The laser relief of acne

At the first stirrings, many teens grind black. The charge: acne. But experts gathered at a European Congress could restore their smile. They reported on the best care and the many hopes raised by the laser.

Nine out of ten teenagers Acne affected ... has an impressive array of hunting. Faced with this disorder, which sometimes tends to persist beyond the early years, scholars have made the point during the congress of the European Association of Dermatology and Venereology (Barcelona).

When the grind of black teens!
Acne affects 80% of people between 11 and 30 years. It is manifested by blocked sebaceous glands (sebum-producing) and outbreaks of lesions: comedones1, Blackheads, pimples infected ... In severe cases, the defects are similar to nodules which can be painful. The most often localized on the face, acne can also affect the back, anterior chest, shoulders and neck. To learn more about the mechanism of acne, check out our article "Think clearly address blackheads".

Occurring most often in adolescence, this skin disease can have severe psychological and social impacts that are often larger than those observed in diseases known as "most serious" such as asthma or epilepsy. Thus, it is often associated with anxiety and depression. Indeed, nearly one in five patients complained of depression and 44% of them show symptoms of anxiety2.

Quite logically, apply treatments to fight against the proliferation of the bacteria associated with acne (Propionibacterium acnes) and focus their efforts on inflammation and comedones.

The experts recommend the combination retinoid / antibiotic
Bringing together world leaders in dermatology, the Global Alliance to Improve Outcomes in Acne defined combination therapeutic antibiotics /retinoids Topical (said of a drug for external use which acts locally) as the reference treatment for inflammatory acne light to medium. Published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology3This consensus provides clear rules for standardized management of acne to dermatologists and general practitioners. Topical retinoids act both to normalize desquamation and reduce injuries while antibiotics reduce inflammation and kill microorganisms.

"Almost all acne patients benefit from the use of a retinoid and topical retinoids should be first line treatment of acne. From all the study data, combination therapy is more effective than antibiotics alone. By being effective faster, combination therapy also reduces the risk of antibiotic resistance "said Professor Harald Gollnick, President of the World Alliance.

In France, the Group of Experts Acne4, Formed in 2001 to adapt these recommendations to the French practice (consisting of Drs Claire Beylot, Martine Chivot Brigitte Dréno, Michel Faure, Henry Pawin, Florence Poli, Jean Revuz) emphasized the existence of a second mode of action of antibiotics, an anti-inflammatory directly. The shares of certain anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory in the effectiveness of antibiotics is still poorly known, but both seem important.

But these combination therapies are often poorly tolerated and require long-term treatment. Moreover, the use of antibiotics can increase the resistance phenomenon as pointed out Prof. Breno at the last World Congress of Dermatology.

The great hope of the laser
Already at the origin experience of phototherapy original in 2000, the team of Dr Tony Chu of Hammersmith Hospital in London and repeated talk of the town. These British researchers report the first use of a pulsed dye laser (LCP) Low-power in the treatment of acne5. This laser is commonly used in dermatology for the treatment of birthmarks, rosacea and the other warts, but priori nothing seemed to indicate in the treatment of acne.

Results of correction of accidental acne collected by this technique in various clinical trials have yet put a flea in the ear of our researchers. Thus, 41 patients were recruited, 31 underwent a session of this new treatment and 10 a "fake" treatment. Reviewed during three months, those treated showed a significant improvement in their condition with a reduction in the severity of acne by 50%, a reduction in the number of scars by 53% (against 9% in the other group) and a halving of inflammatory lesions (49% against only 10% in the control group). Well tolerated, this approach gives the best results in 4 weeks after laser treatment. "Our results suggest that laser treatment could be a new therapeutic approach capable of treating inflammation in current and scars from previous acne. We believe that this treatment could be studied as an adjunct or alternative to pharmacological treatments conventional "said Professor Tony Chu. In their discussions, the authors stress that their results are still preliminary though they are amazing.

In a commentary accompanying the publication, Professor Guy Webster of Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia said that more surprising results achieved by the team of Professor Chu, the discovery could have important economic consequences. "Infrequent treatments that would make unnecessary use of drugs would benefit everyone (except drug companies). But we're not yet at the point where acne patients will throw their drugs and queuing for the laser. Indeed, more work is needed to confirm these results, define the optimal therapeutic procedure and explain the mechanism behind this beneficial effect of the laser still mysterious.

 

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