Acne and Scarring

What is Acne?

Acne is a chronic skin disease involving inflammation of the sebaceous glands. It affects 80% of teenagers and many adults, especially women. It occurs when your hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. Acne usually appears on your face, neck, chest, back and shoulders.

Certain medications can cause symptoms similar to those seen in acne. If you feel that a medication you are taking is making your acne worse, you should mention this to you doctor. Also, medications like multivitamins, and supplements as whey protein may lead to acne.

Many cosmetics contain agents that plug pores and cause whiteheads or blackheads.

Diet and acne

Greasy foods may contribute to oily or acne-prone skin. Researchers have discovered some links between acne and diet—specifically high-sugar foods and dairy products.

Acne in Adult Woman

Many women note that their acne tends to get worse in cycles, and note acne flare-ups in the days leading up to their period. Hormonal changes during pregnancy may also result in acne flares. Some treatments for acne are associated with birth defects if used during pregnancy, so it is important to report pregnancy to your dermatologist. Also, persistent refractory acne may be linked to hyperandrogenism(hormone excessive levels or hyperfunctioning) and Policystic Ovary Syndrome.

Important Facts

Effective treatments are available, but acne can be persistent. The pimples and bumps heal slowly, and when one begins to go away, others seem to crop up.
If you have acne that’s not responding to self-care and over-the-counter treatments, make an appointment with your doctor. Early, effective treatment of acne reduces the risk of scarring and of lasting damage to your self-esteem.

What is the best treatment for acne?

When considering treatments for you, we consider the standards and guidelines provided by the International dermatology societies. To provide you a tailor made treatment, we need to listen and understand your lifestyle choices. Acne also has different levels of severity and that must be taken into account. Beware with internet information: much of it is feed is provided and sponsored by companies that might offer you incorrect promises. Suitable information can be obtained mostly from medical websites such as Dermnetnz, Medscape and American Academy of Dermatology.

Preparing for your appointment

List your key medical information.
List key personal information.
Creating a question list in advance for your doctor can help you make the most of your time with your doctor.

What to expect from your doctor

Your doctor may ask you a number of questions:

Does anything seem to trigger an acne flare, such as stress or your menstrual cycle?
What medications are you taking, including over-the-counter and prescription drugs as well as vitamins and supplements and oral contraceptives?
Do you have regular menstrual periods?
Do you plan to become pregnant soon?
What types of soaps, lotions, sunscreens, hair products or cosmetics do you use?
Do you have a family history of acne?
What self-care steps have you tried so far? Have any been effective?

Acne Scars

Acne scars types

Ice Pick Scars
Box Scars
Anchor/Rolling Scars
Bridge Scars
Keloidal Acne

Individual assessment is the most important part of the process. It is when the order of factors indeed make a big difference in the outcome.

Subscision: used for tethered, or anchored scars.
Buffering of the scars: with fillers, with enhanced outcomes.
Fillers: results are instant, and downtime minimal. Fillers are great for scars that need elevation.
Full Ablative resurfacing: ideal for scars at the same level. Normally they are used for polishing the results obtained after the remaining treatment.
Fractional Modalities: Ablative and Non Ablative treatments can be combined to stimulate collagen remodeling. Laser, Radiofrequency and other energy devices can also be combined.
Vascular laser: an excellent treatment for red acne scars
Surgical techniques: these include punch excision, punch elevation, dermal grafting.
PRP: brings accelerated healing with growth factors from your body.
TCA CROSS, TCA Paint and Cross Peel

Before | After

*The outcome of the treatments/services may vary from one patient to another. The images represent only patients that were submitted to this treatment.