For those of you that have never had to experience the pain, embarrassment, and frustration of acne, you’re one of the lucky few. For the rest of us, know that acne isn’t rare and most people will experience it at some point in their lives. It is estimated that 85% of all people will suffer from the condition. Acne is miserable and for many, long after the breakouts have passed the scars remain. They don’t have to. If you have acne scarring come see us at Beatitude Aesthetic Medicine & Acne Center. Don’t let acne and acne scarring plague you for life.

What Is Acne?

Acne is a type of inflammation that often occurs on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders, and upper arms. Breakouts can consist of pimples, plugged pores (whiteheads and blackheads), and even painful deeper lumps (cysts or nodules). Hormones, medications, diet, poor hygiene, and a variety of other issues can all contribute to acne. It can strike at any age (teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, and beyond).

Early Treatment Can Reduce or Prevent Scarring

If you have acne, come in and get treatment as soon as possible. In many cases early treatment can keep acne from progressing and getting worse. We have many options available for our acne patients. Don’t worry if you’re not a teenager; most of our acne patients are actually grown men and women looking for new options for treating acne and acne scarring. We offer a variety of laser treatments (different laser types are more effective for different types of acne) to help combat acne as well as facials and high quality home care products. Dr. Chang has extensive experience in treating acne and will customize your treatment to your specific skin type and acne problems. She understands that there is no one size fits all solution to acne.

When you do have breakouts, prevent scarring by keeping your hands off. Popping, squeezing, and picking at acne can make the problem worse and often leads to scarring. Wash your skin gently and avoid over-scrubbing which can also irritate the skin and lead to more breakouts.

I Already Have Scars- What Can I Do?

• Fraxel DUAL– The Fraxel laser is a minimally invasive treatment option that allows Dr. Chang to focus on the areas of your skin that need acne scar treatment. The laser injury stimulates your body’s natural collagen production so your results will continue to improve for months after treatment. Your skin may feel a bit “sun burnt”  for 3-5 days after a Fraxel treatment.   Within a few hours of the treatment you can resume most of  your regular activities, but you should avoid activities for 2-3 days that generate heat in the area treated.

• SkinFinity– For many kinds of acne scars (including atrophic and non-kelodic hypertrophic scarring) the SkinFinity  radio frequency resurfacing treatments are an effective choice. This treatment just takes a few minutes (many times about 5 minutes) and it can work on all skin types. You’ll likely experience some redness after treatment.  Within a few hours of the treatment you can resume most of  your regular activities, but you should avoid activities for 2-3 days that generate heat in the area treated.

• Micro-Needling- Micro-needling is a relatively new technique that can improve the appearance of acne scars. The procedure aims to stimulate the body’s own collagen production by using a row of short (2-3 mm) needles piercing the skin with a cluster (Micro Pen) or roller (Micro-Roller) of thin stainless steel needles.

• Dermal Fillers- There are two types of acne scars, atrophic (where tissue is lost) and hypertrophic (where excess tissue develops). For atrophic scarring dermal fillers (like Juvederm or Restylane) can be used to fill in missing tissue creating a smoother, more even skin appearance. These treatments aren’t permanent, but with a few quick injections every 6-12 months can be a very effective solution to minimizing the appearance of your acne scars.

If you’ve got acne or acne scarring, come see us today. Don’t be embarrassed of your acne; take control of it and feel more confident every day.