Category Archives: Acne Experts

Acne Awareness Month Honored by Nearly 4,000 Dermatologists

Posted on June 10, 2011 | 1 Comment

Nearly 4,000 leading dermatologists have enhanced their practice Websites with in-depth acne education resources for June in honor of Acne Awareness Month.The acne content aims help their patients manage acne and understand their acne treatment options.

Acne Resources on Dermatologist Websites

Acne Handouts on Dermatologist's Website

For instance, Dermatologists of SW Ohio in Dayton, Ohio has added over 100 patient handouts regarding skin care topics to the practice’s own Website, including in-depth references to help their  patients manage their acne.

Dermatologists have published patient handouts online that cover a wide range of acne topics, including:

  • adult acne, teenage acne, truncal acne, acne scars
  • mild acne, moderate acne, and severe acne
  • acne medications, such as topical retinoids (Differin, Epiduo, Retin A Micro), isotretinoin and oral antibiotics (minocycline, Solodyn).

Nearly 80% of people will experience some form of acne during their lifetimes. Acne is the most common skin disorder in the United States, affecting 60 million Americans at any one time, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). The American Acne and Rosacea Society (AARS) has established June as National Acne Awareness Month to increase awareness of the impact of acne on people’s lives and the various acne treatment options that are available.

The management of acne has evolved over the years with recent Acne Management Guidelines emphasizing the importance of early treatment prior to the formation of acne scars and the use of a topical retinoid as a mainstay of acne treatment and for long-term use to keep acne under control.

Newer acne treatment options include photodynamic therapy (PDT) and the development of combination acne medications that combine two active ingredients into one convenient formulation. More recent combination medications include Acanya, Epiduo, and Ziana.

There has long been rumor that a poor diet and consumption of junk food was associated with the development of acne, but this was long rebutted by “medical science”. However, more recent clinical studies have shown that high carbohydrate food (those with a high glycemic index) may, in fact, be associated with the development of acne. Interest in investigating the link between acne and diet was first renewed when epidemiological studies showed that cultures with a low carbohydrate diet (i.e. no candy, sodas) had a very low incidence of acne.

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Powerful Acne Medication Combinations

Posted on January 13, 2011 | 1 Comment
Lawrence Eichenfeld, M.D.

Lawrence Eichenfeld, M.D., Dermatologist

New acne medications that combine active ingredients provide a powerful and effective treatment option against acne, according to a leading dermatologist speaking at a medical conference of pediatricians.

“I can wipe out virtually anyone’s acne,” said Dr. Lawrence Eichenfeld, Assistant Chief of Pediatric and Adolescent Dermatology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

Topical retinoids are now considered the standard therapy for most cases of acne because they treat “microcomedos”, the early precursors of a zit. In some cases, a topical or oral antibiotic, such as minocycline or doxycline, may be added to the treatment regimen.

The Propionibacterium acnes (P. Acnes) bacterias that causes the acne lesions to become inflamed can develop resistance to topical antibiotics. However, combining them with benzoyl peroxide reduces the risk of developing resistance.

Some pharmaceutical firms are now developing combination treatments that combine acne medications. Some medications combine benzoyl peroxide with clindamycin, such as Benzaclin. Others combine a topical retinoid with other agents, such as Ziana (tretinoin + clindamycin) and Epiduo (adapalene + benzoyl peroxide)

Dr. Eichenfeld considers these medications to be “excellent products“, but added that the drawback is the added cost. He pointed out that some of these combination acne medications can run as much as $160 a tube.

Dr. Eichenfled suggested that acne patients look for rebate coupons on the Internet.

Dr. Eichenfeld pointed out that topical treatments alone may not bring moderate to severe acne under control. In many cases, oral antibiotics may need to be prescribed in combination with topical retinoids. Older teenage female patients may be prescribed birth control pills as a way of reducing sebum production. In cases of severe acne, when the risk of developing acne scars is high, oral isotretinoin (Accutane) remains a standard of care.

The full story of Dr. Eichenfeld’s comments were published in Internal Medicine News.

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Diet and Acne Reviewed by Acne Experts

Posted on June 15, 2010 | 2 Comments

The link between acne and diet is strengthened in a medical review by acne experts.

Alan Shalita, M.D.

Alan Shalita, M.D., Acne expert

The article, “Acne and Diet” authored by acne experts Alan Shalita, M.D., Whitney Bowe, M.D., and Smita Joshi, M.D. and published in the July 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD), critically reviewed the existing medical literature.

According to the authors, certain foods were thought to worsen acne before the 1960′s, but later studies showed no association and most physicians referred to the connection of acne and diet as a “myth”. Newer studies in the last decade have led dermatologists to revisit the link between diet and acne.

The authors stated that “dermatologists can no longer dismiss the association between diet and acne. Compelling evidence exists that high glycemic load diets may exacerbate acne.”  (High glycemic load diets result from eating carbohydrates, such as breads, pastas, deserts, sodas, and other foods manufactured with high fructose corn syrup.)

The authors added that “dairy ingestion appears to be weakly associated with acne, and the roles of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, zinc, vitamin A, and dietary fiber remain to be elucidated.”

The review concluded that “we hope that this review will encourage others to explore the effects of diet on acne.”

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Acne Expert Publishes Patient Education Online

Posted on May 25, 2010 | 1 Comment

Acne expert and New York dermatologist, Hilary Baldwin, M.D., has provided her patients with convenient access to acne information to help them to better manage their acne.

Dr. Hilary Baldwin

Hilary Baldwin, M.D, Dermatologist

She provides her patients and the New York City community with online access to variety of patient handouts that review the different types of acne (adult acne, teenager acne, truncal acne) and various acne treatments, including antibiotics, topical retinoids, and oral isotretinoin.

Dr. Baldwin is on the faculty in the department of dermatology at SUNY Downstate. She is currently an Associate Professor and the Vice Chair of the Department of Dermatology. Since joining the faculty she has developed interests in acne and keloid scarring. She has published and lectured extensively on these topics and is the past President of the American Acne and Rosacea Society.

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