Acne
Acne is defined in the Oxford English dictionary asย "aย skin condition characterized by red pimples on the skin, especially on the face, due to inflamed or infected sebaceous glands". Almost everyone will experience acne over their life. The severity varies as does theย emotional andย physical impact it may have.ย
Do you suffer from Acne? Is this a big concern for you? Then we can help. See below some of the options available.
What do we consider?
It is important that, prior to your first treatment, we consider what is happening with your skin. To do this we need to complete a skin diagnosis that involves looking at your skin, talking to you about diet, environmental and other factors.
Below are a few of the factors we consider?
What lifestyle factors may be contributing to your acne?
There are many contributing factors to acne and every persons leading cause will differ. It is well researched that diet and exercise can contribute to levels and severity of acne. Other factors may include stress levels, pregnancy, and weight management.
Is your acne inflamed?
If your acne is inflamed, it can exhibit many symptoms including redness, swelling, pain, cysts, whiteheads, blackheads and congestion. This is telling us that there is a break in the follicle wall that needs to be treated.
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Non inflamed skin shows no signs of redness or swelling. Rather you will see whiteheads, blackheads and congestion.
Do you have little white bumps?
The little white bumps that form on the skin are typically referred to as 'Milia'.ย
Milia occur whereย sebum crystallises and forms a hard ball under the surface. Milia can occur anywhere on the body. They can occur when you haveย poor digestive and barrier functions.
Do you have inflamed hair follicles?
Acne conditions and skin irritations commonly result from folliculitis. Folliculitis is the inflammation or infection of one or more hair follicles. It is therefore necessary for us to closely look at the hair shaft when making a diagnosis.
FAQ
The Answers You Need
What is Inflamedย Acne and Nonย Inflammed Acne?
Please persevere with us as this can get detailed.
Inflammed - This occurs when the pressure inside the follicle exceeds the strength of the follicle wall, the follicular lining will rupture, spilling the contents of the follicle into the dermal tissue. The bodys immune system reacts immediately. This will cause itching, swelling and tenderness of the lesion.
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Non-inflammed - There are 2 stages of non-inflammed acne. These are closed and open comedo
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Closed Comedo - As dead skin cells become progressively impacted, the lesion enlarges into a closed comedo. Although there is a small opening at the top, it is termed โclosedโ because the opening is unable to dilate and move onto the surface.
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Open Comedo (Blackheads) - As more cells compact in the lesion the surface dilates. The follicle opening dilates from all the internal pressure. The follicle opening becomes large and the contents become exposed to the surface air causing it to oxidize and turn a brownish-black colour.
I have been recommended to use Cetaphil gentleย face wash to help rebalance my skin.ย Will this help?
No, we definitely do not recommend you to use this.
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As skin specialists the problem we have with Cetaphil is that it does NOTHING to solve the problem for the individual. It just lays on top of the skin like a blanket of wax. It is full of fillers and buffers that do nothing to treat the cause. It's like taking a multi vitamin with nothing in it to give the body what it needs.
Why does my acne fluctuate?
You willย see your acneย fluctuate for many reasons, including Hormonal imbalances, stress, medication, cosmetic ingredients that irritate the skin just to name a few.
It is essential that you consult a skin expert toย get to the root of the issue and find the cause. Only once this is understood,ย can treatment ofย the skin begin,ย from the inside out!
What is the best treatment for Acne?
At Alive, weย believe no one treatment stands alone when treating acne. To deliver the best results it is about combining treatments that are tailored to you andย your skin. See below for some ofย the services that can help you.
How we can help!
Once a Skin Technicianย determines the cause and symptoms of your acne, a detailed treatment and home care program will be determined and discussed with you. The treatment program will beย personalised to fit your unique needs and ensure the best possible results. We have a number of treatments tailored for acne and can include one or all of the following.
