Acne Treatment Today
New prescription treatment allows Canadians to manage acne better
Galderma Canada today announced Canadians now have access to a new once-a-day combination topical acne treatment designed to help people with mild to moderate acne. Tactuo™ is the first prescription topical acne gel to combine adapalene (0.1 per cent) with benzoyl peroxide (2.5 per cent). When used together, the two ingredients work effectively to unplug blocked oil glands and eliminate acne-causing bacteria, providing fast and visible results as early as the first week of use1. Tactuo™ can now be prescribed for patients who suffer from acne.
“Acne can be a very tough experience to deal with because it is highly visible for sufferers and caused by a multitude of factors. Patients often become frustrated with multiple treatments to rid their blemishes,” says Jerry Tan, MD, FRCPC, Adjunct Professor, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario. “Tactuo™ allows patients to manage acne with one combined treatment, giving them the ability to concentrate on their lives instead of their skin. We are thrilled that Canadian patients now have access to this novel product.”
Acne affects more than five million Canadians2, with 80 per cent of those between the ages of 12 and 243. Although acne is most commonly seen as a stage of puberty, it can also begin in adulthood, with 75 per cent of adult acne occurring in women4.
Tactuo™ offers acne patients an easy-to-apply combination gel, which requires only one application per day before bed time. In most countries, Tactuo™ is marketed under the name Epiduo™, and it is already the number one prescribed topical acne medication in the U.S. The availability of Tactuo™ in Canada reinforces Galderma’s ongoing commitment to the future of dermatology by providing innovative treatment options for patients.
Acne affects millions of Canadians, and it is a common myth that it will disappear without the use of any medication. “If left untreated acne can worsen, leaving unwanted scars on an individual’s skin,” says François Fournier, President, North America, Galderma Laboratories, L.P. “As the worldwide industry leader in the field of dermatology, our goal at Galderma is to make Canadians aware that individualized treatment approaches to the management of acne are available.”
A Tactuo™ clinical trial published in 2007 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology demonstrated that Tactuo™ reduced the median number of total acne lesions by more than 50 per cent at the end of the 12-week study, which was significantly better than monotherapy with either adapalene (35.4 per cent median reduction in total lesion count) or benzoyl peroxide (35.6 per cent median reduction in total lesion count) alone.5
“The need for an effective once-a-day acne treatment was clear given the prevalence of acne among Canadians and the absence of a similar combination therapy,” says Wendy Adams, General Manager of Galderma Canada Inc. “We believe that as in the U.S. and other countries, Tactuo™ will become the product of choice for acne patients. This is a unique, effective combination, which provides quick, visible results that are sustained over time. It’s an exciting time for Canadian acne patients and Galderma Canada.”
Tactuo™ is now available for prescription and at pharmacies across Canada. Patients should speak with their family doctor or dermatologist to learn more about Tactuo™ and its suitability for their skincare needs.
The Surprising Strategy That Cleared My Acne
Different from the whiteheads and blackheads that afflict many a high school teenager’s morning, cystic acne is made of achingly large and swollen bumps that form nodules deep beneath the skin’s surface. You can usually feel one ‘cooking’ for awhile before it jumps out in all its crimson glory, fated to take up residence so long on your face for so long, I used to joke that I should start charging rent.
From antibiotics to Retin-A creams to a purge of all oil-containing cosmetics in my vanity and gulping down copious amounts of water like a fish, I tried every Cosmo tip and dermatologist’s prescription. I ordered ProActiv kits under the glow of the infomercial midnight hour, and succumbed to the cutting words and extractions of estheticians who told me it was all my fault for not taking care of my skin properly. (The solution entailed seeing them monthly, of course.)
When not even fancy new microdermabrasion and laser treatments would stop the breakouts and I stopped short of trying Accutane for fear of the freak-tastic possible health effects (balding and stomach ulcers are not usually on top of my to-do list), I finally relegated myself to a lifetime of applying a daily face of heavy makeup to camouflage the unsightly bumps and purplish discoloration that breakouts left in their wake.
It was at this point when a friend mentioned she had heard that dairy could be a cause of cystic acne. In my countless visits to every kind of ‘skin expert’ out there, no nutrition-based plan had ever been prescribed. Cheese addict that I was, it seemed a painful proposition to part with my comfort food — but I was desperate. So I decided to go dairy-free for a solid two weeks as an experiment. After all, I told myself, I had tried far stranger and more arduous regimes. And if nothing happened, I could always abate my disappointment with a slice of pepperoni pizza.
During those two dairy-free weeks, something happened that I had never witnessed in all my years of high school, college and beyond: My acne breakouts ceased.
I was speechless. How was it that not a single skin expert I had seen all those years had ever once mentioned a link between food and breakouts as a possibility to me? In fact, I had once even asked a dermatologist if foods like cheese and chocolate could cause breakouts, and was only told with a shrug that there was no scientific evidence linking the two.
Reflecting on all of this now after well-earned time spent enjoying a clear complexion, I asked famed medical-turned-holistic doctor, Manhattan’s Dr. Frank Lipman, how this could be.
“I’m not sure why traditional dermatologists don’t recognize the link, because it is so very clear. Then again, doctors don’t believe that diet has an effect on many diseases. It may be because we aren’t taught about nutrition in Medical School,” explains Lipman.
Harder yet was finding an explanation as to why dairy can have such a profoundly negative effect on the skin. Again, I was looking in the wrong place by searching traditional medicine for the answer. It takes an expert in the science of nutrition, and how the body processes food, to get to the heart of the matter.
Another medical-turned-holistic doctor, Dr. Susan Blum of Rye Brook, New York, says that sugar causes inflammation in the body, which is often reflected in acne — an inflammatory condition of the skin. White sugar and dairy products, which are high in milk sugars, are prime triggers of this kind of inflammation inside the body.
There’s also another way that sugar whips acne eruptions up into a frenzy. “Many people with acne have too much yeast in their digestive tract, and yeast love sugar. So when you eat sugar, the yeast have a party, and grow. Your skin has yeast in the sebaceous glands,” explains Blum, of the microscopic cells that secrete the oil known as sebum in the skin.
“When yeast grows from the sugar, your skin reacts against it. Something about the dairy sugar is especially reactive for the yeast in the skin, so I suspect that is also something else in the dairy that causes a yeast reaction,” adds Blum.
When it comes to what else could be floating around in your dairy products, the options nowadays are endless.
“There are over 60 hormones in an average glass of milk. The process of pasteurization eliminates many of the beneficial components of milk, and homogenization creates fats that are foreign to most human digestive systems,” says Lipman.
Now before you all think I’m writing a dissertation on dairy as the anti-Christ, let me make it clear that I still enjoy some here and there. Just because you decide to eliminate something from your diet doesn’t mean that you have to abstain from it for the rest of your life, or else risk lightning striking you down as you pluck away at a piece of string cheese.
Once I cleared my system from the build-up of eating so much dairy by going off of it cold for several weeks, I’ve found that a yogurt parfait or spinach quiche here and there have no adverse reaction on my skin now. I’ll even enjoy a slice of pizza or toasted bagel with cream cheese as a treat occasionally, although I often do get a red bump afterwards. I’m a New Yorker, after all.
But in addition to drastically cutting down on dairy, I’ve also flooded my diet with anti-inflammatory foods that help balance, hydrate and heal skin from the inside, too.
Celebrity nutritionist Kimberly Snyder is launching a book this month, The Beauty Detox Solution, that dedicates an entire chapter to the ill skin effects of dairy. With image-conscious clients on her roster, she hones in on the foods that best combat an inflammatory reaction in the skin.
Snyder recommends incorporating nutritionally dense leaves like kale and romaine into your daily diet, as well as antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies that burst with flavor and color. Zinc promotes the repair of skin cells, and can be found in pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts and coconut. You can also take 30mg of zinc citrate a day.
“Good” fats like those found in avocado, nuts and fish, will help keep skin healthy and glowing. Incorporating green smoothies into your diet, which I do as a breakfast ritual every day that gives me a clear mind and focused energy in addition to clearer skin, is a great way to start your day with a knockout punch to inflammation. I’ve included two signature recipes by Lipman and Snyder at the end of this story as options.
It’s of course ideal to buy organic when it comes to fruits and veggies, though if you’re budgeting, The Environmental Working Group has this handy list of the most important foods to buy organic, as well as those where organic doesn’t matter as much.
Yet don’t let the price tag of organic foods be the make-or-break factor for your decision to eat a skin-clearing diet.
“If you can’t afford organic, don’t let that deter you. Wash your produce extremely well, and you can dilute some apple cider vinegar in a soak to help remove some of the waxes and pesticides,” offers Snyder.
And remember; no matter how much good you do for your skin, you’re not going to see results unless you cut down or out the inflammatory factors. That means dairy and sugar — and according to Blum and Lipman, can also include gluten and factory-farmed meats.
Gluten, the chewy glue-like bond that comes from wheat and related items like rye and barley, can be difficult to avoid in our carb-centered society, but multitudes of gluten-free options are springing up in grocery stores and on menus alike, now that more people are trying to avoid the often troublesome ingredient in a quest for more balanced energy and health.
After going on a gluten-free stint (I now keep about 60 percent gluten-free), I can attest to the further skin-enhancing and energizing effects of freeing your diet from its doughy grasp.
Another bonus? Since aging is essentially a disease of inflammation, eating an anti-inflammatory diet will also help combat wrinkles, sagging, dry skin, and other telltale signs of age.
Friends ask me all the time how I can cut down on so much ‘fun’ food. With my palatte cleared of the junk and processed foods, I found that my taste buds readjusted pretty quickly, and I can savor the “good stuff” as far more flavorful and rich now.
I also rapidly got used to the taste of clear, beautiful skin and an overall sense of wellness and energy.
Triple whammy improves acne outcomes
Using a triple combination therapy for patients with moderate to severe acne vulgaris shows significantly improved outcomes, a study suggests.
A total of 378 patients were randomly assigned to receive 300mg lymecycline orally once daily given in combination with either topical adapalene 0.1% and benzoyl peroxide 2.5% or a vehicle gel, for 12 weeks.
Both groups showed a significant reduction in inflammatory and noninflammatory lesions at week 12, although patients taking the combination therapy displayed a faster onset of action from week two for non-inflammatory lesions and week four for inflammatory lesions.
Patients in the combination group showed a significantly greater reduction in total lesion count at 12 weeks – 74.1% – than those in the vehicle group – 56.8%.
The success rate – determined by clear or almost clear skin – was significantly higher in the combination group, at 47.6% than vehicle group, at 33.7%.
Lead researcher Professor Brigitte Dréno, head of the department of dermatology at the university hospital Nantes concluded: ‘These results demonstrated the clinical benefit of combining adapalene and benzoyl peroxide with lymecycline in the treatment of acne vulgaris.’
Got wrinkles, acne, or dark spots? Midland doctor says HydraFacial can help
Everyone wants better skin. Now a new machine claims to use science to help you get a smooth and beautiful face.
It is called the HydraFacial™, and its available at the Beauty by Rx Medical Spa, owned by Dr. Steven Morris.
The treatment first exfoliates your skin, while infusing it with serums.
These serums hydrate your skin, and specific serums can be used to treat different skin conditions, such as acne, dark spots, and even wrinkles. It also has light attachments that can treat discoloration or acne.
“There is not anybody that is not going to benefit from it,” said aesthetician Michelle Clickner.
Clickner works at Beauty by Rx.
I decided to test it out. After the intense exfoliation treatment, the machine extracts impurities from your pores.
“Can you feel the pressure, the suction of it?” asks Clickner.
I can. It is definitely an intense treatment.
“It is basically vacuuming out your skin,” I respond.
Right after the treatment my skin appeared red and irritated. I was disappointed. One week later though some acne and dry skin that I had been unable to get rid of for months started to clear up.
Clickner says it isn’t just about keeping your skin looking good, it is about keeping your skin healthy. The antioxidants in the serums promote cell health.
“People don’t realize what is available out there, and skin care has advanced so much.”
Alma Lasers pixel modules for aesthetic fractional laser resurfacing
Alma Lasers Introduces the iPixel Fractional Ablative Technology
Unique Roller Handpieces Glide Across the Skin to Dramatically Reduce Treatment Time While Delivering Safe, Effective Energy for Skin Rejuvenation
BUFFALO GROVE, Ill.,Alma Lasers Ltd., a global leader in laser, light, radiofrequency and ultrasound-based aesthetic treatment devices, today announced the launch of its new iPixel series of innovative pixel modules for aesthetic fractional laser resurfacing.
The iPixel CO2, and the iPixelEr—each feature Alma’s roller-style technology which delivers fast, safe treatments with great maneuverability and versatility. This innovative design allows the physician to glide the laser along the patient’s skin smoothly, delivering precision and an effective ablative treatment in a fraction of the time.
With Alma’s unique modular platforms, each of the new iPixel series modules can be used with existing Alma systems. This enables treatment providers the advantage of offering another option in safe and effective treatments without the need to purchase additional systems that take up valuable office space. “The iPixel series applicators are rolled across the skin,” said Alma Lasers CEO Dr. Ziv Karni. “All modules pulse energy into the thermal ablative processes while channeled through a single row of seven pixels.”
In the case of the iPixelEr, for use with the HarmonyXL, the energy delivered is impressive while treatment time is cut in half. For a limited time, the HarmonyXL is now available with all three applicator tips — the iPixelEr, the 7X7 stationary and the 4mm Erbium tips — allowing skin care professionals to choose the right technology for each patient’s needs.
The iPixelCO2, for use with the Pixel CO2 system, channels 70 Watts of energy into only seven pixels, and pulses are released as the roller wheels turn, regardless of the speed at which the handpiece is moving. “While the rollers speed up the treatment, the energy per laser spot causes fractional ablation leading to improved patient and physician satisfaction,” Karni said. “With the iPixel, the removal of fine lines, wrinkles and post-acne scars and skin rejuvenation is quicker without compromising results.”
“All skin care professionals are looking for faster, more efficient technologies without the need for costly disposables to meet the demands of time-pressed patients and revenue stream objectives. These modules provide outstanding advantages to professionals seeking the best results for their patients and practice,” said Avi Farbstein, EVP/GM of North America.