sneek in another use or two more than the recommendations, because I’m pretty anxious to get results fast, as always.  I definitely think it was a worthwhile investment, and as long as you regularly use it on a schedule, I don’t see how you would not see visible results.

That’s right, one of the most popular herbal supplements for acne healing and treatment, formerly called “Acuzine” is now called Acnezine. This may have caused some confusion amongst those who may have heard of the Acuzine product, but then could only find information online about a new product called “Acnezine“, so I figured I’d clarify for those people!

OK, this may be the last post on lemon water I do, since I know I’ve posted about the possible health and skin benefits of drinking freshed squeezed lemon slices in your water that you drink.

Although it is typically called “safe” to gently exfoliate every day by dermatologists, I’m not so sure it’s a great idea to exfoliate every single day if you suffer from acne. If you happen to be a person who does not have acne, or only has very mild acne, then you may be safer doing this.

Isotretinoin, as it is generically known in drug form, or as we all tend to know it, Accutane, has been recently shown to cause more liver and heart problems in patients than previously thought (or assumed) by the medical community. 

Recent tests on over 13,000 patients that were taking the Accutane acne drug had more abnormal test results for liver and cholesterol functions in the body than expected by the medical community, suggesting that Accutane patients may have to be more cautiously monitored in the future than once thought.  And not only for pregnancy and depression this time, but also for potential cholesterol levels as well as liver and heart functions. 

The medical community is quick to point out that abnormal tests for liver and cholesterol do not necessarily mean there is the potential for health problems now or down the line, it’s just a sign that monitoring patients needs to be taken a little more seriously.

Accutane is still considered one of the most effectiver dermatologist prescribed acne medications today, and it is especially effective in treating those with severe acne, at a price though, these acne pills cost patients about $10-$15 per day of use, so they’re not cheap.  Herbal acne supplements may be preferable for those looking for safer alternatives.