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Articles

Professional treatments for acne
For the purpose of this article I focus on “in office treatments” of a trained doctor or medical aesthetician - DR RIA SMIT

My patients often inquire about available and professional treatments for Acne.

For the purpose of this article, I will focus on questions asked “in-office treatments” of a trained doctor or medical esthetician. Finding a doctor with experience in treating acne will help you to customize your treatment program. Acne is best treated when home care, office procedures (if needed) and prescription medications (if needed) are used in combination.

Chemical Peels

These may help to control acne and improve the appearance of skin by:

• Clearing clogged pores
• Removing dead skin cells
• Reducing pigmentation
• Reducing inflammation and
• Stimulating skin to form new healthy skin.
• Improving appearance of scar tissue

Chemical Peel Treatment involves the application of a solution to your skin containing the particular acid or combination of acids. The treatment is performed by a trained professional.

Glycolic acid, Salicylic acid, Lactic acid, Mandelic acid and even Retinol are the most commonly used acids – either alone or in combination. Trichloracetic acid is also used for selected cases.

You will need the advice of a trained professional to guide you in the decision of which peel or peels will be best for you.

Repeated treatments at planned intervals usually provide the best results.

Chemical skin peels are not recommended if:

• Your skin tends to form exaggerated scar tissue — such as keloids or
• You’ve used isotretinoin(Oratane or Roaccutane) therapy within six months

At my practice I use chemical peels from the ranges of:
• Neostrata, • Skintech, • Lycoderm and Skin Ceuticals.

Drainage & Extraction

Your doctor may use special instruments to remove cysts, whiteheads, and blackheads. This temporarily improves the appearance of your skin. When this is followed immediately by a chemical peel and or specialized light therapy it can help to significantly reduce inflammation.

Lasers & lights

This type of laser treatment combines an IPL (intense pulsed light laser) with a gentle vacuum. Excess oil and dead skin cells are removed from clogged pores and the light therapy kills bacteria and reduces inflammation. It is approved and proven to treat blackheads, whiteheads, and pimples.

Theraclear is an example of this type of laser treatment – with a special surgical insertion it can also help to treat acne nodules and cysts. This is my laser treatment of choice and is available at my practice.

Because you can see the colours these are called visible light treatments, these devices can treat pimples and help to reduce inflammation. Visible light is not effective against blackheads, whiteheads, acne cysts, or nodules.

In this category of treatment home devices are available – the light in these devices are however much less powerful than those found professionally.

Unfortunately no proven benefit yet with the use of these, but if you would like to use it you will need at least 30 minutes twice a day for 4-5 weeks.

Blackheads, whiteheads, cysts, or nodules cannot be treated with infrared light, but it has been approved to treat pimples.

With PDT a solution that makes the skin more sensitive to light is applied and is left for 15 minutes – 3 hours depending on the desired response.

A trained professional then uses a laser or light device to treat the skin. PDT therapy shows great promise in helping to treat severe acne.

Steroid Injection

Nodular and cystic lesions can be treated by injecting a steroid drug directly into them. This improves their appearance without the need for extraction.
The side effects of this technique include thinning of the skin, lighter skin and the appearance of small blood vessels on the treated area.