Acne is one of the most common skin conditions, and it can strike people of any age. Contrary to popular myth, it is not caused by poor personal hygiene, and you cannot eliminate it by excessively cleansing your skin. Treatment options include:
- Levulan photofacial – For the Photofacial, the skin is cleansed with acetone, and the Levulan is applied for 30 to 60 minutes. Then the Levulan is wiped off and the face or other body area is exposed to the Blu-U light for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Levulan superphotofacial – This differs from the standard Photofacial in that a microdermabrasion is performed initially, to enhance the uptake of the Levulan. After the Levulan incubation, the skin is treated with both the Blu-U light and the Alma Intense Pulsed Light System.
Acne Scars
Treatment options include:
- Fraxel laser –Fraxel re:store™ is considered the premier device for treating acne scars. It is excellent for both boxcar scars (sharply depressed scars) and saucer shaped scars (scars with sloping edges). Like any other current acne scarring treatment, it does not produce complete clearing of the scars.
The first version of the Fraxel, the SR 750, produced a “softening” with a 40-50% improvement. The newer, more powerful Fraxel re:store laser appears to produce even better results with acne scarring, while allowing a more comfortable and faster treatment. One big advantage of the Fraxel re:store is that it is much safer than previous scar treatments, and much less likely to result in permanent discoloration or additional scarring. Another advantage of the re:store is that, although it requires a series of treatments, there is little downtime after each treatment. Previous acne scarring treatments could result in one to two weeks of downtime, often followed by long lasting redness. - Sciton laser resurfacing – The Sciton system utilizes YAG laser technology, which produces less heat than traditional CO2 lasers, minimizing the discomfort and downtime.
- Punch grafts – Punch grafts are small skin grafts, obtained using a biopsy punch, which are used to improve pitted scarring.
- Subcision – This is a technique used to elevate saucer shaped, depressed scars. After local anesthesia is applied, a needle with a sharp side is inserted beneath the scar. The needle is then moved side to side, which frees the bound-down bottom of the scar.
- Microdermabrasion – This treatment is ideal for people who wish to have their skin rejuvenated without having to go into hiding or curtail their normal activities.
- Fillers – Products such as Restylane, Perlane, Juvéderm, and Radiesse can be used to fill in depressed scars.
- Infini radiofrequency microneedling – Acne affects both teenagers and adults and can be problematic when it comes to looking and feeling our best. Infini radiofrequency microneedling helps reduce acne breakouts and improve acne scars. It places the healing energy directly into the dermis where it is most effective, and produces more rapid results than some of the other treatments available. This device can reduce the number of sessions needed for optimum results. Using fractional heating, patients can enjoy faster healing, more comfort, and reduced risks. Read More
Acne Surgery
Acne Surgery, the gentle unroofing of plugged up pores, is performed by our RNs and is a time tested and effective way of improving this difficult to treat manifestation of acne.