Introduction

183 Pages·2002·2.09 MB·English

AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
A
CNE
‘By far the best book I have read on the subject’
Peter Lapsley, Chief Executive, Skin Care Campaign
Dr Tim Mitchell and Alison Dudley
Acne ayf Final 31/10/02 12:36 pm Page i
Comments on Acne – the ‘at your fingertips’ guide
from readers
‘Over all splendid – and I learnt a lot.’
Dr Stephen Kownacki, General Practitioner and
Secretary of the Primary Care Dermatology Society
‘I will recommend it to my patients.’
Jane Watts, Dermatology Nurse Practitioner,
Department of Dermatology, King George Hospital, Essex
‘Good tips and an interesting read.’
Polly Bealby, a teenager with personal experience of acne
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ACNE
The ‘at your fingertips’ guide
Dr Tim MitchellMBChB, DRCOG, DPD
General Practitioner, Montpelier Health Centre, Bristol; Founder
Member and Secretary of the Primary Care Dermatology Society;
Advisor to the Associate Parliamentary Group on Skin
and
Alison Dudley
Chief Executive of the Acne Support Group; Founder Member
and Director of the Skin Care Campaign
CLASS PUBLISHING • LONDON
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Text © Tim Mitchell and Alison Dudley 2002
© Class Publishing (London) Ltd 2002
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above,
no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by and means (electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written
permission of the above publisher of this book.
The right of Tim Mitchell and Alison Dudley to be identified as the authors
of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Printing history
First published 2002
The authors and publishers welcome feedback from the users of this book.
Please contact the publishers.
Class Publishing, Barb House,
Barb Mews, London, W6 7PA, UK
Telephone: [phone] [International +4420]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.class.co.uk
The information presented in this book is accurate and current to the best
of the authors’ knowledge. The authors and publisher, however, make no
guarantee as to, and assume no responsibility for, the correctness, sufficiency
or completeness of such information or recommendation. The reader is
advised to consult a doctor regarding all aspects of individual health care.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 1 85959 073 X
Edited by Gillian Clarke
Typeset by Martin Bristow
Cartoons by Jane Taylor
Diagrams by David Woodroffe
Indexed by Valerie Elliston
Printed and bound in Finland by WS Bookwell, Juva
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Contents
Foreword by Peter Lapsley ix
Acknowledgements xi
Introduction xiii
CHAPTER 1 What is acne? 1
Introduction 1
Comedones 3
Inflamed spots 5
Nodules and cysts 6
Getting acne 7
‘Grading’ your acne 13
Hormones and acne 15
CHAPTER 2 What causes acne? 17
Introduction 17
Who gets acne, and why? 18
A word about hormones 21
What doesn’t cause acne 24
CHAPTER 3 You and your doctor 28
Introduction 28
Helping your doctor to help you 29
When you and your doctor have a problem 33
v
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vi Acne – the ‘at your fingertips’guide
CHAPTER 4 Treatment from your GP 40
Introduction 40
The different types of treatment 41
Topical treatments 42
Tablet treatments 46
Using the treatments 48
Associated problems 53
Things that don’t work! 58
Squeezing spots 60
CHAPTER 5 Specialist treatments 63
Introduction 63
Referral to a dermatologist 64
Isotretinoin (Roaccutane) 65
Other treatments 70
CHAPTER 6 The physical scars 73
Introduction 73
Extra skin tissue (raised scars) 74
Loss of skin tissue (sunken scars) 74
Treating scars 76
CHAPTER 7 Emotional scars 84
Introduction 84
You and your acne 87
The family 94
Friends 97
At school or work 98
CHAPTER 8 Complementary and alternative treatment 100
Introduction 100
Safety 102
Aromatherapy 105
Reflexology 105
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Contents vii
Hypnotherapy 106
Homoeopathy 106
Autogenic training 108
Other approaches 109
CHAPTER 9 Sex, growing up and practical concerns 113
Introduction 113
Hormones, sex and pregnancy 115
Work prospects 117
Costs of NHS prescriptions 119
Other concerns 120
CHAPTER 10 Skin-care 122
Introduction 122
Skin-care and make-up products 125
Moisturising 128
Camouflage 130
Other products 131
CHAPTER 11 Research and future treatments 134
Introduction 134
Where we are now 135
Research for new treatments 137
GLOSSARY 140
APPENDIX 1 Useful addresses 145
APPENDIX 2 Useful publications 151
INDEX 153
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Foreword
This book makes an outstanding contribution to the subject of
acne. It is down-to-earth and packed with common sense, as you
would expect from two such experienced and well-qualified
authors as Alison Dudley, Chief Executive of the Acne Support
Group and a founder member and Director of the Skin Care
Campaign, and Dr Tim Mitchell, a GP at Montpelier Health Centre
in Bristol with a special interest in dermatology.
It answers all the questions you may have on the subject of
acne, giving straightforward answers to questions asked by
people with acne and their families.
The question-and-answer format makes it very easy to dip into
the book and find the answer to any question on acne – but then
you will almost certainly find yourself reading on and discovering
much more.
It is comprehensive, coherent and accessible – by far the best
book I have seen on the subject.
In addition to being an invaluable guide for people with acne
and those close to them, I believe it is an essential work of
reference for health professionals, especially GPs and practice
nurses, many of whom are taught too little about skin diseases.
Peter Lapsley
Chief Executive, Skin Care Campaign
ix