9 replies to this topic

[jhonyguy04]

i just learned that tea tree oil actually induces bacterial resistance at low doses. and then it clicked, how did my plexion/benzaclin regimen all of the sudden stop working after 5 years keeping me 95-100% clear? and how did doxycyclin and minocyclin not work on me, when i never use it long term. a year ago i started using tea tree oil shampoo for my dandruff. this might have been the cause of the resistance to all of the sudden multiple antibiotics. who would have thought that such an innocent "natural" approach actually cause so much damage. my only worry now is that i hope it doesnt affect accutane's effectiveness, which is my only hope of living a normal life.

[dejaclairevoyant]

Where did you get this idea? I think you're freaking yourself out here. I've been using tea tree oil for years and it's never reduced the effectiveness of anything. It still works just fine, too. It's good stuff. You can't believe everything you hear.

[corgisoulpower]

Your antibiotics stopped working because antibiotics stop working. They're not meant for long-term use, which is why they don't help people with moderate acne long-term, it'll always come back. This is because acne isn't caused by bacteria at all. Sure, there's bacteria in the actual spots, but acne is caused by inflammation and lifestyle habits that need to be amended.

Accutane isn't your only hope for living a normal life, it's one of many options for a nice round of unpleasant side effects, though.

[cvd]

I agree. I doubt the tea tree oil shampoo did this. It is a mild antibacterial agent. You are just in a different phase of your acne. As someone who has suffered with acne for ages (...probably the most resistant case in the world - ha!...) I have watched my skin become resistant to mino, then doxy, and allergic to BP, etc. This is very normal, especially if you have suffered for a long time. The key is to follow your derm's advice...don't waver. Research is determining that adult acne is a chronic inflammatory disease like eczema ...so the newer treatments address inflammation. My derm prescribed Oracea because it is a powerful anti-inflammatory but doesn't mess with bacteria so the body doesn't become resistant to it. You may also want to check your diet and follow an anti-acne diet which is one that address inflammation.

[AutonomousOne1980]

unless you were drinking the stuff, try to find some alternate explanation that may be more likely. have considered other explanations that may be more likely? or was this the first, or the only possible explanation you considered?

Edited by AutonomousOne1980, 14 January 2012 - 02:50 PM.

[MJRI94]

Is this for certain? Right now I use BP during the day and Tea Tree Oil (10%) in the night and having great results with it, but if this is true I am not sure if I should continue with it

[cordifolia]

Use Clinique acne solutions 3-step skin care. If you have severe acne it may feel a bit irritating and drying in the beginning. If it gets too dry, use the Clinique moisture surge hydration as a thick mask, and pace out the use of the 3rd step of the skin care to every other day. Keep doing this and by the end of the first month, you'll hopefully see great results like I did. I had severe acne for more than a decade and before Clinique, I have tried virtually everything, seen more than 5 dermatologists (who could only prescribed me antibiotics that didn't work, or birth control pills that didn't work, or Accutane), and the ONLY thing that had worked for me in the past was Accutane. Even so, I stopped taking Accutane because that thing is so bad for you in general in the long term. I "stumbled upon" Clinique one day, gave it a try and have never been more pleased about how my skin looks without popping dangerous pills into my body.

[jhonyguy04]

here are the links

http://www.mrsanotes...tic-resistance/

http://www.news-medi...2/18/21941.aspx

http://www.dailymail...s-stronger.html

among more. how did i get resistance to plexion after a couple of months of using that shampoo. ppl dont usually get resistant to plexion.

[TonyLarkman]

Tea tree oil does not induce bacterial resistance in low doses.

The information in the links provided relies on two papers by McMahon et al in 2007 and 2008 with the titles "Habituation to sub-lethal concentrations of tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) is associated with reduced susceptibility to antibiotics in human pathogens" and "Changes in antibiotic susceptibility in staphylococci habituated to sub-lethal concentrations of tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia)".

Researchers at the University of Western Australia (UWA) have attempted repeatedly since these papers were published to replicate the work by McMahon et al without any success whatsoever. A paper has just been released by Hammer, Carson & Riley with the title "Effects of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) essential oil and the major monoterpene component terpinen-4-ol on the development of single- and multi-step antibiotic resistance and antimicrobial susceptibility" detailing the work they conducted and concluding that "...tea tree oil and terpinen-4-ol have little impact on the development of antimicrobial resistance and susceptibility". This is available at: http://aac.asm.org/c....05741-11.short . A second paper addressing the topic will be released shortly by Hammer et al.

Tea tree has proven anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory activity and is successfully used by many thousands of people around the world. Work that cannot be duplicated in a world class laboratory such as UWA (who specialise in tea tree oil research) indicates that the methods used by McMahon et al were at best flawed or at worst just poor science.

I repeat: Tea tree oil does not induce bacterial resistance in low doses as demonstrated by Carson et al.

Tony Larkman
Australian Tea Tree Industry Association (ATTIA) Ltd
www.attia.org.au

[jennifer36]

As soon as I read this title all I could think was "whaaaat? but I love tea tree oil". I've never found myself getting immune to it's effects, or anything else's effects for that matter. It works better for me now than it ever has! In fact, it works better as a spot treatment than anything else I've ever used.

Antibiotics are not designed to be a permanent solution that you have to continue taking forever. You will eventually become resistant to them, and have to switch to other antibiotics, therefore why they're not a permanent solution. Antibiotics disturb your body's natural flora as well.

Don't put all your eggs in the accutane basket. I took it and all my acne returned within 6 months after my course. Plus I'm stuck with permanent joint pain in my wrists, elbows, ankles, knees, I get more migraines and they're much more severe now, as well as being stuck with very sensitive skin. All things that accutane left me. Plus I started getting more cystic acne than before my accutane course. (I do have that under control now from avoiding certain foods). As well I think accutane severely damaged my gut. Changing my diet has done me more good than anything else I've tried in the past 10 years. I actually wish I NEVER took accutane.

Edited by jennifer36, 17 January 2012 - 10:32 PM.