Eighty-five percent of people between the ages of 12 and 25 develop acne at some point in their lives, but not all cases are the same. If mild acne can make someone feel insecure and unattractive, then chronic acne can cause profound emotional and psychological trauma.

The psychological and social impacts of acne can be troubling; acne affects adolescents during a crucial time of development where peer acceptance and physical appearance is critical. When people continue to have acne well into adulthood, these feelings might persist, affecting their relationships with peers and their careers.

Some recent open discussions between physicians and their patients have revealed the impact acne can have on someone’s entire life. Some problems associated with acne include:

1. Self-esteem and Body Image

• Leads people to avoid eye contact
• Encourages hiding the face and neck with long hair and makeup.
• Limits participation in physical activities like swimming

2. Relationship building

• Provokes taunts and cruel behavior from other teenagers
• Diminishes confidence
• Discourages social interactions

3. Education/work

• Encourages poor school attendance
• Leads to numerous sick days from work
• Limits career choices by eliminating jobs requiring dealing with public
• Results in higher percentage of unemployment

What is Acne?

Acne is one the most common skin conditions in the world. Both men and women are affected, but it is more common with teenagers due to hormonal changes. Acne can appear anywhere, but it’s more common on parts of the body rife with the type of glands that tend to secrete oil in larger quantities. Areas like the face, back, shoulders, and chest areas are where acne commonly appears.

Acne forms when the hair follicles in the skin are blocked, leading to a mixture of skin and oil produced by the sebaceous glands. Bacteria lives in these oils, so bacteria tends to grow in theses hair follicles and cause infections that lead to skin irritation, pus formation, and itchy sensations. The hair follicles walls eventually break up, leading to deep acne nodules or cysts in the skin. Scratching or removing these areas might leave scarring behind (which can be treated with acne scar treatment). Acne can sometimes increase in size and quantity forming pus, irritation, and bleeding from constant picking and scratching. Severe acne is when the acne is resistant to almost all common treatments like acne medicine or antibiotics.

Certain factors can increase someone’s risk of developing acne, including:

• Oil based cosmetic products like make up or hair gels
• Hormonal changes due to puberty, menstruation, or pregnancy
• Squeezing, scratching, or picking blemishes
• Hard scrubbing of the skin which stimulates oil production

How Can Accutane Treat My Acne?

Accutane, also, known as Isotretinoin, it is a treatment for recalcitrant or severe acne. This oral soft gelatin capsule is FDA approved and typically prescribed twice daily. Accutane is effective for all types of acne including severe cystic acne. Accutane is a form of Vitamin A, and it is generally prescribed when all other acne medications or antibiotics have failed. Today, Accutane is more of a generic label for other Vitamin A medications; Renew MediSpa prescribes the available brand forms of isotretinoin, for example: Claravis, Myorisan, and Sotret, for treating severe acne.

Millions around the world have used Accutane medications to clear resistant acne safely and successfully. It has also converted thousands of reclusive and unhappy patients into outgoing individuals that are proud of their clear skin. Accutane is not just a face-saver—but can also be a life-changer.

While the exact mechanism for Accutane is unknown, we do know that it affects acne in four ways:

1. Accutane dramatically reduces the size of the skin’s oil glands by 35-58%. It also dramatically reduces their oil production by around 80%.
2. The bacteria that causes acne (P. acnes) lives in the skin’s oil. By dramatically reducing that oil, Accutane reduces the amount of acne bacteria in the skin.
3. Accutane slows down the skin’s production of skin cells, which prevents the core from becoming clogged.
4. Accutane helps reduce inflammation of the skin.

Your treatment regimen for Accutane will depend on a few factors. Some patients will need a second course of treatments with Accutane before they can see full results. Other than a few pimples from time to time, acne is less likely to return after an Accutane treatment regimen of about six months. Renew MediSpa will help patients choose which Accutane medication will be right for them.

Renew MediSpa will design an Accutane regimen for each patient that will maximize effectiveness while drastically lowering the occurrence of side effects, like dry skin. We always use the lowest effective dose, which is substantially lower than doses used years ago.

For more information on how Accutane treatments can help treat acne, visit Acne.org.