Adult acne plagues millions

Robert Bazell - NBC News

May 2, 2001 — Acne treatments, once marketed almost exclusively to teenagers, are now being widely targeted to adults. Doctors say millions of women are boosting sales of products from lotions to prescription drugs to try to erase their acne and also spending thousands of dollars a crack for complex treatments from dermatologists.

For Terry Vilardi, it’s not just a problem that refuses to disappear — it’s a curse. “If I’m having a very bad breakout, I don’t want to go outside,” she said. Surveys find that more than half of women say they have some problem with acne. That’s up from more than a third two decades ago. Researchers don’t know if the problem is increasing, or if it’s just that more women are conscious of the appearance of their skin. Possible reasons for an acne increase include more stress in life or pollution in the environment. But whatever the cause, overall sales of prescription acne drugs were up 16 percent last year to $1.1 billion. Over-the-the counter treatments in drugstores and supermarkets were up 15 percent to $338 million. And frequent ads target adult women for both prescription and over-the-counter products.

Do the treatments work?
Experts say there are few cures now, with most people needing continual treatment. “Maintenance is an important part of most of the acne programs that we prescribe for our patients,” said Dr. Neil Sadick of Cornell Medical College in New York City. Accutane is the one drug that actually cures acne 70 percent of the time. But since it causes birth defects, doctors hesitate to give it to young women. So researchers at companies like Johnson & Johnson are working frantically to find better treatments. Using skin cells actually harvested from discarded face lifts, scientists are testing an experimental drug. It blocks the skin’s oil production that is a key factor in acne formation. Tests in people are still years away.

Will we have a pimple-free society at some point?
“We could come up with a treatment that actually reduces acne enough that we could have an almost pimple-free society,” said the company’s medical director, Dr. Rachel Grossman. And that’s a dream for millions of women who would do almost anything to escape the curse of adolescence.

Treatment
Benzoyl peroxide — Benzoyl peroxide is applied topically to kill the bacteria associated with acne and help dry the skin. It is usually recommended for mild cases of acne. It is also available in stronger doses with a prescription.

Salicylic acid — Salicylic acid helps cut down the abnormal shedding of cells lining the hair follicles. It also helps unclog pores. It is available in many acne products, including cleansers, lotions, creams and pads.

Sulfur — Sulfur is applied to the skin to unclog pores and help break down blackheads and whiteheads. It is often combined with salicylic acid or resorcinol in medicated creams, ointments and bar soaps.

Resorcinol — Like sulfur, with which it is often used, resorcinol opens clogged pores and helps break down blackheads and whiteheads.

Robert Bazell is the chief science correspondent for NBC News.