Acne and dehydrated skin

Browse our forums now - if you wish to talk to others you need to be a member. Simply follow this link, create a username and password, and you could be talking to others in our forums today!

Moderators: talkhealth, macygravy

Post Reply
5 posts
GBloom
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2011 3:01 pm
Quote

by GBloom on Fri May 18, 2012 4:09 pm

Acne and dehydrated skin

Hormonal sensitivity causes the loss of essential fatty acids from the skin and it has been shown that the oil (sebum) of acne sufferers can lose up to 90% of its linoleic acid content. Such a change causes a rapid increase in the rate the skin loses water (trans epidermal water loss - TEWL). This can be damaging to skin cells; the skin responds by increasing oil production and also increasing the rate at which it produces new epidermal cells and also increases the deposition of keratin into these cells. This thickening of the skin and also the increase in oil slows down TEWL.

The problem is that the epidermis also lines the opening of the hair follicle duct where the oil comes out of and as the epidermis thickens the increased number of dead skin cells and the oil can block this hole, which leads to blackheads and white heads. If the area under the plug is colonised by the bacteria p.acnes then a spot and inflammation can result.

The bacteria migrate under the plug because they normally feed on the oil that is produced on the surface but when this supply is stopped due to the blockage of the hair follicle duct, it goes in search of food. P.acnes releases lipase enzymes to break down the oil (triglycerides) to produce glycerol which it feeds on. The other by-products of this breakdown fall off the skin along with dead skin cells during normal exfoliation. However when this happens under the plug, the by-products of this enzyme breakdown are trapped and as they build up they cause an inflammatory response leading to tissue damage and maybe scarring.

So while there are reasons to exfoliate and wash oil off the skin one needs to be aware that this will lead to an increase neater loss again and you can end up exacerbating the condition with increased oil production and skin cell production. Also benzoyl peroxide can damage your langerhan cells (special cells that help protect the skin from UV damage and also are part of the immune function protecting the skin). Retinoids also thin the skin which can also have a negative effect. Salicylic acid is another exfoliant and can dissolve the plug. Antibiotics lead to resistance. So where do you go to clear acne but without the consequences and risks?

seppo
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2012 6:05 am
Quote

by seppo on Sat Jun 02, 2012 6:12 am

Re: Acne and dehydrated skin

You raise some good points here. Topical acne treatment is a delicate balancing act. For example there's no doubt that benzoyl peroxide is effective in treating acne, but on the other hand there are also studies showing it depleted vitamin E from the skin. And vitamin E is the main antioxidant that protects sebum from sunlight, ozone in snog and other forms of damage.

I also remember reading some studies showing that acne patients have markedly different sebum composition as compared to those with healthy skin. I'm not sure anyone has figured out the reason behind it. The paper I read speculated that it's the skin's response to increased inflammation acne patients suffer from. So the sebum is composed of fatty acids that are more resistant to oxidation.
I'm also a talkhealth blogger. Please check my blog here: http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/bl ... ppos-blog/

GBloom
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2011 3:01 pm
Quote

by GBloom on Thu Jun 21, 2012 4:04 pm

Re: Acne and dehydrated skin

It is so difficult and can get very confusing with all the different products and conflicting studies that are out there.

The paper you mention sounds vey interesting, where did you view it?

seppo
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2012 6:05 am
Quote

by seppo on Fri Jun 22, 2012 7:42 am

Re: Acne and dehydrated skin

Sorry about my late reply. Haven't been here in the past week. The paper is tiled "Sebaceous gland lipids" and you can find it here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article ... ool=pubmed

Scroll down a bit until you see this subheading: Sebum Alterations in Acne.

You might also want to check out this paper: http://www.lipidworld.com/content/9/1/141 It's about lipid peroxidation as the starting factor in acne.
I'm also a talkhealth blogger. Please check my blog here: http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/bl ... ppos-blog/

GBloom
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2011 3:01 pm
Quote

by GBloom on Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:25 pm

Re: Acne and dehydrated skin

No need to apologise, I had been a bit slack and only sent my reply the day before! Many thanks for posting the article links, I will have a good read of those :)

Post Reply
5 posts