Acne is a chronic inflammatory disease of the sebaceous gland and a condition commonly seen in teenagers. It usually resolves when patients reach their twenties. Unfortunately, there are a significant proportion of people who continue to suffer from acne well into their forties. Acne scars are more common in this persistent acne group, and are more likely to be on the face, a cosmetically sensitive area. Minor acne scarring may occur in up to 95% of patients, but to a significant degree in only 22%. For those patients with any degree of scarring, the scars go much deeper, affecting every facet of life. Repairing them can make life better and reveal an entirely new person.
Acne scars can be classified into three broad categories: ice pick, rolling, and boxcar. A palette approach to acne scarring yields the best results, because each individual technique is best suited for a particular type of scar. It is important to remember that improvement is the goal, and it is usually necessary to combine several techniques in each individual case. Various treatment modalities are used for reconstructing and improving the appearance of acne scars, including punch excision, punch elevation, subcutaneous incision (subcision), dermal fillers (liquid injectable silicone, hyaluronic acid), chemical skin resurfacing, and laser skin resurfacing. By combining these multiple modalities, it is possible to produce dramatic improvement in acne scars. It has proven difficult to repair deep rolling scars, especially in dark skin. Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) has been used for over 50 years to rejuvenate and repair the skin in a variety of conditions. The CROSS Technique, (Chemical Reconstruction of Skin Scars) using 100% TCA, has the advantage of reconstructing acne scars by focusing on the dermal thickening and collagen production that occurs with higher TCA concentrations. It has proven very effective for acne scars in dark complexioned patients, including Asian and black skin (types IV-VI skin), known to readily develop reactive darkening. The CROSS Technique involves the focal application of TCA using a sharpened wooden applicator. It is pressed down firmly over the entire depressed area of the scar. It produces multiple, frosted white spots on each acne scar. Healing is more rapid and has a lower complication rate than conventional full-face medium to deep chemical resurfacing, because the normal tissue and adnexal structures around the scar are spared. Before CROSS is performed, the skin will be primed with 8Quin nightly for 2 weeks, and thereafter for the duration of the sessions. Local anesthetics or sedation are not needed for CROSS. The area is cleansed and prepped with alcohol. The TCA is focally applied until a "frosted" appearance is achieved. Mild stinging is usually encountered, easily controlled with an electric fan. An antibiotic ointment is applied to the treated areas after the procedure, and used as needed until crust formation occurs. The skin will be cleansed daily with a non-drying cleanser and moisturized with a moisturizer-sunscreen. No antibiotic or antiviral therapy is needed with after CROSS. When the crusts fall off, usually within a week, 8Quin will be resumed at night, along with the cleanser and moisturizer-sunscreen. The application of makeup is allowed after CROSS. CROSS is repeated every month until maximal change is achieved, usually within 4-6 sessions. Although possible, side effects or complications such as persistent redness, permanent darker or lighter skin color, bacterial infections or herpes simplex flare-up, or scarring are unlikely to occur. Patients sometimes encounter mild redness or temporary darker color, both disappearing in 4-6 weeks. Repeated CROSS application can help normalize deep rolling and boxcar scars, and deep ice pick scars, but it is likely that other procedures will be used to obtain the most change. The degree of clinical improvement in the original study was proportional to the number of courses of CROSS treatment, with good improvement after three to six courses being recorded in more than 90% of cases. This technique can also treat chicken pox scars and dilated pores, as well as reconstructing depressed surgical scars. The CROSS Technique is another color on the palette of therapies for acne scars and other depressed surgical scars. A consultation will be necessary to evaluate each patient's needs and develop a comprehensive and individualized approach to scar rejuvenation.
2 Comments
Biomimetic Signaling Technology Mimics Healing Current in Skin
NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. today announced that its award-winning, breakthrough CYTOMIMIC™ Technology will be featured in a scientific poster at the 69th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), February 4-8, 2011, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA. This esteemed, award-winning, innovative technology from Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. comes from decades of research to harness the power of bioelectricity to improve skin rejuvenation. "Just one year after the unveiling of CYTOMIMIC™ Technology for use in anti-aging at this prestigious forum, we are excited to present new clinical data on its potential to stimulate tissue repair," says Dr. Ying Sun, a Distinguished Research Fellow and Science Leader at Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. "Injured skin naturally generates a low level electrical signal to promote healing. The application of CYTOMIMIC™ technology has clinically demonstrated the ability to mimic this healing signal for potential tissue healing and rejuvenation applications." The poster "Biomimetic Signaling Technology Mimics Healing Current in Skin" will be displayed as electronic poster #P1604 in the E-Poster Exhibit. It will be the 10th poster on CYTOMIMIC™ Technology accepted and displayed at the Annual Meeting of the AAD, joining the nine posters that marked the technology's debut last year. The poster will be one of 28 posters on display from the beauty care division of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. CYTOMIMIC™ Technology will also be featured in the scientific exhibits at the World Congress of Dermatology in Seoul, Korea in May 2011. Poster Details: A clinical study was conducted to determine if the biomimetic technology mimics the endogenous healing signal generated by the skin. CYTOMIMIC™ Technology, consisting of a proprietary galvanic coupling of elemental zinc and copper, was evaluated on the forearms of healthy males and females over the age of 18. The biomimetic signaling technology was compared to untreated skin, zinc oxide and zinc chloride. After cleansing, a small amount of each material was placed within defined 1.5mm diameter circles and measured for electric fields across the skin using a non-invasive instrument based on a vibrating probe technique. This technology has demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity and collagen and elastin production, as well as clinically proven safety and effectiveness in reducing the signs of photoaging. "Bioelectricity is found in every single body system and cell in the body," says Dr. Sun. "Combining this knowledge with our innovative technology, we can potentially continue to expand and find new uses and platforms for CYTOMIMIC™ Technology to address countless additional needs in tissue repair applications." The clinical study demonstrates that the topical application of biomimetic signaling technology to the skin provides an electric field profile similar to that of the endogenous electric field that the skin generates at a wound site. This patented technology was discovered in 2004 by Dr. Sun and his colleagues Dr. Jue-Chen Liu and Jeannette Chantalat. Today, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. holds 10 U.S. patents for this technology, active until 2023 and has multiple U.S. and international applications pending. CYTOMIMIC™ Technology: How It Works Bioelectricity is the body's native electrical signaling process that helps direct physiological activities at the cellular level, such as the skin's own rejuvenation process. When applied topically, CYTOMIMIC™ Technology can help to rejuvenate and maintain healthy-looking skin. As we age, bioelectrical signals naturally diminish which can result in decreased cell-to-cell communication, production of essential proteins such as collagen and elastin, and in healing abilities. This can result in fine lines and wrinkles, loss of firmness and sagging skin. The science of CYTOMIMIC™ Technology is based on creating and delivering biological levels of electricity directly to the skin, naturally stimulating the intrinsic rejuvenation process. This innovation is based on the design of a proprietary technology – energized micro-particles of zinc and copper – captured in a unique delivery system that helps stimulate the body's own rejuvenation processes. When activated by moisture, these energized micro-particles act as "miniaturized batteries" that help jumpstart healthy skin function. These micro-particles stay on the skin's surface and mimic the body's native electrical signals, to rebuild and restore youthful-looking skin. Benefits of CYTOMIMIC™ Technology CYTOMIMIC™ Technology represents a major advancement in skincare, because it's the first technology designed to deliver electricity at a scale that safely simulates the body's own bioelectricity levels in the form of a topical treatment, resulting in:
Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc., has evaluated CYTOMIMIC™ Technology on more than 1,000 individuals/subjects in clinical and safety studies over 3.5 years, and has demonstrated improvement of the skin's appearance within minutes of application and continued improvements over time.(1) CYTOMIMIC™ Technology is clinically proven to significantly reduce the hallmark signs of aging, in some cases in as little time as 30-minutes, by:
SOURCE Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. |
Welcome...to dermagrace cosmetic rejuvenation blog and information center. If you're looking for dramatic and long lasting skin improvements…look no further. My goal is to provide the most authoritative skin care protocols, research and articles. Everyday I search for relevant and reliable information. I look forward to any comments or questions. Archives
July 2014
Categories
All
|