Getting ahead of acne

NEW YORK —Fighting acne with hair care products? That’s right.

Acne sufferers know all too well that there are certain things that can make a bad situation worse, whether it be eating certain trigger foods or lathering on certain skin creams. But what the some 40 million to 50 million Americans affected by acne may not realize is that hair care also may be playing a role.

Drawing on years of experience working in an acne clinic as a nurse practitioner and a registered nurse, Catherine Parker and Doreen Campbell developed Kairos Acne Care. The line launched in the second half of 2009, and is positioned as the first hair care line designed to help treat acne.

There’s a clarifying complexion-clearing shampoo ($24), balancing breakout-controlling conditioner ($28), oil-reducing, pore-perfecting treatment ($28), and several styling products. Kairos Acne Care currently is sold only online at KairosClear.com, but the founders are looking to launch into retail partners and/or salons.