How prevalent are acne scars? How prevalent is the acne laser treatment that is supposed to get rid of your acne scars?
The total sales for acne treatments throughout 2005 escalated to an alarming 441.1 million dollars. This figure represents a 10.1% increase over 2004. That increase is the strongest recorded to date.
Acne is spiraling completely out of control. These figures are a warning shot across our collective bows. There is an urgency to tackle acne from many angles. Yet the staggering increases continue to pound us into submission.
Which door should we walk through? We?re only trying to find the door that leads to the light which is at the end of the tunnel. Should we walk through the laser treatment door? This is the door that promises so much for the future.
Let?s look at the door that was marked Accutane. A well known congressman lost a son to suicide that he believes was attributed to Accutane use.
The drug manufacturer later warned that the acne ?solution? Accutane can possibly cause depression, psychotic symptoms, and rarely suicide attempts.
Later, additional problems were found - high risk of serious birth defects, deformed babies, miscarriage, premature birth, and even death of the baby.
In spite of this laundry list of serious side effects, the company still believed the drug to be safe. This is not what the company had in mind for their miracle acne ?solution.?
Let?s deviate to Celebrex for a moment. This is a whole different scenario, but the principle remains the same. Touted as the way to go, Celebrex made a grand entry in January of 1999.
Sales went through the roof. They called it the ?super aspirin.? If you had pain due to arthritis Celebrex was the ?solution? for you. $2.2 billion in sales the first year alone, this drug was a superstar.
Later it was withdrawn in shame. Widely believed to cause gastrointestinal hemorrhages, cardiovascular problems, kidney damage, liver damage and in some instances even death. The manufacturers of Celebrex did not envision this type of outcome for their ?super aspirin.?
And so we now come to unintended consequences. Simply put, the law of unintended consequences occurs when something is instituted to solve a problem. (Celebrex to alleviate arthritis pain).
It achieves its intended goal, (alleviates the pain of arthritis). However, an often conflicting and certainly unintended consequence results. With Celebrex it was the litany of hemorrhages, kidney, liver and other damages.
With Accutane it was a laundry list of complaints including suicide. The opening of these particular doors was never purposefully intended to bring the devastation that came. But the many unintended consequences came nevertheless.
What about the door marked acne laser treatment? It?s been an official member of the U.S. marketplace since 2002. Yes? a relative newcomer. Have we rushed through this door because of the alarming increase in acne sufferers?
Many doctors of high esteem tout acne laser treatment as the way to go. Conversely, many other doctors of high esteem consider that the jury is still out on this type of treatment.
Full and complete facts on acne laser treatment must be fully investigated before you attempt to even open the door. Your dermatologist, family and friends must be engaged in full and frank discussions before you decide on laser treatment for your acne or acne scars.
People with acne scars who opt to get acne laser treatment to rid themselves of those scars need to be more fully informed. Acne laser treatment is in fact a form of treatment that addresses a topical problem. The underlying cause of acne is not dealt with. Get this book to help you better understand your acne. Grab it here! | |
