Zeno

Science has shown that antibiotics can kill bacteria. Scientists have also known that heat can kill bacteria. In the past, doctors have used antibiotics to kill bacteria in or on the body. They have used heat to kill bacteria that might be on surgical instruments, or in the media that will be used to feed cultured cells.

The zeno is a hand-held device that allows a doctor to apply heat to a small area of bacteria on the surface of the skin. In that way, a doctor can kill the bacteria that are growing in a clogged pore, the bacteria that are causing development of an acne pimple requiring acne treatment.

The zeno has a special tip. It is a biocompatible tip; it is made from a material that will not irritate the skin. The zeno tip is under the control of a computer chip. That chip controls the amount of heat that develops in the tip. A working zeno should never burn the skin.

The heat of the zeno develops inside the small machine. The tip transfers that heat to the skin. A patient who wants to remove acne like body acne using a zeno treatment should plan to have 2 to 3 two and one-half minute treatments over a single 24 hour period.

The zeno is an FDA approved medical device. Any new zeno machine should last for a total of 90 treatments. During each treatment, the zeno tip uses its heat to attack the bacteria growing within any group of acne pimples.

Note that the action performed by the zeno required “an attack.” The zeno machine does not do battle with the bacteria; it applies a heat shock treatment to the targeted bacteria. The heat shock affects the genes of the bacteria. The heat shock causes the genes of the bacteria to call for production of certain proteins.

The shocked bacteria make a new set of proteins. They produce proteins that have the ability to initiate destruction of the same bacteria. That is why the zeno is said to attack the acne-causing bacteria in the skin.

Zeno is best used on mild to moderate acne, not severe acne. It can destroy all of the bacteria in an acne lesion. Zeno offers one big advantage over the most potent acne medications. You can purchase a zeno without having a doctor’s prescription.

The zeno kills the bacteria in the skin. Once zeno has removed bacteria from the skin, then the zeno-treated skin reclaims its former, healthy condition. When a doctor uses a laser to remove an acne pimple, the laser digs into the base of the pimple. The tiny laser light cuts out the very bottom portion of a pimple.

Vilantae

Some acne treatment and medications kill the bacteria that grow in a number of clogged skin pores. Excess oil, produced by the sebaceous glands, can create an environment with the capacity to cause the clogging of those same pores. Any clogged pore can invite the appearance of hungry bacteria.

While destruction of those bacteria does eliminate acne like scalp acne, it is not the only possible way to do away with acne symptoms. One man chose to examine an alternate way to treat skin inflamed by acne. He developed the substance now known as vilantae.

In the late 1990s, Dr. Lit-Hung Leung, M.D. considered what might happen if one was able to stop the release of excess oil from the sebaceous glands. He decided that the ideal method for looking at that possible solution called for ending the overproduction of oil in the sebaceous glands.

Dr. Leung began to concentrate his attention on the lipids and fatty acids that are deposited under the skin. When a person’s body makes all the right proteins, then those lipids and fatty acids are broken down and re-circulated in the bloodstream. In the absence of proteins that can take part in the breakdown, the body stores the fatty acid and lipids as sebum.

Dr. Leung looked closely at exactly what biochemical reaction carried out the transformation of skin lipids and fatty acid into sebum. He found that such a transformation required the presence of ADP, cysteine and d-calcium pantothenate. That latter substance was the one most easily controlled. So Dr. Leung developed an acne treatment and medication that contained d-calcium pantothenate.

The medication developed by Dr. Leung is vilantae. It does not dry out the skin as much as accutane. The appearance of such dryness is a major side effect endured by those who take accutane.

Unfortunately, vilantae has now been shown to produce other, equally unpleasant side effects. It can cause loss of the stool. It can cause stomach pain. It can cause headaches. Moreover, directions provided to those who care to use vilantae state that when someone initiates use of this drug, he or she should take 20 capsules per day.

Why would someone need to take such large doses of any medication? Dr. Leung has said that the breakdown of lipids and fatty acids is catalyzed by co-enzyme A. According to Dr. Leung, ingestion of large amounts of vilantae forces the body to produce co-enzyme A, even if the genes code for a sub-normal amount of that same enzyme.

Monocycline

Due to the danger of both expected and unforeseen interactions, certain members of the public, those who take particular medications, can not use tetracycline. For that reason, pharmaceutical companies have developed products that contain monocycline. Also an antibiotic, monocyline has proven to be as effective as tetracycline, but it can be used by a wider number of acne sufferers requiring acne treatment.

A single daily ingestion of a pill with monocycline can deliver to someone with acne and genital acne a number of important benefits. Monocycline use reduces the swelling, tenderness and redness that are associated with inflammation. Monocycline eliminates a primary source of skin irritation. It rids the skin of bacteria, and it thus decreases the chances for an acne flare-up.

While moncycline does not interact with as many drugs as tetracycline does, it can produce some unwanted side effects. It can, for example, cause a condition known as pseudo tumor cerebri. A patient who presents with that condition has extra fluid in his or her brain. As that fluid accumulates in the brain, it can trigger the development of eye and ear problems. It can also cause headaches.

A second condition seen in some patients who have taken monocycline is called hypersensitivity lupus. The monocycline has affected the joints of those patients. Their swollen joints have become a source of great pain.

Other side effects seen in patients on monocycline include fever, sore throat, depression and similar flu-like symptoms. Anyone taking monocycline, who notes the appearance of one of the above-mentioned side effects, should immediately discontinue the use of monocycline and should consult with a dermatologist. He or she can suggest an alternative medication.

Even if one experiences none of the above side effects, one must still exercise caution while taking a pill with monocycline. As monocycline begins to reach the skin, it can make the skin cells extra sensitive to the sun’s rays. A person taking monocycline has a greater chance of becoming sunburned, following exposure to either direct sunlight or a sunlamp.

Women with acne and should take note of the fact that use of monocycline can lead to the development of a yeast infection. In addition monocycline can damage a growing fetus. It can discolor the teeth of the fetus, and it can cause the creation of unpleasant skeletal problems.

A woman who is pregnant should never use an acne treatment or medication with monocyline. Even a woman who has thought about becoming pregnant should talk with her doctor about using an acne medication that does not contain monocyline.

Acne Medications

A drug that medicates the skin can take many different forms. It might be a cream, a lotion or a gel. It might be an oral medication, one that the bloodstream carries to the skin cells. In this section, the reader will be introduced to a few acne medications. Other medications will be studied in greater detail in other sections on this same website.

Acne treatment that bears the label “Differen” contains the chemical adapalene. As the active ingredient in Differen, adapalene manages to reduce the number of dead skin cells that form on the face. That then reduces the amount of material that can clog the skin pores. Use of a product with adapalene can lead to the appearance of these side effects: dry skin, red skin and itching, scaling or burning of the skin.

On the drug store shelf with Differen, one might find a product called “Azelex.” The active ingredient in Azelex is acrum. It enhances the ability of the skin to renew itself. Like adapalene, acrum reduces the formation of dead skin cells. It also destroys bacteria. Although it delivers a dual action performance, it seldom produces side effects. On occasion a user of acrum notes signs of stinging, itching, burning or tingling in the skin.

The substance known as benzoyl peroxide offers such benefits to a person with acne that it appears in at least two popular acne medications—Clearasil and Triaz. Benzoyl peroxide kills bacteria. It tends to dry the skin, and to promote peeling of the skin. The user of benzoyl peroxide must remember that it can bleach both fabric and hair.

Some acne products like creams and gels contain a chemical with a hydroxyl group. Others contain salicylic acid. It has a similar chemical composition, but it contains a substance with a larger molecule. It thus remains on the skin longer. It does a more thorough job of exfoliating the skin.

The antibiotic clindamycin can be found in lotions, gels and ointments. Application of clindamycin twice a day insures the destruction of bacteria. It can also bring on certain side effects, such as redness, peeling, burning, itching and dryness in the skin. In the digestive tract it can cause diarrhea, and colon inflammation.

Erythromycin is another antibiotic used to fight acne. It has the ability to interact with other medications. Consult with a physician about any other drugs you might be taking, prior to trying the standard, twice daily application of erythromycin.

As mentioned at the start of this article, some acne medications come in the form of a pill. Accutane is one such medication. It contains the chemical known as Vitamin A. It reduces the amount of oil produced by the sebaceous glands in the skin. A woman should never use Accutane if she is pregnant.

Acne Products

The information on this website hopes to aid many acne sufferers. Therefore, this website has lots of information about variousacne treatments. Some of those treatments have been extensively examined in another section. Other treatments have received a more fleeting mention in this section.

Acnezine is an herbal acne product. The herbs in Acnezine contain many antioxidants. As a result the blood of a patient taking Acnezine carries to the skin a chemical that can help to destroy free radicals in the skin. That benefit does not, however, produce significant skin changes for a period of 2 to 3 months.

Acnezine has not been linked to any side effects. Yet it does produce effects that complement the primary biochemical action of Acnezine’s herbal mix. It reduces the tendency for skin to wrinkle. It enhances the skin tone of the patient who has been using the Acnezine.

Clear Pore is another herbal acne medication, one highly praised by health professionals. Clear Pore contains dandelion root, aloe vera, yellow Dock, red clover, Echinacea purpurea and sarsaparilla root. Clear pore is part of a 3-part treatment. Clear pore cleans the skin, preparing it for application of chemicals that can treat and protect the affected skin.

ClearSkin Gel is yet another type of cleaning product. Like Clear Pore, the ClearSkin Gel contains a mix of herbs. At least some of those herbs have antibacterial properties. Those who expect results from using ClearSkin Gel must use the Gel 3 times a day. One man who followed that prescribed schedule had this to say: “I can shave more easily…”

Derma Pure RX contains acne fighting substances that have been used as an acne treatment for thousands of years. The products in Derma Pure RX are all medicines once used exclusively by Chinese healers. Derma Pure RX cleans the endocrine system and calms the nerves. It suppresses oil production in the skin, and it kills any bacteria in the region around the treated pimple.

The final product profiled in this section is the Clinique Acne Solutions. The maker of this product refers to it as a “medicated trouble shooter.” The active ingredient in Clinique is benzoyl peroxide. Those who choose to apply the Clinique Solutions to their skin must take added precautions outdoors. The chemicals in Clinique Solutions can make the treated skin more sensitive to the effect that sunlight can have on the skin.

As stated earlier, the above products do not represent the only known treatment for acne. Other products are detailed in other sections.