Acne occurs when our pores become clogged. Each pore opens to a follicle, which contains a hair and an oil gland. The oil released by the gland helps remove old skin cells and keeps your skin soft. When glands produce too much oil, the pores can become blocked, and dirt, bacteria, and cells build up causing acne.
Although acne is most common in teenagers, anyone can get acne and it can last into middle age. Hormonal changes may cause the skin to become more oily. Scarring may occur if severe acne is not treated. Some people, especially teenagers, can even become depressed without proper acne treatment.
A good skin care regimen is important in preventing breakouts, as is the use of non-comedogenic oil-free makeup. Although there are multiple topical and oral treatments that can help, it can take time for them to take effect. Luckily there are light and laser treatments that can help. One can do these treatments alone or in conjunction with topicals and oral medicines to increase the effectiveness of treatment and prevent future breakouts that may result in scarring.
Acne Treatments Available at Our San Diego Office
We are happy to be able to offer multiple different treatment options. If downtime is not an option, a combination blue and red light treatment that takes a total of 15 minutes can be done. The combination treatment aids in both decreasing the redness, as well as the bacterial byproduct responsible for aggravating acne.
We are also excited to offer Isolaz treatments, which use suction combined with a light device, to both clean the pores that become blocked in acne, while delivering gentle heat to the skin. The treatment takes 10 minutes and leaves the skin feeling clean, tight and refreshed.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a very effective procedure that uses a photosensitizing drug to apply light therapy selectively to target the oil glands responsible for causing acne. Treatment shrinks the oil gland, therefore decreasing oil production and thereby acne. In our practice, we use a combination of two different laser devices, and 2 light sources to perform the procedure, which also aids in evening out skin tone and improving skin texture typically after just one treatment.
If scarring has already occurred from the previous acne, there is hope. Lasers are able to penetrate deeper into the skin, where scarring occurs, to stimulate new collagen production and improve the overall texture and appearance of acne scars. Fillers can also be used to fill certain types of acne scars, making them practically imperceptible. Feel free to schedule a free consultation for more information.
Next, read all about the Truth Behind Scars.
