A prevalent conundrum that takes many forms, acne is a common skin condition that plagues a great majority of men and women. The term ‘acne’ has been used to describe everything from the occurrence of mild, centralized breakouts to severe, inflammatory conditions that can affect the entire body. Although there is no shortage of publications on acne, there seems to be little information on what skin care professionals can do to help alleviate this common skin condition. As the first line of defense against acne, professionals can suppress the visible signs of this condition with routine cleanings and treatments and professional skin care products.
Like acne on the face, acne on the chest and back occurs due to sebum and dead skin cells clogging the hair follicle. Even though chest and back acne develop the same way as acne on other areas of the body, there are many factors that cause people to break out on their back and chest. One of the main causes of back and chest acne is irritation caused by prolonged pressure and friction by anything repeatedly rubbing on the skin, such as tight shirts and backpacks. Acne that is triggered by irritation on the skin is called acne mechanica. Back acne (coined by some as bacne) can also be a result of sweat. Sweat that is not washed off can mix with the natural oils and other toxins in the skin, causing pores to become clogged and irritated. The sweat is then combined with the natural oils released by the body. This creates a film over the skin, causing the pores to clog and create whiteheads and blackheads.
Chau Stone, director of education at Spa Source USA
Homecare is the most essential part of acne treatment. Skin care professionals should retail acne products to help facilitate client care while simultaneously improving their credentials and client retention. Acne regimens should be concise. Overuse of acne products can result in dry, irritated, and sensitive skin and perpetuate the aversion to chemical acne products. Finding a product line that utilizes a combination of good cleansing with oil control, exfoliation, and anti-inflammatory qualities can offer a diversified approach to treatment.
Tina Zillmann, L.E., C.L.H.R.P., founder of Advanced Rejuvenating Concepts
Acne scarring is the result of inflamed lesions and blemishes. When body tissues get damaged, white blood cells and other infection-fighting molecules go to the site of injury and try to fight it. However, when they fight off the infection, the tissue does not always bounce back to normal. Instead, scars are most often left behind. Scars are a part of the body’s natural healing process. There are a few different types of acne scars, including soft, ice-pick, depressed fibrotic, atrophic macules, and follicular macular atrophy.
H. Adhami, M.D., dermatologist and founder of Vivoderm Natural Skincare
Treating African skin for acne can include a myriad of homecare and clinical remedies.
There is evidence that black skin is extremely susceptible to dryness compared to white skin, suggesting racial differences in the stratum corneum lipid content. Acne therapy targets to dry up oil and in the same context, dehydrates and depletes the skin of essential water elements indigenous to the stratum corneum environment. Studies suggest that there might be lipid differences in dark versus light skin, with an increase of spontaneous desquamation in blacks compared to other races. This was attributed to a difference in the composition of the innercellular cement of the stratum corneum where blacks were found to have the lowest levels of ceramides in comparison to white skin.
Christine Heathman, Master Aesthetician, C.M.E., L.M.T., founder and CEO of Glymed Plus
The first challenge in treating adult acne is getting the client to accept the condition, and to be
willing to call it acne. The second step is to address a program of care specific for adult acne. Most drugstore products for teenagers are too harsh for skin which has begun to age. In particular, benzoyl peroxide, found in nearly all over-the-counter acne preparations, must be used judiciously as skin ages, since it can lead to hyperpigmentation in darker skins. Since older skin is more prone to persistent redness as the result of acneic inflammation, the strategy must shift from simple treatment to prevention, in order to reduce damage to the skin as early in the acneic process as possible.
Annet King, director of training and development for The International Dermal Institute
Research shows that increasing oil production does not lead to acne in most cases. Increased testosterone does, but oil does not. And people who develop acne from excess testosterone develop it in the less-sebaceous areas like the jaw line. If we are oily throughout the face, then why does the acne typically stay near the jaw line? If oil is feeding the bacteria, then why is it not feeding and increasing all facial bacteria? Why do so many people have dry acne if oil is
the cause?
Ben Johnson, M.D., founder and formulator of Osmosis Skincare
There are all kinds of vitamins, herbs, and supplements currently on the market claiming to cure acne. However, there are three rather common supplements, vitamins, and minerals that are vital for all acne clients. First and foremost, there are vitamins A and E. Carotenoids are also beneficial when a variety of them are consumed together. The most important supplement for a client suffering from acne is sea buckthorn oil.
Danné Montague-King, founder of Danné Montague-King®
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