Probiotics or antibiotics to treat acne
In the 1960s, on "The Ed Sullivan Show," you often could find Erich Brenn balancing and spinning a dozen plates on top of tall, skinny poles to the strains of the "Sabre Dance." (The world record for balancing the most spinning plates is 108, set in 1996.) Well, balancing acts like that are almost as tough as keeping a teenager's face clear of acne.
The standard acne treatment uses antibiotics to wipe out bacteria that contribute to the chronic infection. But researchers from UCLA have discovered that it's an imbalance of skin-loving and skin-damaging bacteria on your skin that is the real culprit. Wiping out either side of the bacterial equation may cause a greater imbalance in the skin microbiome, and more breakouts. (Yup, just like in your gut, you have a world of microbes living on your skin ... and you want them there and healthy.)
That's why it may be more effective to promote a balance of those microbes by using oral and/or topical probiotics instead of antibiotics. We know you're familiar with ingesting probiotics in yogurt or kefir, or taking oral supplements like Digestive Advantage and Culturelle, but you can offer your skin biome some direct probiotic help, too. Several studies have found that applying probiotics acidifies the skin, prevents pathogens from sticking around and lets a balanced skin biome flourish, reducing acne lesions and redness. So talk to your dermatologist to find out how to use this new approach to get your acne under control and your skin biome back into balance.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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