At Glow Medispa we have learned how to manage acne-- out. We love to banish the blemishes. Read on and we will explain why it happens and just how to get rid of acne. Call us in Seattle or Kirkland today to come talk to us about acne treatment in person!
Acne is caused by bacterial growth inside pores in the skin. When the pores in the skin get blocked, this creates the perfect environment for bacteria to grow. In the beginning you may not notice it at all or you may see a clogged pore or blackhead. Then the bacteria grow enough to feel as a lump. Eventually, it grows big enough to erupt on the skin and then resolve.
Acne is so common most people suffer from it at some stage of life. Many factors contribute to acne eruptions:
Acne is often caused or made worse by products we put on our faces in the pursuit of clear skin. In fact, even some preparations of tretinoin (Retin-A - a great drug to treat acne) contain the comedogenic ingredient isopropyl myristate, a thickener used in many skin care products, though it has been known for years to cause pimples. Identifying the cause of persistent acne despite doing “everything” can be challenging, and it can even occasionally be related to a food allergy.
Every pore on your skin is lined with the skin cells that need to slough off. Blemishes (blackheads and whiteheads) form when a pore becomes clogged with these cells and oils build up in the skin. Bacteria then grow behind the plug, creating a pustule. This can take weeks to become noticeable and weeks to erupt and weeks to resolve. Larger cystic acne can result when the contents of the pimple break down the wall of the follicle and spread into the adjacent skin.
Acne forms small lumps in and under the skin, eventually forming white heads (pustules) visible on the surface of the skin. Symptoms are lumps, red spots, white heads, blackheads (pores that are clogged with contents that undergo a chemical reaction and turn black). Acne can eventually heal with a dimpling or divot in the skin that results in permanent acne scarring. Acne can sometimes be painful or itchy or both.
We use only products with pure ingredients and no fragrances or irritants. It takes a good 3 months to change your skin completely, but we usually see an improvement within days to weeks.
A three month program combining these treatments along with steady adherence to the Regimen should eliminate acne in most people.
As discussed above, acne is an its own 8-week cycle. This means at any given time, you have 8 weeks worth of acne blemishes already on their way. Treatment tends to speed this up a bit, but expect to deal with healing acne for at least 8 weeks as the skin heals. Over time, the red spots slowly resolve. Any residual red spots or brown spots (hyperpigmentation) can be addressed with laser or BBL/IPL treatments. Maintenance requires continual high-quality skin care at home, avoidance of triggers and occasional acne facials or peels.
Over 90% of our patients respond to our 3-Month treatment plan. But what about acne that seems to resist all efforts to defeat it? That’s time to evaluate allergies to products or foods. The most common allergy causing acne is to cow-milk and its products (whey and casein). Often, resistant acne disappears after a strict trial off of all cow-milk products (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, cow-milk cheeses, ice cream, whey protein powders and all processed food containing whey or casein). This can be challenging because whey is packaged into so many processed foods. If cow-milk is not the culprit, consider a strict anti-inflammatory diet. If acne improves, foods can be added back in one-by-one over time. This can be difficult without help from a professional. We are happy to help-- we trouble-shoot acne every day.
We recommend continuous excellent home skin care that includes the regimen described above (exfoliant cleanser, acne toner and a retinol). If you avoid triggers and take care iof your skin, most acne can be prevented.
Accutane is a very effective drug for shrinking down the oil glands in the skin permanently, thus reducing or eliminating acne. However, Accutane is linked to a series of serious side effects, including bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease, liver damage, depression, and miscarriage and birth defects if taken during pregnancy.
In fact, women of childbearing age are required to enlist in a special pregnancy prevention program before beginning Accutane treatment. More than 7,000 lawsuits have been filed against Roche Pharmaceuticals, which stopped making Accutane in 2009, but generic versions of isotretinoin are still available. There are newer low-dose protocols now, which may reduce the toxic side effects. Therefore, low-dose accutane can be an effective treatment for severe refractory acne.
For all these reasons, we regard Accutane as a treatment of last resort. Come and see us at our Seattle or Kirkland location!
We have excellent treatments for acne scarring at Glow Medispa– primarily using RF Microneedling with Genius RF and laser resurfacing. Not all acne scars are amenable to treatment, but most are. This treatment uses direct RF energy delivered with tiny needles into the skin– yes! We numb you first! More information on Genius RF can be found here.
The red spots respond very well to treatment as well, and there are several options. Genius RF is great at healing the red spots associated with old acne. The VI Peel and BBL/IPL also help resolve the red spots. Hyperpigmented spots from acne also respond well to treatment with the VI peel and BBL/IPL. Laser resurfacing with LaseMD Ultra is also highly effective.
Each person’s skin is different. We cater the treatments to your specific skin type and situation. If you want more information about treating acne or acne scarring, it is best to come in for a consultation. You can call us or book online here.
The best way to find out more is to schedule a consultation-- you can do that directly online, call us or fill out our contact form here. We look forward to hearing from you!
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