Acne-

Ance is a concern that is often talked about and rarely understood. This only adds to the emotional turmoil that acne causes. People see ads for treatments, creams, tools, and other products that all claim to kill acne. Very often, however, they deliver minimal results, if any at all. So for once and for all, here is the lowdown on acne:

Causes:

1. Bacteria- When researching acne, this is most often what comes up. The acnes bacteria lives inside the oil gland and when blocked, over-run, or otherwise irritated, painful red lesions appear. Rarely can they be “popped” like a normal zit, but rather they just hurt and scab over. As they heal, the lesion becomes crusty, dried out, and eventually the scab falls off. This leaves a red mark in place of the zit. Great huh?

2. Clogged pore/dead skin build up- A much less talked about subject in terms of acne however equally responsible. Dead skin accumulates on the surface, as well as in the pore itself. This type of acne is not always seen, but it can be felt. When touching the face it feels like bunches of small bumps directly under the skin surface. Sometimes you can actually pull then out by just running your fingernail over them. When pinched, a seed or worm-like thing comes out of the pore, leaving a red hole that closes over time. If the pores are clogged often enough, the pore can become stretched over time.

3.Combination- Very often acne is a mix of a clogged pore and bacteria. Dead skin accumulates in the pore, creating a plug that does not allow oxygen to the oil gland. Bacteria begins to breed in the anaerobic environment, becoming red, inflammed, and generally ticked off looking. When popped, a bunch of fluid/pus will come out, as well as a seed/worm.

Killing Acne:

1. Professional treatments- Acne is a cycle that needs to be broken. Professional extractions (pore cleaning) needs to be done on a frequent basis. Professional extractions are different from popping zits yourself because professionals use a magnifying lamp that can see up to 10 times normal vision. This allows the professional to extract things that you can’t see with the naked eye, (things that aren’t a problem, but will be.) Also, professionals disinfect your face and extract in a sanitary manner. All this minimizes the chances of scarring, not fully extracting the pore, or having the bacteria spread to nearby pores. Also, professional treatments are at higher strengths than anything you can buy over the counter. Professionals have years of training to be handle these acids and chemicals safely.

2. Good homecare- Any professional can and should educate a patient as to what home care best suits their skin. Often times what works well for one type of acne does very little for the other. Combination therapy, hitting acne from many angles, is often the best approach. Professionals should also tell you why they recommend what they do. They need to give you scientific and medically sound reasons behind all of their suggestions. If it doesn’t sound like it makes sense, it probably doesn’t.

3. Diet and water intake- While foods don’t cause acne, it can take a small annoyance and turn it into a huge problem. By having a healthy diet rich in veggies, protien, and minimal junk, this gives our body fuel to function as best as possible. Also, what we eat/drink does come out of our skin by way of the blood stream and the oxygen it carries. Give your skin the most opportunities you can by being healthy, inside and out.

4. Keep things clean- This means makeup brushes, pillowcases, makeup, hands etc. Wash everything frequently and keep your hands off of your face.

Treatments that help:

1. Pumpkin Peel- Mix of glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acid. This breaks up surface dead skin and well as impurities down in the oil gland. Extractions are done after to clean the pores and disinfect the skin. This is good for all types of acne.

2. Retinol/Lactic- These acids are layered on the skin to promote cell turnover, breaking up dead skin, as well as brightening the complextion. Good for clogged pores and non-bacterial acne.

3. TCA Peel- Medium depth in terms of aggression, this peel removes several layers of dead skin, helping oxygen get to the pore, lessens scarring and red marks. This peel requires some prep and downtime, however it is excellent in terms of acne management. Good for all types of acne.

4. Microdermabrasion- This treatment is very good for removing the top layers of skin only. There are no chemicals/ acids so it is tolerated my most skin types. Great for getting more oxygen to the pore as well as helping remove dead skin to make extractions easier. Best for clogged pores and non bacterial acne.

Pousti Plastic Surgery now offers all of these treatments. Earning a Masters in Aesthetics, our Aesthetician Eryka Daemons has battled the most severe acne personally and knows what it takes to kill it.

Posted in Cosmetic Surgery