Healthy Acne Treatment

I know, you've heard so many conflicting theories about the causes of acne--and acne treatments.I know because I've read and heard them all throughout my search for a permanent acne treatment or cure.

Although I've found a great acne treatment in chemical peels, there's a healthy acne treatment if you're not ready for chemical peels--or if you're interested in improving your overall health.  There are new studies that support a dietary link to acne, although your father's dermatologist told you that food had nothing to do with it. Many recent studies link sugar to acne.

Redness
Dr. Perricone, in his book The Clear Skin Prescription: The Perricone Program to Eliminate Problem Skin
and other book, stresses again and again that we need to eliminate sugars and simple carbs in our diet if we want to reduce acne and wrinkles because sugar and carbs cause inflammation due to a process called glycation.

Inflammation is the body's response to injury, and in this case the injury is caused by glycation.Once a clogged pore becomes inflammed, the area usually becomes red and tender. This can lead to acne scars, which can leave  life-long scars, internally as well as externally.

Glycation
Glycation is a process that impairs molecules, leaving them hardened and useless. When you experience glycation in younger skin, that hardening is seen in a slowing down of skin cell turnover, hence skin cells and sebum are clogging pores and contributing to inflammation. So only acne treatments that excessively exfoliate the skin, decrease inflammation, and/or slow down sebum production will help alleviate acne. As we age, glycation causes hardening that is seen in the form of wrinkles, and acne if the skin is still producing enough sebum.

It’s an ugly process whereby a sugar (or glucose) molecule bonds with a protein or lipid molecule, causing hardening and inflexibility. This also occurs throughout the body and within our organs.

Sugars
The bottom line: if we hope to reduce acne at the source of the problem, we have to reduce our sugar intake!

Okay, simple enough. Many of us are willing to do that to eliminate future outbreaks . Anyone can cut back on sugar, just use a sugar substitute, avoid fruit juices, drink diet sodas, and quit candy, right? Wrong. Sugar is everywhere—and most of us don’t even realize where it’s hiding.

Simple Carbohydrates
Unfortunately, sugar isn’t the only problem: simple carbohydrates are converted to sugar or glucose, which causes glycation, hence acne and wrinkles, at the same rate.  Here are some simple carbohydrates that you should avoid if you want a healthy acne treatment as well as a real strategy to slow down the aging process and reduce wrinkles:

·        Milk
·        White flour  (bread, burger buns, rolls, pretzels, stuffing, cakes, pastries, donuts, etc.)
·        Boxed Cereal
·        Potatoes and corn
·        Rice
·        White flour pasta
·        Fruit juices

I gave up these foods several months ago, and it wasn’t easy, but I have clearer skin because of it--with the help of glycolic acid peels. There are some complex carbohydrate replacements if you want to try to reduce sugars, but these still cause glycation--although not to the same extent as simple carbohydrates and sugars. The best way to eliminate acne is to eat unprocessed foods, such as meats and vegetables.

Complex Carbohydrates
Here are some complex carbohydrate substitutes:

·        Milk: plain non-fat yogurt (thinned if you want to drink it) 
·        White Flour products: whole-grain or multi-grain replacements
·        Boxed Cereal: oatmeal, buckwheat, or other whole grains
·        Potatoes and corn: beans
·        Rice: brown rice
·        White Flour Pasta: whole-grain pasta
·        Fruit juices: whole fruits

If you can pick only one of these to substitute, choose the one that you consume most often. Try it for a month, and then substitute another. You’ll be healthier, and your skin will thank you for finding a healthy acne treatment. 

If you're still not convinced and don't want to try changing your diet, you may want to check out other options for acne treatments.

Collagen Supplement

I always thought that we had to make our own collagen, but I read about two studies recently in Your Skin, Younger by Dr. A Logan, et. al., that challenged my thinking.

The studies were conducted in Germany and Japan and compared groups that consumed a supplement of hydrolyzed fish collagen with groups that did not. They measured skin structure before and after a twelve-week period of supplementation.  Both studies showed significant improvement of skin elasticity and reduction of water loss, resulting in a reduction of fine lines.

This brand, Meiji Amino Collagen, has the best reviews, but it’s in a powder form that you mix with a drink. One person commented that it tasted funky, and I can imagine why!  

If you have an aversion to a fishy-tasting drink, a pill may be the answer. NeoCell has a Fish Collagen + Hyaluronic Acid supplement in pill form.

I don’t take any supplements for my skin, but I am going to do a little more research on this.

6th TCA Chemical Peel - Before and After Photos

TCA Chemical Peel Series of 6 - Before and After Photos

These pictures are from before I started this TCA series and after the last peel, so there's about a six-month gap between the pictures and about four TCA chemical peels, ranging from a 12.5 to 25% buffered solution.

I purchased a 50% TCA chemical peel solution and diluted it to start out conservatively.

Here's a picture of me in September, before my first TCA peel. I was wearing sunscreen and powder, since that's what I usually wear.  I had several acne scars around my chin that were starting to look really bad, some fine lines, and discoloration around my smile lines. 

I pulled this picture from my first before/after blog post:

BEFORE:



AFTER 1st Peel:



I didn't take after pictures from my 2nd chemical peel.

AFTER 3rd Peel:
AFTER 4th Peel:




AFTER 5th Peel:


This is my face after the series of 5 TCA chemical peels. I am NOT wearing sunscreen or powder. I think my biggest problem area (my chin) is looking much better. The hyperpigmentation around my smile lines is much lighter! And I think the overall texture of my face looks much better...seems fuller and firmer, but could be wishful thinking ;-)

AFTER 6th Peel:
I do have on a physical sunscreen (zinc) in this photo; that's probably why I look a little white. There's still a lot of work to be done, but it will have to wait until this coming fall (of 2011). It's now April, and I can't risk another medium peel, knowing how much I will be in the sun--even though I wear sunscreen every day!

I will continue my weekly glycolic acid chemical peels throughout the summer since I will break out without them.

6th TCA Chemical Peel - day 4

This is my 6th TCA chemical peel, but really my 3rd full-face peel. I usually peel only the lower half of my face to address my problem areas, which have improved a great deal since I started the peels in September. Pictures after each peel can be found here. I do find it interesting that each subsequent AFTER peel photo is closer; I think I was less embarrassed about my skin, so I was able to go closer. I wish I'd taken really close pictures from the beginning.

DAY 1:
Here's a picture just after I rinsed the solution, before the frost from the TCA chemical peel had faded:



I did my entire face, including my forehead, but I didn't take a whole-face photo. I can see I missed a section of my chin, and I intentionally applied the solution well below my eyes.

DAY 2:
Today I looked like I had just a bit of sunburn below my eyes and on my cheek area, and my chin area looked a little tanned. The area below my eyes is an area that I haven't applied TCA chemical peel to in several months, so it probably reacted more than my chin area, which was treated just two weeks ago.

 DAY 3: The white is zinc is from my sunscreen. It definitely accentuates the peeling, but I don't want to take a chance with the new skin. Can you imagine someone coming to my front door when I'm like this? My neighbor came over and gasped when she saw me. I said, "Don't mind my facial mask...it's ready to peel off." Oops, I know it was a lie, but what's a girl to do?
DAY 4: Most of the peeling from this chemical peel finished last night, so there's only a bit left on my forehead and lower cheeks--not even enough to see unless you're looking very closely. You can't really see it with a full-face photo, so here's a photo of only my forehead:
I'll post before and after photos of my 6th TCA chemical peel tomorrow...

6th TCA Chemical Peel - day 3

This is my 6th TCA chemical peel, but really my 3rd full-face peel. I usually peel only the lower half of my face to address my problem areas, which have improved a great deal since I started the peels in September. Pictures after each peel can be found here. I do find it interesting that each subsequent AFTER peel photo is closer; I think I was less embarrassed about my skin, so I was able to go closer. I wish I'd taken really close pictures from the beginning.

DAY 1:
Here's a picture just after I rinsed the solution, before the frost from the TCA chemical peel had faded:


I did my entire face, including my forehead, but I didn't take a whole-face photo. I can see I missed a section of my chin, and I intentionally applied the solution well below my eyes.

DAY 2:
Today I looked like I had just a bit of sunburn below my eyes and on my cheek area, and my chin area looked a little tanned. The area below my eyes is an area that I haven't applied TCA chemical peel to in several months, so it probably reacted more than my chin area, which was treated just two weeks ago.

 DAY 3: The white is zinc is from my sunscreen. It definitely accentuates the peeling, but I don't want to take a chance with the new skin. Can you imagine someone coming to my front door when I'm like this? My neighbor came over and gasped when she saw me. I said, "Don't mind my facial mask...it's ready to peel off." Oops, I know it was a lie, but what's a girl to do?
DAY 4: tomorrow...

6th TCA Chemical Peel - day 2

This is my 6th TCA chemical peel, but really my 3rd full-face peel. I usually peel only the lower half of my face to address my problem areas, which have improved a great deal since I started the peels in September. Pictures after each peel can be found here. I do find it interesting that each subsequent AFTER peel photo is closer; I think I was less embarrassed about my skin, so I was able to go closer. I wish I'd taken really close pictures from the beginning.

DAY 1:
Here's a picture just after I rinsed the solution, before the frost from the TCA chemical peel had faded:

I did my entire face, including my forehead, but I didn't take a whole-face photo. I can see I missed a section of my chin, and I intentionally applied the solution well below my eyes.

DAY 2:
Today I looked like I had just a bit of sunburn below my eyes and on my cheek area, and my chin area looked a little tanned. The area below my eyes is an area that I haven't applied TCA chemical peel to in several months, so it probably reacted more than my chin area, which was treated just two weeks ago.
DAY 3:
tomorrow...

6th TCA Chemical Peel - day 1

I have an important event in a couple of weeks, so I decided to do another TCA chemical peel. I am having really good results with 25% TCA chemical peel solution, so I am sticking with it for now.

I did my 5th TCA chemical peel just 14 days ago, but I wouldn't space them any closer together than this since the new skin cells take about 30 days to reach the surface of the skin.

I haven't applied any type of peel or exfoliant solution in over a week, including glycolic acid.

This is my 6th TCA chemical peel, but really my 3rd full-face peel. I usually peel only the lower half of my face to address my problem areas, which have improved a great deal since I started the peels in September. Pictures after each peel can be found here. I do find it interesting that each subsequent AFTER peel photo is closer; I think I was less embarrassed about my skin, so I was able to go closer. I wish I'd taken really close pictures from the beginning.

Here's a picture just after I rinsed the solution, before the frost from the TCA chemical peel had faded:
I did my entire face, including my forehead, but I didn't take a whole-face photo. I can see I missed a section of my chin, and I intentionally applied the solution well below my eyes.

I'll post pictures tomorrow or the next day to show progress.

5th TCA Chemical Peel: Before and After Pictures

Here's a picture of me in September, before my first TCA chemical peel. I was wearing sunscreen and powder, since that's what I usually wear.  I had several acne scars around my chin that were starting to look really bad, some fine lines, and discoloration around my smile lines. 

I pulled this picture from my first before/after blog post:

BEFORE:




AFTER:

This is my face after my 4th  TCA chemical peels. I am wearing sunscreen and powder, like in the picture above. 

The 4th chemical peel made the biggest difference so far. I think my biggest problem area (my chin) is looking much better. The hyperpigmentation around my smile lines is much lighter! And I think the overall texture of my face looks much better...seems fuller and firmer, but could be wishful thinking ;-)

If you're interested in seeing the progression of improvement, all of the peels and pictures are posted between Sept 2010 and March 2011.


AFTER 5th:

I am not wearing sunscreen or powder in this after photo, so it's not quite comparable to the one above. I'm really happy with my results. They just seem to be getting better and better since the 4th peel!