Patients with a kidney transplant are usually maintained on immunosuppressive drugs such as corticosteroids (Prednisone), azathioprine, cyclosporine and sirolimus which have been associated with development of acne (pimples).General skin care recommendations for a kidney transplant patient with acne include:
Wash acned area(s) by applying a gentle synthetic detergent cleanser (e.g. Cetaphil) and rinse with warm (not hot) water twice daily. Synthetic detergent cleansers possess a lower pH (5.5 to 7) that approximates the normal pH of the skin, than soaps (9 to 10). So, using gentle cleansers minimises skin irritation and dryness.
Gentle massage with the fingertips is sufficient for cleansing. Do not aggressively scrub the skin.
Use water-based (not oil-based) lotions, cosmetics, and hair products as they are less prone to cause acne.
Do not pick the acne lesions, as this may exacerbate scarring.
Do not use Retin-A or Retino-A (tretinoin cream) as it aggravates the sun sensitivity caused by prednisone.Patients with advanced lesions may need treatment with topical antimicrobial gels (benzoyl peroxide), topical anti-bacterial gel (clindamycin, erythromycin), oral antibiotics (tetracycline, doxycycline, erythromycin, minocycline) and/or hormonal agents (oral contraceptives). A dermatologist should be consulted prior to using these agents.