Acne is an inflammatory response in the skin which causes blackheads, white heads, bumps and red spots. When left untreated acne can cause scarring and Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation in the skin which can become worse and more noticeable as we age especially when makeup is worn.
What causes Acne?
There are four causes of acne, these are: overproduction of oil, hyper-keratinisation, bacteria and hormones.
Acne occurs in the sebaceous follicle, one of the reasons we can get acne breakouts is because of the amount sebum (oil) being produced on the skin, this then clogs the pores causing a blockage in the sebaceous follicle which then leads to breakouts.
Hyper-keratinisation is another word a build up of dead skin cells. With an acne skin it takes a lot longer for the skin cells to renew, this is because there is 5 times the amount of skin trapped in the pores than in normal skin types.
Acne bacteria lives on the skin and will multiple where there is excess oil and dead skin cells. If the oil and dead skin is not gently dissolved and removed then the bacteria can spread, infecting more areas and causing more spots and long-term scarring.
A lot of acne is down to a hormonal imbalance in the skin. For example: Pregnancy, period, menopause and some medications such as the contraceptive pill and steroids. In women if the two female hormones are out of balance then testosterone becomes the more dominant hormone. Testosterone increases sebum production which then gets trapped in the pores.
How to treat acne:
To treat acne, we need to treat all four causes both internally and externally for the fastest and most effective clearance. We combine clinical treatments along with good skincare products and skin supplements to tackle the concern from inside out.
For healthy skin we recommend the following as a good basic routine to protect the DNA of the cell Nucleus to make it healthier.
Firstly, to prevent further damage to the skin a daily skin specific SPF is essential to protect the skin. We often find that clients are using the wrong type of SPF for their problematic skin which may be contributing to the breakouts.
Secondly, we recommend a form of vitamin A that is suitable to the client’s needs which may be a Retinol or prescription strength vitamin A such as Tretinoin. This is required to exfoliate the skin and to make the skin healthier. In more extreme cases we may also recommend prescription Benzoyl Peroxide.
Thirdly to enhance results and to increase product absorption we always recommend a skin specific exfoliator such as Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid. The salicylic products may also be prescription strength to really cut through the oil and dead skin cells.
Fourthly and most importantly we recommend skin supplements to balance the hormones which are the major contributing factor of the breakouts. This is the most important step yet it's often missed.
During the skin consultations we also ensure that clients are not using any products which may be triggering their acne too. As mentioned earlier this may be particular SPF’s or Vitamin C serums even if its L-Ascorbic Acid. Vitamin C serum should not be applied to acne skin, it can be used under professional supervision only once the breakouts are under control.
Skin Consultations
An in-depth skin consultation is always required either remotely and or in clinic. There are many factors that are considered when building a bespoke treatment plan such as skin type, time scales, skin tone, down time etc
We are fortunate as we have skincare, medical skincare, skin supplements and medical equipment that treats all skin of colour as well as having options that have little or no down time. We tailor make bespoke packages to meet each client’s individual needs. Start your 14-week skin transformation today!!
(see Fitzpatrick scale Blog too)
Acne Treatments
Laser Resurfacing
IPL Photo Treatments (only for Fitzpatrick 1-4)
Our Skin Supplements for Acne:
Skin Accumax
Skin clear biome
Skin Vit A
Skin Omegas
Our Skincare: suitable for all skin of colour
Environ - Mild- moderate acne
Obagi Medical - Moderate- severe acne
See more in this video.
