One of the most popular acne treatment methods on the market, salicylic acid works by causing the skin to shed away dead skin cells that may be clogging pores and therefore also causing the skin to create new and healthy skin cells to replace htem. It has been used to treat everything from psoriasis to calluses, corns, keratosis, pilaris, warts, and of course acne as a metabolite of aspirin.
In addition to its more average benefits, salicylic acid has also been used in a recent case of Dede the Treeman. Dr Anthony Gaspari of the University of Maryland used this particular ingredient in higher concentrations to cause cells that had grown like bark over this man’s entire body, to simply shed away in a relatively short amount of time. This particular man actually suffered from a mutated form of the Human Papilloma Virus. But it has developed into a disease that kept him from participating in daily life, and even after the bark like substance was removed, his bones were severely compromised among other things.
While this case is extremely rare and harsh to say the least, it shows how effective salicylic acid can be against smaller cases such as cases of acne vulgaris. This could be why it is currently one of the most commonly used acne treatments on the market, along with different forms of vitamin A and benzoyl peroxide.
- Philip A. Mackowiak (2000). “Brief History of Antipyretic Therapy”. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 31: 154–156. doi:.
- Campos, Nick. Tree Man. Optimal Health: Health News And Information With A Twist. http://6keysoptimalhealth.blogspot.com/2008/08/tree-man.html
