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RETIN-A; FOR A GREAT LOOKING COMPLEXION
Skin care can be daunting for the more than 40-million teenagers and adults who suffer from acne, the most common skin disorder in the United States. The abundance of over-the-counter and prescription options available leaves many acne sufferers standing at the medicine cabinet pondering their best bets for treatment.
The ultimate goal of acne therapy is to help clear up the pimples you have and to prevent the occurrence of future breakouts. Over-the-counter products may provide a temporary solution, but when your acne is beyond self-treatment, it's time to see a doctor for a prescription medication.
RETIN-A (tretinoin) is indicated for topical application in the treatment of acne vulgaris. Although the exact mechanism of action is unknown, RETIN-A is thought to loosen and expel existing acne plugs in the skin and prevent new lesions from forming. It directly attacks the primary cause of acne, the plug.
Acne vulgaris is the most common skin disorder in the United States, involving 85 percent of the population at some point in their lives. Usually beginning at puberty, the disorder generally abates in the patient's 20s, but lesions persist in many patients even into their 40s and 50s. In women, it is sometimes related to their menstrual cycles or other hormonal changes. In men or women, some of the possible factors include certain medications, job-related exposure to grease, oils, or chemicals, and unusual stress.
We see acne as blemishes on the skin. But actually trouble starts long before - below the surface - in the hair follicles and their sebaceous (oil-producing) glands. Acne is the result of blocked oil ducts that cause pores in the skin to become clogged. During adolescence, your body starts producing testosterone (a male hormone made by both sexes in varying amounts), which signals the glands in your body to start producing more oil.
As a result, some of your skin cells that are shed into follicles can become sticky and clump together. These sticky cells mix with the oil to form a plug that blocks the follicles within the skin and causes them to swell. These plugged follicles become overpopulated with bacteria that can cause inflammation. This can occur in the follicles found on your face, back, and chest. When a follicle is plugged with enough oil and skin cells, you will develop what is known as a whitehead. It is visible as a small white bump under the surface of the skin. When this plug of oil and skin cells reaches the surface of the skin, it appears black, and a blackhead develops. The dark color is not from dirt. It is from melanin pigments (which give color to hair and skin) and other materials.
If the wall of the follicle breaks, inflammation develops and the result is a red or sometimes white bump called a papule/pustule (pimple). If the follicle wall breaks further below the skin surface, acne nodules or cysts can form and you get what is called cystic acne. These are much larger, deeper, inflamed lesions in the skin. It is important to treat acne nodules because they usually lead to permanent scars.
Heredity plays a significant role in the development of acne. It is not uncommon to see brothers and sisters with acne. You may have inherited the tendency to get acne from your mother or father or both.
