Procedures

Treatment for:

Acne

What is Acne?

Acne is disorder of the skin’s oil glands (sebaceous glands) and hair follicles.  Skin is covered with tiny holes called hair follicles, or pores. Pores contain sebaceous glands that make sebum, an oil that moistens your hair and skin. When the glands make the right amount of sebum, the pores are fine. But sometimes a pore gets clogged up with too much sebum, dead skin cells, and bacteria. This can cause acne. If a pore gets clogged up, closes, and bulges out from the skin, that's a whitehead. If a pore clogs up but stays open, the top surface can get dark and you're left with a blackhead. Sometimes the walls of the pore are broken, allowing sebum, bacteria, and dead skin cells to get under the skin. This causes a small, red infection called a pimple. Clogged-up pores that open up deep in the skin can lead to bigger infections known as cysts.

What Causes Acne?

The cause of acne is unknown. Doctors think certain factors might cause it:

• The hormone increase in teenage years (this can cause the oil glands to plug up more often)

• Hormone changes during pregnancy

• Starting or stopping birth control pills

• Heredity (if your parents had acne, you might get it, too)

• Some types of medicine

• Greasy makeup.

Who Gets Acne?

Acne is the most common skin disease. Nearly 17 million people in the United States have it. People of all races and ages get acne. But it is most common in teenagers and young adults. Nearly 85 percent of people between the ages of 12 and 24 get acne. For most people, acne goes away by age 30. But some people in their forties and fifties still get acne.

What Are the Treatments For Acne?

There are FOUR things to treat:

1)       Reduce Sebum Production of the oil glands: There are several choices: Topical medications (retinoids, Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic acid) act as drying agents; Oral contraceptive pills or spironolactone are used to block the release of androgen hormones which are responsible for overactive oil glands; Chemical peels and IPL light therapy also effectively decreases oil production and are excellent acne treatment choices.

 

2)       Reduce Bacteria Load of Skin: Several medications can be used for this such as topical or oral antibiotics, or oral isotretinoin. Chemical peels, Photodynamic therapy (blue light), IPL, Blue Light are all efficient methods to reduce skin bacteria P. acnes without the use of drug.

 

3)       Normalize Skin Shedding to prevent pore clogging: Microdermabrasion and chemical peels are  non-invasive exfoliation procedures to reduce clogged pores.

 

4)       Reduce Inflammation to decrease swelling and redness: Physician grade skin care products containing Vitamin C and other anti-inflammatory agents will help reduce skin inflammation.

Home Care for Acne

• Clean skin gently. Use a mild cleanser in the morning, evening, and after heavy workouts. Scrubbing the skin does not stop acne. It can even make the problem worse.

• Try not to touch your skin. People who squeeze, pinch, or pick their pimples can get scars or dark spots on their skin.

• Shave carefully. If you shave, you can try both electric and safety razors to see which works best. With safety razors, use a sharp blade. Also, it helps to soften your beard with soap and water before putting on shaving cream. Shave lightly and only when you have to.

• Stay out of the sun. Many acne medicines can make people more likely to sunburn. Being in the sun a lot can also make skin wrinkle and raise the risk of skin cancer.

• Choose makeup carefully. All makeup should be oil free. Look for the word "noncomedogenic" on the label. This means that the makeup will not clog up your pores. But some people still get acne even if they use these products.

Acne Scar Treatments

Depending on the types of scars, a number of treatment options can be used such as subcision, microdermabrasion, chemical peels, dermal fillers, Intense pulsed light, … to reduce acne scars, leaving clearer and smoother skin.

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