Acne Treatment

What is Acne?

Acne is the term for plugged pores (blackheads and whiteheads), pimples, and even deeper lumps (cysts or nodules) that occur on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and even the upper arms. Acne affects most teenagers to some extent. However, the disease is not restricted to any age group; adults in their 20s - even into their 40s - can get acne. While not a life threatening condition, acne can be upsetting and disfiguring. When severe, acne can lead to serious and permanent scarring. Even less severe cases can lead to scarring.

Resolution takes time. Treatments that promise “fast,” miraculous” or “overnight” results often capture the attention of acne sufferers hoping for quick resolution. However, the fact remains that acne does not clear overnight. Once acne significantly improves or clears, continued treatment is needed to keep acne from re-appearing.

What works for one person may not work for another. What is an appropriate treatment for one person may not clear another’s acne because many factors affect resolution, including the cause(s) of the acne, a person’s skin type and the kind of acne lesions present.

Treatment

With so many factors affecting clearance and a multitude of treatment options available (some only by prescription), a doctors help can make a difference. Before prescribing treatment, the doctor will consider several factors, including the severity of the acne, types of lesions present, co-existing conditions, as well as the patient’s age, skin type, lifestyle and motivation.

The knowledge gained from considering these factors allows us to create effective individualised therapy that will resolve the patient’s acne over time and prevent new lesions from forming.
We will inform you about the products and treatments that we consider would be of most benefit to you. These might be a mixture of a home care regime and in-clinic procedures, such as skin peels, microdermabrasion, KTP laser or Affirm laser (Acne Scarring).

Acne responds especially well to early treatment. We recommend that acne be treated early to maximise effectiveness as well as help prevent scarring.