Acne

What causes acne?

Acne is caused by many factors; over production of sebum being one of them. Sebum is an oily substance produced by the skin’s sebaceous glands. Sebum clogs pores, which attracts bacteria and becomes inflamed.

Teenage acne is caused by an over production of sebum that can be triggered by hormonal spikes. Teenage acne can include breakouts over the whole face, neck chest and back.

Adult acne is usually always due to stress or hormonal fluctuations. It is common for menopausal women to experience the onset of acne typically around the mouth, on the jaw line and chin.

How is acne treated?

There are drug free alternatives to treating teenage and adult acne available at Australian Skin Face Body clinics.

PDT to treat acne

Photo Dynamic Therapy (PDT)  may be used to shock the sebaceous glands, in turn minimising future acne breakouts.

PDT not only clears up severe cases of acne, even cystic cases of acne, but it also makes the skin surface look more even resulting in healthier looking skin.

Skin Peels and LED light Treatments

Medical grade skin peels are typically done monthly and combined with LED light therapy to treat acne.

We are also having success with the Spectra carbon laser peel.

Skin Care

Over the counter acne treatments can be very harsh on the skin.

Australian Skin Face Body stocks a multi-targeted skin care range that may be appropriate for your circumstances.

What else can I do to help my acne?

As acne is bacterial:

• try not to touch your face
• change and wash your pillowcase regularly to get rid of the oil and bacteria

Research has linked diet to acne. We advise our clients to maintain a low sugar diet. This includes watching the natural sugars found in fruit. Studies are being undertaken that may even link dairy to acne.

What can I do about Acne Scarring?

Scarring is often the result of bad acne so prevention is better than cure. With the right acne treatment, the potential for scarring will be kept to a minimum.

However, Australian Skin Face Body can assist with acne scarring that often comes as a result of bad acne.

Why should I visit an Australian Skin Face Body Clinic?

When you visit one of our Skin and Laser Clinics, one of our dermal team will take you through the following steps to assist with your acne treatment plan:

• Analyse your skin
• Discuss your concerns
• Recommend products to use at home. Sometimes you will see an improvement just by using a product that is suitable for your condition. We will monitor the outcome closely and you will come and see us again two to three weeks after commencement
• Discuss other actions you can take to assist in reducing or clearing your acne
• Where applicable, start a specialised treatment program tailored just for you
• Monitor your results and adjust treatments as required

New treatments and products are available all the time. It’s best to see a skin care professional to ensure you are receiving the best and latest treatment for your skin condition.