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Maybe Untreatable Acne Is Really A Fungus
By Naweko San-Joyz | November 6, 2009
If you have suffered years at the hand of acne, this condition may seem an uncontrollable, ever-mutating beast that heeds no medicine or aspiration for clearer skin. Regardless of its apparent stubbornness, I’ve often thought that acne and its causes have been gravely misunderstood by everyone from patients to professionals.
The thing is, that whenever a zits, bump or festering pore pops on on the face or body, its too easy to diagnose the creature as acne. But perhaps what looks like acne could be the result of a cleverly disguised fungus (tinea incognito) or some other bacteria besides the typical villain, Propionibacterium acnes.Lets look at both possibilities.
First, why would you have a fungus on your skin that looks like acne? Perhaps because, something did not go as planned with treating another skin condition. For example, tinea incognito (a disguised fungus) is a fungal infection that does not look like a “normal” fungal infection. In short, usually fungal infections have the appearance of red, inflammed bumps that make circular formations on the skin.Disguised fungal infections could result from the use of topical steroids for the treatment of skin conditions like inflammation or itching.
Lately, researchers have started to further examine many of the unexpected side effects of steroids like glucocorticosteroids. According to a report in Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, side effects of these topical steroids may include acne, rosacea and a breakdown in the skin’s integrity.Moreover, if you look closely at acne-plagued skin, you may even notice similarities with fungal infections. In fact, you may notice that bumps, inflamed pores, pustules and blackheads seem to arise in a circular pattern that mimics that typical shape of clusters of fungi.
Second, the source of you skin problems may not be the bacteria most often associated with acne. Pimples could also result from the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. S. aureus irritates the skin and can even lead to noxious skin problems like boils.So, what if your pimples and blisters are truly the result of a fungus or the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus? You could use an antifungal cream.
This past August (2008), a study in Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy highlighted many of the positive effects of the antifungal ingredient miconazole nitrate. Miconazole nitrate kills fungus by destroying its cell membrane. Also, this drug controls the growth of bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus.
Moreover, miconazole nitrate may enhance the protective properties of the skin.
How to be sure of what’s really the problem
You could ask you doctor to test for the presence of fungus and bacteria on your skin. Of course, there are bacteria on your skin but it would be up to your doctor to deduce if their presence is problematic and how to treat your skin from there.Also, Dr. Jijoe Joseph, MD has created a nifty video for determining what type of skin/hair fungal infection you have and how to treat it.
For skin infections, he recommends ketoconazole.Ketoconazole comes in pill form and you can also find it at your drug store in anti-dandruff shampoos in the active ingredients list.
Dr. Josheph warns though that orally ingested ketoconazole can cause gynecomastia (breast enlargement in men) and liver toxicities, so health monitoring is required when using an oral regime.
Where to Find It
Miconazole nitrate is the active ingredient in many over-the-counter (OTC) antifungal creams that are available at most drug stores.Another option is a product called Derman. It costs list than $3 at most drug stores an you can locate it in usually the athlete’s foot section or Mexican health section.
Fair Warning: Treating a fungus is not a one time invent. Fungus are smart, that’s how the got the name Tinea incognito. Most fungal treatments must last weeks to months. Also, some fungal treatments are not effective on the skin. So, if you choose and OTC treatment, make sure that is safe and effective for your specific uses.
Sources:Hengge, Ulrich R et al. Adverse Effects of Topical Glucocorticosteroids. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology: January 2006; vol 54, no 1, pp 1-15.
Quatresooz, Pascale et al. Novelties In The Multifaceted Miconazole Effects On Skin Disorders. Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy: August 2008; vol 9, no 11, pp. 1927-1934.
Topics: Acne Solutions At Home, Women and Acne |