Acne is a very common skin condition known to cause a lot of irritation. Numerous cases are experienced across the world with the US alone having close to 90 million people suffering from this condition. Acne appears on the face and shoulders and sometimes on the arms and legs among many other places on the body giving people an undesired look. As a result, most people turn to creams, pads and other medicines that are sometimes not effective and may even cause undesired side-effects. However, there is renewed hope as a safe treatment was designed thanks to NASA.

The treatment was designed by Robert Conrad, the founder of the Houston-based medical technologies company, Tyrell Inc, while carrying out some research at a biological testing firm. Since acne is caused by bacteria, he experimented in his garage using time and pressure curves to find the best way to destroy acne causing bacteria he had grown in bacterial colonies and extract proteins from them using heat.

His prototype worked well and his family and friends also wanted a share of their own. This made him realize the effectiveness of his research but he also realized that in its current form, the device would be very expensive for mass production, he needed help.

The heating system is mostly where he needed help with because in needed to be resistant to oils and acids, use low amount of energy and give temperature feedback. It also had to be cost-effective and affordable.

NASA Helps to Improve the Prototype

This is when he approached NASA through the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP), one of the various programs NASA uses to share research and expertise with the public and help them improve their ideas and inventions since NASA was established in 1958 by Congress. Conrad became allies with the principle design engineer at the Kennedy Space Center who helped improve his prototype by providing a solution to all the areas that needed attention to steer the design into the right direction.

The result which is a mass market version of Conrad’s experiment was called Zeno and currently, it is the highest selling over-the –counter medical device for the treatment of acne in the United States and has gained popularity also in other countries across the world. It is largely preferred because:It has no recorded side effectsIt is cost effectiveIt is one of the most effective treatmentsIt does not damage the skin despite the fact that it uses heat. This is possible because the device has low level heat required to kill the acne causing bacteria but is cool for the skin and therefore does not cause harm to it.

However, it is important to visit a dermatologist before any treatment to ensure that you may not be suffering from any other condition that may make the device ineffective in the treatment or the treatment harmful. Thanks to Robert Conrad’s innovative idea and design and NASA’s expertise and help, people suffering from acne have nothing to worry much about.

This article is brought to you on behalf of Acne24.Net – a website that provides information on the best acne treatment ways.