ACNE is a very common problem affecting mostly young people but can also affect older persons. Up to as many as 85% of people will suffer from acne in their lifetime. 5% of them will have acne in a more severe case. Acne is a medical term and it describes anything from occasional pimples to blackheads, whiteheads and even large cystic and painful swellings. It most commonly occurs on the face. Acne can also affect the back, neck and shoulders as well as the buttocks.

Causes

In most cases there are a multitude of factors that would cause the development of acne. Listed below are a few of these causes for acne.

Acne is caused by a blockage to the opening of the sebaceous glands (oil glands) in the skin. There are many factors which may contribute to the development of acne and may aggravate existing acne. These include the increase in dead skin cells on the surface of the skin, make-up and skin care products causing a blockage. The environment can also have an effect and familial tendencies can aggravate acne. Hormonal changes and the presence of bacteria in the sebaceous gland will also affect the presence and degree of severity of the acne.

Usually acne will occur in adolescence when our hormonal levels change but it can also occur anytime from birth right through to middle age. Acne is distressing, irrespective of the severity and quantity of spots that are present and it can cause severe psychological damage to the sufferers of acne.

In most cases acne is caused by the build up of dead cells in the opening of the sebaceous gland and will have the appearance of a blackhead or a whitehead. While the pore is blocked the sebaceous gland keeps on producing more sebum and it will cause the gland to eventually rupture under the skin. This will give raise to an inflammatory reaction causing the redness around the acne. This will cause increased blood supply in the area and the formation of pus as the white blood cells try to fight of the inflammatory reaction. This will also lead to scarring of the skin.

Not all the cases of acne are the same and for that reason we recommend a consultation with Dr Roos to make sure you get an appropriate tailor made treatment program that will best suit your acne problem.

Treatment of Acne

As mentioned not all acne is the same and for that reason there in no one treatment that will work for everyone. Treatment packages will need to be tailored to suit your particular needs. We do look at the whole person and are conscious of the psychological effect acne does have on young lives.

A treatment program will include: Skincare, Medication, Microdermabrasion, IPL light Therapy, Copper Bromide laser therapy and oxygen infusion therapy.

Skin Care

Skin care is important and will be the base of any treatment program. You will need a good cleanser and a defoliant that will help to remove the debris that is blocking the pores or sebaceous gland openings. There are many different products to be used and some will have the following active ingredients; Glycolic acids (AHA's), Benzoic acid and salicylic acids (BHA's). The use of a mechanical scrub solution once or twice per week will also dramatically improve your acne problem.

When it comes to moisturizers we recommend the Dr Spiller range of products as they will stop your skin produce more oil due to their water in oil formula. This product will give your skin a protection very close to your naturally produced protective layer of moisturiser.

Make up

We recommend a mineral make-up, and in particular the Jane Iredale brand, as it is Titanium based mineral make up that is hypoallergenic and it will not clog the pores. It also gives you protection from the harmful rays of the sun as it has got a SPF protection factor.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is a treatment performed by qualified Beauty consultants. It involves the use of vacuum to accelerate Aluminum oxide crystals or glass balls, and they will mechanically remove dead layer of skin thus preventing the blockage of the pores. This mechanical exfoliation process will also help to reduce the appearance of acne scars that may exist. The vacuum action is great to improve the circulation in the area treated and increased blood flow in the area treated will improve the natural healing of acne. Maximum results will be achieved by regular treatments either fortnightly or monthly. Special packages are available for to help you reduce the cost of regular treatments.

IPL/ Blue (Purple) light therapy

The use of the Blue or Purple light of the IPL system is ideal to improve the results with acne. The system works in three ways. It will reduce the amount of sebum produced and it will kill the bacteria in the sebaceous gland and in doing that reduces the chance of infected acne and inflammatory changes around acne. The light will also help to reduce the pore size and so prevent the excessive clogging of the pores.

Copper Bromide Laser

The Dual Yellow light of the copper bromide laser is an ideal treatment to help improve the results of acne treatment. The laser will give similar results as the IPL/ Blue light treatment.

Medical Treatment

There are many different medical treatments available and it will range from topical antibiotic gels to oral antibiotics and preparations to help clear up the active comodomal acne activity. Dr Roos will after examining your skin prescribe you an appropriate preparation if you need it in your treatment plan.

No matter what we do to treat and prevent the acne scarring can occur after acne. This can be treated in many ways and it is best for you to arrange an appointment with us to discuss your problem and decide on an appropriate treatment for your scars.