Although acne mostly affects teenagers, it can persist into or develop for the first time during adulthood. It is a common symptom of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) a condition that affects 5 – 10 percent of women and impacts their fertility.
Consultant dermatologist Dr Rakesh Patalay says that the impact of acne should not be underestimated: “Acne has an impact on self esteem and confidence and can cause permanent scarring, and we are increasingly seeing it continue beyond adolescence. Light treatment is effective and safe for use by pregnant women and harmonises with national guidelines about reducing use of unnecessary antibiotics.”
Although the cause of PCOS is not fully understood it does increase the production of male hormones, which interfere with function of the ovaries and can cause acne, obesity and infertility.
Hormonal changes cause the sebaceous glands to become enlarged and sebum production increases and blocks the pores of the skin, which then become infected by a bacterial called propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes). The bacteria feeds by releasing enzymes, which digest the sebum; these enzymes also damage the cell walls, which can trigger the body’s immune response and the pores become inflamed.
This is why you can feel a spot developing as a swelling under your skin before it erupts at the surface. The good news is that P. acnes can be killed by visible blue light, which is harmless to the rest of the skin.
P. acnes produces a molecule called porphyrin in large amounts and blue light excites these molecules, causing them to release radicals into the bacteria, which destroy them.
Trials at Hammersmith Hospital have proven that a combination of blue and red light is an effective and gentle treatment for acne and this knowledge has been used to develop a home light therapy called Lumie Clear which is the only device to use blue and red light, blue to kill the bacteria and red to soothe the inflammation.
All trialists of this combined blue/red light therapy saw a 76% improvement in the appearance of their skin in less than 12 weeks, with a visible difference within four weeks of use. Lumie Clear can be placed on or near the affected area providing a targeted treatment.
Many users like Rhi Frankton, now 27 years old, have tried a wide range of methods to treat their acne.
As Rhi says: “I tried them all, creams, tablets, tablets from the doctor, creams from the doctor as well as all different things through the internet, including herbal tablets and creams. Some worked for a while but eventually the acne would come back.”
Rhi was tempted to try Lumie Clear when she noticed Lumie had a 45-day money back guarantee. She started to notice an improvement in her skin within a month: “A lot fewer spots, they were still there but not at the size that they were or as angry as they were.”
Her skin was much better overall and the improvements continued until she now feels confident about her skin.
She says: “I would actually go to the shop without makeup on, which I had never done before.” Light therapy or the more invasive laser treatment is widely used by specialist dermatologists, but Lumie Clear is a certified medical product that is suitable for home use. It has no side-effects unlike the conventional prescription treatments.
More information: www.lumieclearskin.co.uk
NOTES
Many prescription treatments for acne are not suitable for pregnant women or those trying to conceive:
Retinoids (Tretinoin,) has been shown to be effective but causes skin irritation. Not suitable for pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers.
Topical antibiotics – clindamycin and erythromycin are the primary antibiotics but evidence suggests that P. acnes is becoming resistant and over use of antibiotics for acne also promotes resistance in Staphylococcus and Streptococcus.
Oral antibiotics – have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. Tetracylines must be avoided in pregnant women due to risk of tooth discoloration.
Hormonal therapies – these may be combined contraceptives or androgen receptor blockers such as cyproterone acetate. These are unsuitable for women wanting to conceive and may increase the risk of venous thromboembolism Isotretinoin – considered remarkably efficacious in the treatment of severe acne but known to cause birth defects so patient must be taking contraceptives. Also causes chapped skin, dry eyes, and suggestion that it may lead to depression.
References:
Graber, E., Dellavalle, R., Dahl, M., and Ofori, A., Patient information: Acne (Beyond the Basics), last updated 30 June 2014, UpToDate, available: www.uptodate.com/contents/acne-beyond-the-basics
Barbieri, R., Ehrmann, D., Snyder, P., Crowley, W., and Martin, K., Patient information: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) (Beyond the Basics), last updated 9 January 2014, UpToDate, available: www.uptodate.com/contents/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos-beyond-the-basics?
3. Clinical trials conducted by Dr Chu and his dermatology team, at Hammersmith Hospital, showed that combining blue and red light at specific bandwidths were most effective at treating bacteria that cause acne. Lumie worked with these dermatogists to design Lumie Clear as a medically certified home treatment device. (Papageorigius P, Katsambas A, Chu A, Phototherapy with blue (415 nm) and red (660 nm) light in the treatment of acne vulgaris. Br J Dermatol, 2000 May; 142(5);973-8.)
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