Breaking Out: A Woman's Guide to Coping with Acne at Any Age »

Lydia Preston, a former staff-editor at Time-Life Books, has written about skin conditions for Self and Ladies Home Journal. Her consumer and health articles have appeared in Money magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, and National Geographic Traveler. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

An essential and comprehensive guide to acne for women of all ages

Acne is no longer just a teenage affliction. In fact, dermatologists often refer to it as a woman's disease, and drugstore shelves are filled with acne products specifically geared toward adult women. But how do you choose from the overwhelming selection of treatments? Which products are appropriate to use as you grow older, become pregnant, or enter menopause? How can you work with a dermatologist to get the most out of prescription acne medications?

Lydia Preston answers all of these questions and more, with up-to-date information drawn from her years of reporting on dermatology, as well as her own long personal experience with acne. In Breaking Out, she shares the wisdom of dozens of doctors and scientists who have devoted their careers to studying and treating acne, including:

• Guidelines for buying and using over-the-counter products

• Treatment for acne scars

• Emergency acne remedies and camouflage tips

• Alternative treatments, including herbal remedies, acupuncture, dietary approaches, and ways to unlock the mind-skin connection

No one has to live with acne or its consequences. Breaking Out is an invaluable guide to understanding and combating acne that women of all ages can turn to with confidence.

Library Journal

In this look at the complexity of acne, former acne patient Preston (Skin Savvy: The Essential Guide to Cosmetic Laser Surgery) provides information on the etiology and course of acne, confronts myths about what causes acne, and discusses appropriate skin care. She deals with over-the-counter and prescription treatments including chapters on Accutane (and its controversy) and alternative medicine so that women will gain an understanding of why certain medications are prescribed together. There is also a lengthy chapter on coping with physical and mental scarring (many women think that acne is their fault). While the chapters summarizing over-the-counter, prescription, and hormonal treatments would have benefited from a different presentation, this book succeeds on the whole; it can be used as both a quick reference guide to acne medications and an informative read about acne in general. Recommended for all public libraries, especially those with consumer health collections. Rebecca Raszewski, Drexel Univ. Health Sciences Libs., Philadelphia Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction by Tina Alster, M.D.

Chapter One: Facing Up to Acne

Chapter Two: Breaking Free

Chapter Three: Understanding Acne

Chapter Four: "Will It Make Me Break Out?"

Chapter Five: Over-the-Counter Remedies

Chapter Six: Prescription Treatment

Chapter Seven: Accutane

Chapter Eight: Hormones and Hormonal Treatment

Chapter Nine: Herbs, Homeopathy, and Other Alternatives

Chapter Ten: The Mind-Skin Connection

Chapter Eleven: Looking Good

Chapter Twelve: Acne and Your Children

Chapter Thirteen: Scars and Scar Revision

Chapter Fourteen: Healing the Inner Scars

Appendix A: Acne Drugs in Pregnancy

Appendix B: Resources

Bibliography

Index