Accutane
(Isotretinoin) has been made available to patients with
severe nodular acne who do not respond to conventional
therapy (including the use of antibiotics) as a
successful treatment regimen since 1982. The drug,
presently prescribed at 0.5 mg to 2 mg/kg and given in
two alienated doses daily with food for a period
of 15 to 21 weeks. The stress on prescribing the doses
with food is based on studies that reveal its increased
bioavailability under such circumstances. Accutane
benefits start within
4 to 8 weeks after the drug is discontinued and so it
matters little whether total clearing is achieved or
not. In any event, the use of Accutane has dramatically
changed the scenario as far as management of relentless
treatment-resistant acne is concerned. However it needs
to be kept in mind that there are side effects of
Accutane.
Among
some of the notable Accutane benefits is the durability
of the remission which may last for months to years with
most patients for whom acne was considered to be an
incurable disease condition. Also significant is the
totality of the remission in almost all cases. Although
the mechanism of action of Accutane is not fully
understood, the drug produces a rapid and forceful
inhibition of sebaceous gland activity within two to
four weeks of starting the therapy that accounts for the
early clearing. Also, the P. acne
population is drastically reduced during the
treatment which might be caused due to a decline in
intra-follicular lipids that encourage the growth of
organisms. Also unexplained are some of the Accutane
benefits that include the drug’s anti-inflammatory
characteristics and its effect on follicular
keratinization pattern.
However,
in terms of absolute cure of moderate to severe acne,
Accutane benefits pale away when compared
to similar or even far better benefits that are provided
by the holistic path of treatment. While Accutane
clinically addresses at inhibiting the oil production of
sebaceous gland activity, thereby forcefully controlling
the oil production for a limited period, the overall
activity of holistic therapies hits at the root cause of
the problem and solves it for good. A little bit of
elucidation will clear the picture
thoroughly.
Over
production of the sebaceous oil is triggered by hormonal
imbalance in the body. Hormonal imbalance is triggered
by toxin-ridden vital bodily organs like the kidneys,
liver, colon, lungs, skin, etc that are unable to clean
the blood and the lymphatic glands of their toxic
contents. Change of diet, elimination of fast food, junk
food, red meat, alcohol and other harmful food and
beverages along with change of lifestyle re-activates
these organs to purge away the toxic debris accumulated
within the system. And once this is achieved, the
hormones start acting normally, signaling the oil
producing glands to produce that much oil only which is
suitable for the skin to remain healthy and
resilient.
The
causes of acne are complex and multi factorial. Holistic
remedies often work best because in this approach the
body is treated as a whole, and all the individual
causes of acne are identified and treated. So rather
than just treat the symptoms, holistic remedies treat
the acne from the inside and completely eradicates it
from the inside. The results are thus much better than
the Accutane benefits.
