How to treat acne depending on how it presents
Acne is a condition that is said to affect nearly 90% of people at some point in their lives. While most people experience acne on their face, acne on the back, ‘backne’, affects more than half of individuals with acne. For 15% of people, breakouts also occur on the chest.
“Acne is one of the most common skin conditions. It usually occurs during puberty due to an imbalance in hormones, however, it can also present itself at any stage of life,” recaps the chief executive of Élan Laser Clinics, Anna McCartney. “Severity can vary ranging from a few spots to more significant, painful acne which may cause scarring and affect self-confidence.”
In clinic, potential patients may present with one or a combination of signs of acneic skin, such as whiteheads, blackheads, nodules, cysts, papules, or pustules. “Depending on the acne lesion - especially whether it is inflammatory or non-inflammatory - different treatments are required, as one resolution does not fix all,” continues McCartney. “Persistent or severe acne can be treated to reduce symptoms, prevent a recurrence, and lower the risk of scarring."
These are five treatments to consider offering in-clinic for acne-prone complexions:
Skin Peels
Best for: adult acne, acne vulgaris and acne cosmetica
Gentle exfoliation can help treat the appearance and severity of acne by encouraging the removal of dead skin cells and pore blockages. Skin peels such as DermaQuest deeply exfoliate and stimulate new cell growth and collagen synthesis. Peels can also help tackle the appearance of mild scarring – a common consequence of acne - by encouraging cell turnover.
Best for: bacne, adult acne and acne cosmetica
This popular non-invasive treatment helps to cleanse, exfoliate, and hydrate the skin to provide a deep refreshing clean for acne-prone complexions. Available for the face and body, the patented technology and three-step system combine a gentle peel, suction-based extraction, and intense moisturising through booster serums.
LED light therapy
Best for: cystic acne, acne rosacea and acne vulgaris
LED light therapy involves exposing the skin to different wavelengths of light to non-invasively treat a wide range of concerns. The different wavelengths penetrate different depths and appear as visible colours to the naked eye. Blue light is the most clinically proven and works predominately on the skin’s surface. It is particularly helpful for breakout-prone skin, due to its antibacterial effect.
Best for: congestion, acne vulgaris and adult acne
During this advanced laser treatment, a laser is passed over the skin and the energy’s attraction to a pre-applied carbon face mask painlessly and physically clears the pores to remove dirt and debris. This effect is then amplified by gentle exfoliation. At Élan clinic, the Helios III laser is used as it allows exfoliation up to four times deeper than a standard skin peel; this can be helpful for both acne-prone congestion and acne scarring.
Radiofrequency (RF) microneedling
Best for: mild acne vulgaris and acne scarring
Microneedling uses tiny surgical needles that cause micro-injuries to the skin. With minimal surface disruption, this stimulates elastin and collagen production, a process that is proven to help with acne scarring. McCartney recommends SylfirmX for RF microneedling; it’s the only RF microneedling device approved to safely treat neovascularity, including hard-to-treat conditions like rosacea.