Acne can affect us all, no matter your age, race or gender. Acne issues are the most common skincare problems that face people all around the world.
Causes of Acne
Acne is caused by clogged pores more than anything. The outer layer of our skin is full of dead, dull skin cells. Normally these dead skin cells rise to the top of the skin’s surface, and are shed by the body. However, in those that are prone to acne, the body creates a compound known as sebum. Sebum is a naturally occurring oil that keeps our skin from drying out, however, in this instance the overproduction of sebum causes it to coat the skin’s surface and causes harmful things like dirt, bacteria, dead skin cells and other debris to get stuck to the skin’s surface. As this harmful debris covers the skin’s surface, they begin to clog the pores and cause the dead skin cells, dirt and bacteria to clog the pores, creating the perfect environment for bacteria to multiple. Once these bacteria multiply, the pores become red and inflamed, the inflammation goes deep into the skin and causes acne bumps, cysts, or nodules.
Treatment Options
Depending on the level of acne correction required we will recommend different treatment methods. Generally, we prefer to use chemical peels and deep cleansing facials, or some conjunction of the two. However for those patients with far more severe acne we recommend slightly more invasive forms of treatment.
- Photodynamic Therapy
PDT is medical treatment that utilizes a photo-sensitizing molecule (frequently a drug that becomes activated by light exposure) and a light source to activate the administered drug. Generally used for skin cancer patients, it has a lot of success with acne and facial treatments. We administer a special molecule which becomes activated by our PDT light source. Once this molecule is active, after a short incubation period (can be minutes or days in some cases), it causes the target tissue to be destroyed, essentially removing any acne, hyper-pigmentation, moles, or other blemishes in its path.
