By Sherri Street, Licensed Electrologist/Laser Technician at The Laser & Rejuvenation Center
Acne is a very common skin disease for many age groups. Adolescents and teens are the typical age group you think of with acne because it is often caused by hormonal changes, but this skin condition can include people in their 20s and 30s.
Topical and oral medications are the first option for treating acne, which can be characterized by blackheads, pustules, and, in severe cases, cysts and nodules. Severe acne can even result in scarring.
What Causes Acne?
Acne is formed when a pore is clogged with bacteria. It can appear on the face, shoulders, chest, and/or back. Acne is a chronic condition, so a good skin care regimen is suggested. We highly recommend Clarisonic cleansing brushes for all our patients, especially to those dealing with acne. The brush cleanses your face six times better than just washing with a wash rag or your hands. The technology behind the Clarisonic helps to cleanse your skin without causing irritation. When your face is well cleansed, you get the full benefit of your topical medication or the skin care products you apply.
Effective Acne Laser Treatments
The Laser & Rejuvenation Center at Gold Skin Care Center offers acne laser treatments, in combination with topical and oral medication, to help provide quicker results against acne than just using the medication alone. But please note: we cannot do acne laser treatments while a patient is on Accutane. This prescription medication makes you very photosensitive and more prone to post-treatment complications.
The Isolaz laser treatment for acne is an Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) device that can reduce the number of blackheads. (Isolaz is owned by Solta Medical, a division of Valeant Pharmaceuticals North America, LLC.) The suction on the Isolaz device brings acne-causing bacteria to the skin’s surface, and the flash of heat kills the bacteria. Some skin dryness may occur after the treatment.
In severe acne cases, we suggest treatment with the Aerolase LightPod Neo acne laser device which kills bacteria that causes deep inflammatory acne such as cysts or nodules. With each LightPod Neo acne laser treatment, you will notice less redness of lesions and a reduction in the number of lesions on your skin. Some skin dryness may occur after the LightPod Neo treatment as well.
You will have no downtime with the Isolaz or LightPod Neo acne laser treatments. Either one of these lasers can be used for maintenance of acne and prevention of outbreaks. If you have a special event coming up and you feel your pores are clogged or even have just a few pimples that you want to get rid of, these lasers are a good way to clear your face quickly. We suggest a treatment to be done about one week before your event.
We do suggest you apply a sunscreen with SPF 32 or higher every day. Some patients are hesitant to use sunscreen because they think it will make their skin oily or cause acne breakouts. Revision Skincare and EltaMD skin care lines, which we carry at Advanced Aesthetics Medical Spa, both have great sunscreens that do not cause breakouts. Revision has a tinted moisturizer containing sunscreen called Intellishade, which is one of our most popular products in the spa. It is available in original, which will leave you with a dewy glow, and matte, for those with oily skin. EltaMD has a variety of sunscreens for sensitive to oily, acne-prone skin and even has a waterproof sunscreen.
Visit The Laser & Rejuvenation Center or call 615-383-8812 to learn more about acne laser treatments to put an end to your breakouts.
Visit our licensed aestheticians at Advanced Aesthetics Medical Spa or call them at 615-383-3807 to learn more about the right sunscreen for your skin.
