Acne is a very common skin condition — the most common skin ailment in the U.S., in fact, affecting about 85 percent of all people between the ages of 12 and 24 years of age. For many people, acne breakouts extend well beyond their teens and early 20s, and these people can experience flare-ups in their 30s and even their 40s. Even when flare-ups end, acne often leaves its mark with scarring that can have a major impact on your self-confidence throughout your entire life.
Fortunately today, acne sufferers have options when it comes to treating acne and even reducing or eliminating the appearance of acne scars. Both microdermabrasion and laser treatments can be extremely effective, removing the upper layers of damaged skin and facilitating normal skin “turnover” to leave skin smoother and clearer. Here’s how they work.
Pimples, pustules, whiteheads, and blackheads all form when excess skin cells and other debris block pores, preventing the skin’s natural oils from being released. Bacteria inside the skin feed on the debris and oils, rapidly multiplying and triggering your body’s immune system to gear up for battle. Pustules and pimples form when white blood cells gather to fight off these acne-causing bacteria.
Microdermabrasion short-circuits this cycle by keeping your pores clear of dead skin cells and bacteria, helping your skin breathe. During microdermabrasion treatment, your skin is smoothed by a controlled flow of super-fine crystals that help remove the very upper layer of skin, getting rid of dead skin cells and other impurities that clog pores, feed bacteria, and cause breakouts. Gentle suction whisks away that debris to leave your skin clearer and smoother. Over time, microdermabrasion treatments can reduce the appearance of acne scars while also helping to prevent future breakouts and scarring. Plus, by removing the upper layer of dead, dull skin, your skin can look brighter and healthier, and medications and moisturizers can penetrate more effectively.
At Love Your Body Medical Spa, we combined microdermabrasion with a gentle chemical peel to help soften those upper layers of skin prior to microdermabrasion, so the fine crystals can remove more debris for better results. Microdermabrasion treatments are painless, and most sessions take about 20 minutes. Your skin may appear pinkish for a little while afterward (kind of like a mild sunburn), but there’s no downtime.
Lasers have revolutionized skin care during the past decade, helping patients enjoy skin that looks and feels healthier and more beautiful. Lasers emit highly focused energy that can be directed at different “levels” or depths of skin to treat a wide array of problems, including acne and acne scarring. At Love Your Body Medical Spa, laser therapy uses intense pulsed light (IPL) to destroy acne-causing bacteria to reduce your breakouts so your skin looks healthier and clearer. Plus, the intense laser energy helps constrict tiny blood vessels so your skin looks less red and inflamed.
For acne scars, the laser energy is adjusted to gently heat skin tissue, promoting natural healing responses that stimulate the production of collagen and elastin inside your skin. Collagen and elastin are two essential components of healthy skin, helping your skin repair itself and form new, resilient tissue to reduce or eliminate acne scars (and many other scars too). During the days following your treatment, the damaged upper layers of skin will slough off, revealing healthier, smoother skin underneath.
If you have acne or acne scars, you don’t need to suffer from embarrassment or poor self-esteem. At Love Your Body Medical Spa, we’ll help you find a solution so you can reduce your symptoms, smooth away your scars, improve your skin health, and love the way you look. To learn more about the treatment options we offer for acne and other cosmetic concerns, book an appointment online today.
