At some time in their life 85% of all adolescents and 25% of all adults experience acne. It is by far the most common skin disorder in the world. And while it is not life threatening, the effects on self esteem and self confidence can be devastating. Approximately 30% of all visits to the dermatologist are the result of acne.

What is acne? Medically speaking it is a chronic skin condition that results in the inflammation of the oil-producing sebaceous glands below the surface of the skin. The inflammation is usually caused by the body's release of sex hormones androgen, testosterone, and DHEAS. For this reason acne usually strikes in the teen years surrounding puberty. Although, stress has also been linked to the release of these hormones. Additionally, studies have indicated that there are strong hereditary links to acne.

Men are more prone than women to severe acne problems, but usually by the age of 20 will outgrow the skin condition. Women on the other hand, due to hormonal fluctuations associated with the menstrual cycle are more apt to fight the condition well into their 30's, many times all the way until menopause.

For years acne sufferers have used topical creams and lotions or oral antibiotics to try and clear their skin. Usually unsuccessful at clearing the acne, these antibiotics often produce undesirable side effects. In the early 1980's Accutane became the rage for its success at chemically shrinking the size of the oil-producing sebaceous glands thereby clearing the skin of acne patients. However, in recent years the potential side effects of depression, liver damage and birth defects have patients reconsidering its use.

Recent technological developments have focused on the use of lasers to control acne. In this case different laser devices treat acne differently. In some laser devices the wavelength of light used attacks the bacteria on the skin which is responsible for inflammatory acne. In other lasers the light acts to shrink the sebaceous gland which overproduces sebum (oil). By reducing the sebum production the acne can be effectively controlled.

LaserMed has a number of different lasers which might be used to clear a patient's acne condition. In all cases the laser attacks the problem without any visible effect on the outer layers of the skin. This leaves patients with an effective way to control their acne without the need for oral medications and the side effects that follow such therapies. Treatments will take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour depending on the regimen Dr. Chapman prescribes.

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