Doctors On Call

Accutane – battling acne and cancer

It may seem strange that there is a medication that is used both for battling acne and cancer. And when you factor in the fact that this medication is derived from vitamin A, the whole thing becomes even more unreal. However, there is nothing unreal about Accutane and its beneficial effects on certain types of cancer and especially on severe cases of acne.

The use of Accutane in treatment of cancer was its primary intended use, as it was developed as a chemotherapy drug. It has since been used in treating pancreatic cancer, brain cancer and other kinds of cancer. Accutane is effective against cancer as it kills cells that are dividing rapidly.

However, Accutane is now primarily used in treating severe cases of acne. Some people think that acne are nothing to worry about, but they are wrong. In some cases, they can be so severe that they leave marks and scars for life. Besides that, they bring a certain social aspect into the whole thing, especially for adolescents who are always worried about what their peers think of them and acne can be very harmful in that regard. There are many theories on how exactly Accutane battles the acne, although nothing is yet certain. What is certain is that it is one of the most effective drugs in its field.

There are also some very rare, but very serious conditions that are also treated with Accutane and these include harlequine-type ichthyosis and fibrodysplasia ossificans progressive. These conditions are extremely rare, but the fact that Accutane is effective in such cases, shows how potent this medication is.

Controversy concerning Accutane and pregnancies

There is one very important thing that you need to take with you from the following section and that is the fact that Accutane can cause serious birth defects if used during pregnancy. It can even lead to abortions. When it was first started to be prescribed in 1982, many women were not using proper means of contraception, despite the stern warnings that this medication can cause severe birth defects. Because of this, many abortions had to be conducted which brought Accutane under scrutiny. It is now one of the most difficult medications to get a prescription for and it is for the best. The best way to be sure that you will be under no risk when taking Accutane is to consult your doctor about the proper Accutane treatment. However, DO NOT use this medication if you are pregnant and make sure that you use all the precautions possible not to get pregnant while using it.

Other precautions when taking Accutane

First of all, you need to consult your doctor about taking Accutane, as some medical conditions can be affected by this medication, such as diabetes, asthma, liver disease, high cholesterol, heart disease, osteoporosis, anorexia nervosa. Also, if you have a family or personal history of mental illnesses, you also need to tell this to your doctor. Of course, keep in mind that the only beneficial Accutane treatment is the one in which you follow all the instructions that your doctor has given you.

A versatile medication – Retin-A

Retin-A is a medication which is in fact an acid form of Vitamin A, and it is also called all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA for short). It may seem strange, but Retin-A is used for the treatment of two very different conditions, one being the acne vulgaris and the other being acute promyelocytic leukemia, or APL for short.

Acne vulgaris is in fact the condition that we most commonly call simply acne, which is characterized by certain areas of skin which are red and scaly (seborrhea), blackheads and whiteheads (comedones), pinheads (papules), pimples (pustules), large papules (nodules), as well as scarring. Scarring is the only long-term symptom of acne and the most significant when purely physical aspect of the acne is regarded. However, acne are more of a sociological and psychological problem as they usually affect adolescents in puberty (due to the increase in testosterone levels) who are very sensitive to how they look and how the people around them perceive them. In some cases, acne can cause serious social and psychological issues, such as depression and reduced self-esteem. In most cases, acne clear up sometime in the early twenties, but there are people for whom the acne last for much longer. In order to avoid these social and psychological effects of acne, it is best to treat them early and quite aggressively and Retin-A is one of the most commonly used medications for this purpose. Another condition similar to acne is keratosis pilaris and it can also be treated with Retin-A. For this use, Retin-A is also available in form of a gel or cream.

The other use for Retin-A is in treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia, a very serious condition, which is in fact cancer of blood or bone marrow. In the interval between the 1950s when it was discovered and 1970s, APL was lethal in 100% of cases, until some medications were developed which are able to help in treatment of this severe disease. Retin-A is used in combination with other medications in cases of APL, benefiting the patients by driving the immature blood cells to mature blood cells, thus preventing the onset of APL, which is believed to be caused by the block of this differentiation (maturing).

However, Retin-A is still much more commonly used for treatment of acne.

Using Retin-A the proper way

If you wish to ensure that your Retin-A treatment will benefit you as much as possible, you need to adhere to the recommendations of your health care provider. If you increase the dosage of Retin-A, you will not experience any more beneficial effects of Retin-A and you will only increase the risk of experiencing side effects. Before you apply Retin-A, you need to wash and dry the area which is affected by acne and where you intend to apply Retin-A. After administering Retin-A, refrain from washing or wiping the area for at least one hour. In some cases, it can take Retin-A quite some time to start working and you should not discontinue the use of the medication without consulting your doctor.

The eternal problem of acne

If you have had acne in your youth and you look back at those days, it may seem silly to you as to how much you worried about those annoying spots and pimples that were able to ruin your day like nothing else. However, it is not a laughing matter; just ask any adolescent suffering from acne at the moment. The most serious aspects of acne are the psychological and the social aspects. Besides scarring, the acne do not have any long-term consequences, but they are able to make one feel even depressed and socially anxious due to the fact their face and their body is riddled with acne. It is therefore important to treat them as soon as possible, but it is one of those eternal questions. Which anti-acne treatment is the best? However, now there is a very simple answer to this question and it is Clear Skin MAX.

What exactly is Clear Skin MAX?

Clear Skin MAX is a whole program designed to get rid of acne once and for all. It has been developed for quite some time with one thing in mind in particular. The fact is that the problem of acne has to be addressed on many fronts at the same time and Clear Skin MAX is today the most extensive, if not the only program which addresses all of these issues. It consists of six different anti-acne “weapons” that are all aimed at one goal – getting rid of acne.

First of all, there is tea tree oil cleansing gel which is used daily and which holds certain antibacterial and antiseptic properties which are meant to ease the inflamed spots. It also contains chamomile extract whose calming properties are already well-known, as well as bladderwrack extract which improves the elasticity of the skin.

The second part of the program is the conditioning lotion which closes the pores after the spots have been treated, preventing new spots from forming. It also helps in getting rid of free radicals which are responsible for wrinkles.

Another part of Clear Skin MAX is essence, which contains algae extracts and vitamin B3 which both serve to make your skin moisturized and prevent the drying of the skin which is familiar to everyone who has used anti acne products before.

Clear Skin MAX also contains a mask which opens the pores and quite literally sucks dirt out of the skin. It also heals and soothes the skin and stimulates growth of new skin tissue.

In cases of emergency, there is also a product which will boost the ability of the skin to nourish, regenerate and hydrate itself. It also includes Vitamin E which will help the skin to recover from scarring.

Clear Skin MAX also includes a tea which is ingested and which gets rid of all the toxins which can cause acne.

As you can see, Clear Skin MAX is a very serious program, which is 100% natural and as efficient as no other anti acne treatment available at the moment.

Clearogen – a more scientific approach to treating acne

Acne are a skin condition that almost each and every one of us have suffered from at one point in our lives. For most of us, those were the adolescent years that were somehow marked forever by the acne which were one of the biggest problems at the time. Each new acne was a cause for worry, anxiety and in some cases even depression. Although acne are not dangerous and leave no long-term effects, except for the scarring which can sometimes occur, they are still a problem that can pretty much ruin one’s life through low self-esteem which is a result of the ruined appearance due to the acne. In fact, these are the most important symptoms of acne, the psychological ones, which can make an adolescent into a ruin due to all the psychological symptoms. Therefore, it is always needed to have a weapon in the battle against acne and as the dermatology develops, so do the anti-acne products. The latest one is Clearogen, a product which is much more than just another product aimed at a quick buck.

The main difference between Clearogen and other anti acne products is in one of its mechanisms of function. We are here talking about the effects of Acne Lotion, which is one of the three parts of this anti acne program. This lotion goes to the very core of the problem. Namely, the occurrence of acne is caused by a number of factors, one of the most important which is the amount of oil produced by the skin. The production of oil is regulated by the levels of the hormone known as dihydrotestosterone, which is an alternation of testosterone. Clearogen Acne Lotion regulates the levels of dihydrotestosterone in the skin, thus reducing the amount of oil and in turn reducing and preventing reappearance of new acne. In addition to this, the lotion also opens the pores and kills the bacteria which are also responsible for the acne.

Other products in the Clearogen line of anti acne products include the Foaming cleanser, which contains Salicylic Acid and botanical extracts which are responsible for cleansing the skin, getting rid of the dirt, bacteria and oil which all contribute to appearance of acne.

The final product in the Clearogen line is clarifying Toner, containing other botanical extracts and once more Salicylic Acid. This product is aimed at decreasing the size of the pores, decreasing the redness as well as inflammation of the affected area.

It is quite clear from all of the above that Clearogen is one of the finest anti acne solutions on the market, as it not only treats the acne that are already present, but also prevents the appearance of new acne by regulating the levels of dihydrotestosterone.

ClearPores – more than just a superficial remedy

Trying to find the perfect acne solution is a task that can be compared with trying to discover the meaning of life or deciding whether Pacino or DeNiro is the better actor. It is one of those daunting tasks that have to be approached with meticulousness of unrivaled proportions. There are just so many different treatments available on the market and the best idea would be to look for honest testimonials from the users who have tried out a certain treatment. One of the best solutions without a doubt is ClearPores, at least judging by the feedback from the community and reviews on some of the leading websites that are dedicated to treating acne.

Treating acne is a more important job than it may seem. The thing is that acne are not such a big problem medially looking, more precisely from the physiological viewpoint. Sure, there may be some scaring afterwards, but that is pretty much that when it comes to physiological long-term effects of acne. What is important is the psychological aspect of the issue. Namely, acne can cause serious psychological issues, with people affected by acne having extremely low self-esteem and serious social problems which reduce the quality of life to a great extent. There is undoubtedly more than enough reason to develop new and better treatments for acne and ClearPores is currently one of the most effective ones, if not THE most effective one.

What separates ClearPores from other treatments?

Before we get to the thing that obviously differentiates ClearPores from other acne treatments, we will cover the parts of this treatment that can be compared to other treatments on the market. First of all, ClearPores includes a Deep Facial Wash which is aimed at removing the bacteria which are causing the acne, removing excessive sebum, getting rid of dead skin cells, clearing up all existing blackheads, whiteheads, blemishes and pimples, while also restoring the PH balance of the skin and helping in the healing of existing scars or blemishes. Secondly, there is the Protection Cream which is another part of the ClearPores treatment, a cream which is supposed to be used daily, like the Deep Facial Wash. This cream relieves the inflammatory aspects of the acne, protects the skin from further clogging, limits the development and growth of the bacteria and moisturizes, softens, smoothes and heals the skin.

And now we come to the show-stopper when ClearPores is in question. Namely, ClearPores includes a dietary supplement which is 1005 natural and aimed at fighting the bacteria from the inside. The underlying causes of acne are inside the body, including hormones, certain foods, and other processes that can help in the occurrence of acne. ClearPores supplement addresses all of these, making sure that your body is getting all the help it needs to battle the acne from inside. It increases the responses of your immune system to inflammations, reduces the amounts of bacteria responsible for acne and does much, much more.