THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT  
              Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, October 2, 1994                TAG: 9409300433
SECTION: HAMPTON ROADS WOMAN      PAGE: 03   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY DEBRA GORDON, STAFF WRITER
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   92 lines

ARE YOU TOO OLD FOR ACNE? THINK AGAIN. BUT MORE TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE TO TREAT THIS SKIN CONDITION, WHICH PLAGUES ADULT SKIN, TOO.

AT AGE 16, Susan Davis figured she'd eventually outgrow her acne.

She thought the same thing at age 20.

And age 27.

And age 32.

But at age 35, when the blackheads, whiteheads and unsightly pimples had still not retreated - and were interfering with her professional appearance - Davis went back to her childhood dermatologist.

Her doctor, Milton A. Saunders of Virginia Beach, recommended a prescription drug cream, Retin-A, and regular skin peels at Beautiful Skin, a skin-care company he owns.

Today, a year after beginning the treatment, Davis can see the improvement. Her skin is smoother, outbreaks occur less often, and the peels have erased many of the fine lines and acne scars she's carried most of her life.

``I always thought one day it was going to go away and not come back,'' she said. ``Now I know it's a different story. There's stress and a lot of factors other than just your age group.''

``We are seeing more adult acne,'' says Norfolk dermatologist Dr. Katherine A. Treherne. ``I don't know if that means it's out there more, or that people are more conscious about their outward appearances, but it's there.''

One reason may be the multitude of products women use on their skin, ranging from soaps to moisturizers to makeup, which can clog pores.

Another is that women often don't clean their skin enough.

``We put them under the magnifying lamp and can just see the makeup clogging their pores,'' says Susan Ivey, executive administrator at Beautiful Skin.

But it's more than just poor hygiene.

Much adult acne, Ivey says, stems from our frenetic lifestyle.

Stress, smoking, alcohol, junk food eaten on the run - all wreak havoc on our skin.

``Women who never had a pimple in adolescence are coming in here in their 20s and 30s with acne,'' she said.

One woman had never had a blemish - until she entered nursing school. In the summer, her skin cleared up. As soon as classes started, it broke out again.

The good news is that there's more treatments available to combat acne.

Treherne often uses a combination of oral or topical antibiotics combined with Retin-A cream.

She also recommends glycolic acid peels, or chemical peels, in which a slightly acidic solution is placed on the patient's face, allowed to dry, then removed.

Glycolic acid is the simplest of a group of naturally occurring acids known as alphahydroxy acids, or AHA's. It helps loosen or break up the outer skin layer, leading to a sloughing of dead skin cells, which, in turn, helps clear and clean pores in acne-prone skin.

It's particularly beneficial to African-American women, says Treherne, who often have more damaging effects from acne. That's because pimples can leave dark spots on their skin, and many women then turn to over-the-counter bleaching products, which make the acne worse.

``They should try to refrain from those products and be seen by the physician for prescription medications,'' Treherne counsels. `The acids are a wonderful thing for these women. That's where I see the products helping the most.''

Chemical peels are the most common service performed at Beautiful Skin, says Ivey. The peels are done by one of two estheticians, professionals trained in the treatment of the skin, or by the registered nurses or licensed practical nurses on staff.

At Beautiful Skin, which sells a special line of skin-care products, the staff also works to prevent acne recurrences.

They teach clients how to care for their skin and spend a lot of time listening to clients' descriptions of their often out-of-control lives.

``Most of what we do is talk; about their occupation, their self-esteem, their age, bad habits, the stress they're under, their exercise plan and diet, what hormones a woman is taking,'' Ivey says.

All these affect the skin.

But the best advice on combating acne: ``People just need to take the time to wash their face.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

JIM WALKER

Susan Ivey, executive administrator at Beautiful Skin in Virginia

Beach, examines Susan Davis' face. More adult acne stems from hectic

lives, Ivey says.

Graphic

SKIN-CARE TIPS

[For complete graphic, please see microfilm]

by CNB