**The Good Skin Guide to Treating Acne**

Skin Deep – July 2014

Welcome to ‘Skin Deep’ – This month’s feature looks at our ‘The Good Skin Guide to Combating Acne’.

Any questions, just ask Dr. Angie Winnington-Sharp – www.cheshireskinclinic.com angie@cheshireskinclinic.com or 01925 263660 & 07967 481594. 

Next month – ‘Frequently Asked Questions for 2014’.

One of the main misconceptions about acne is that it is limited to people with oily or unclean skin, this just isn’t true. A key driving force behind acne production is the skin trying to protect itself when the outer barrier is damaged. It does this by inflaming the area and producing excess sebum (this is an oil but may be produced in an area that is otherwise normal or even dry), which provides ideal conditions for bacteria to grow, thus causing infection and resulting in acne.

Acne on the body tends to have a different environment to that on the face due to clothing, detergents, heat etc hence it is treated slightly differently. Another misconception is that excessive cleaning and scrubbing an area will improve it. It can actually do the opposite due to the physical abrasion causing more damage to the skin barrier, leading to a persistent cycle of the problem. The most important thing to do initially is to remove the bacteria, this can be done with a targeted laser or peel system in a clinical environment.

After this, it is then important to cleanse the skin in a home environment, preserving the natural oils that keep the skin barrier healthy, provide adequate hydration, clean pores and smooth the texture to prevent a re-occurrence.

Another similar, and very common, condition is characterised by small bumps on the upper arms or thighs, this is called keratosis pilaris and can be treated in a similar way to acne. This is also true for some forms of rosacea, blocked pores, black heads and various other dermatological conditions. Your skin specialist will be able to advise on each.