- What Is Acne?
- What Are Acne Scars?
- What Are the Causes of Acne?
- What Causes Acne Scars?
- How to Get Rid of Pimples?
- What Are the Various Active Acne and Acne Scars Treatment in Dubai?
- Treatment of Acne Scars
- VENUS VIVA™️ nano-fractional RF
- Dermabrasion and Microdermabrasion
- How to Get Rid of Acne Scars?
Active acne is one of the commonest inflammatory skin conditions affecting adults today. It appears mostly on the face, neck, chest, and back. If left untreated, it may lead to some skin damaging conditions such as acne scarring. Acne breakout can be disturbing, but the scar it leaves is more frustrating.
Active acne and acne scars can be treated with adequate therapy and guidance. Therefore, it is crucial to understand this
skin condition and choose the best form of acne treatment. Are you battling acne and acne scars and not knowing how to go about it? This article provides you with all the details you need. Read on to learn more.
What Is Acne?
Acne is a very common skin condition that causes pimples mostly on the face, forehead, chest, shoulders and upper back. There are a variety of causes including genetics, fluctuating hormone levels, stress, high humidity and using oily or greasy personal care products. Acne commonly affects teenagers but can occur at any age. Acne can appear as any of the following:
● Papules: Small red or pink bumps that become inflamed.
● Pustules: Pimples containing pus. They look like whiteheads surrounded by red rings. They can cause scarring if picked or scratched.
● Bumps that remain closed by oil and dead skin.
● Nodules: Solid pimples that are deep in your skin. They are large and painful.
● Cysts: Pus-filled pimples. These can cause scars.
● Fungal acne (pityrosporum folliculitis): This type occurs when an excess of yeast develops in the hair follicles. They can become itchy and inflamed.
What Are Acne Scars?
Acne scars occur as a result of the inflammation of acne pores. The acne blemishes swell, thereby leading to a breakdown in the walls of the pores. Some acne pores are tiny, so the scars are shallow and heal quickly. Sometimes the fillings of the blemishes spill into the environment and produce deeper scars. Some of the types of acne scars you may be experiencing include the following:
Atrophic Scars
They are flat indentations that often occur due to severe cystic acne. The appearance of atrophic acne scars usually varies depending on individuals and the severity of the breakouts.
Ice Pick Scars
These are small, narrow indent jobs commonly appearing on the cheeks. These scars are usually persistent, and they are difficult to remove.
Boxcar Scars
They are larger box-like indentations. Boxcar scars occur due to widespread acne, and you will often find them on the jaw and lower cheeks.
Rolling Scars
Rolling scars appear as deep sloppy marks on the skin. They are usually the cause of uneven skin textures.
Hypertrophic Scars
While atrophic scars are flat indented marks, hypertrophic scars are raised tissue occurring where acne breakouts occurred. They are often the same size as the original acne.
Post-inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
Healing acne usually leaves pigmented or dark spots on the skin. This is called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Among the acne scar types, they heal faster on their own with proper care.
What Are the Causes of Acne?
Generally, active acne is caused by four major factors, namely:
● Excess sebum (oil) production
● Clogging of hair follicles by dead skin cells or oil
● Bacteria
● Inflammation
Typically, you will notice acne more on your forehead, face, neck, shoulders, chest, and upper back. This is because these areas of your skin have the most sebaceous (oil) glands. These glands secrete a liquid known as sebum which carries dead skin cells to the skin surface.
Since hair follicles have a connection to these glands, these follicles may become blocked. The blocking of the follicles often causes oil to build up under the skin. When these blocked hair follicles become infected with bacteria, it leads to raised red spots called pimples.
If the blockage and infection are deeper into the hair follicles, you may be getting cyst-like lumps. A bulged follicle wall will lead to a whitehead and may produce a blackhead when opened to the surface. The bacteria contributing to the pimples infection is Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes). According to research, the frequency and severity of acne will depend on the bacteria strain.
Other factors that may trigger acne include:
● Hormonal Factors. A major trigger for acne is a rise in levels of androgen. Androgen is a hormone that increases in adolescence and enlarges the oil glands to make more sebum. Excessive sebum production may break down pores’ cellular walls, causing bacteria growth.
● Diet. Some studies show that eating certain foods like carbohydrates may trigger or worsen acne. However, there are no indications that dietary restrictions will help prevent acne breakouts.
● Certain Medications. Drugs containing testosterone, corticosteroids, or lithium may also trigger acne.
What Causes Acne Scars? What Should You Expect?
Your skin usually creates new collagen fibers to compensate for the damage done during acne infections. Unfortunately, the repair job will not give you skin as smooth as it was before the breakout. The repair process involves collagen production, and if the collagen is too much, acne scars would appear.
Scarring can also result from loss of tissue, resulting in indentation or pits in the skin. The body's uniqueness would determine how much scarring you would have. Also, the greater your inflammation, the more likely you have scars occurring. Deeper breakouts take a longer time to heal, and they increase the chances of acne scars developing.
How to Get Rid of Pimples?
There are several ways to get rid of your disturbing pimples. You can do this by using effective skincare techniques at home. There are also over-the-counter medications available for clearing of pimples and scars that come with it. However, visiting a dermatologist center like EDEN AESTHETICS Clinic will give you a comprehensive acne treatment.
What Are the Various Active Acne and Acne Scars Treatment in Dubai?
At EDEN AESTHETICS Clinic, we offer comprehensive acne treatments in Dubai, including the following:
Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
This is a noninvasive therapy using a combination of light treatments and a photosensitizing agent, usually ALA (5-aminolevulinic acid). Photodynamic therapy (PDT works by shrinking the oil glands on the skin, reducing the amount of oils in the pores. This is great news for people with moderate to severe acne.
Generally, photodynamic acne therapy works with the following mechanism of action:
● Inactivation of the bacteria triggering acne
● Exfoliation of the skin for pores unclogging
● Reduction of oil glands activities
ALA-PDT helps kill the bacteria causing acne. Thus, it restores the normal shedding of dead skin cells. Asides from this, the therapy also improves the overall texture of the skin, with the promise of repairing acne scars.
Most Photodynamic therapy sessions begin with microdermabrasion to remove excess dead cells on the surface of the skin. The process also aims to enhance the penetration of the photosensitizing agent (ALA). After microdermabrasion, the specialist applies ALA to the skin before treating the skin with light for about 30 to 60 minutes. This process is a typical short-contact PDT.
Another method involves allowing the ALA to set for one hour before treating the skin with blue light for about 15 minutes. While both methods are effective, immediate light treatment is often less painful. The number of therapy sessions recommended will depend on the acne severity. Some patients report noticeable results after one treatment, while others may need two or more at a few weeks' interval.
The advantages of PDT over other therapies include:
● Maintains skin integrity by affecting only targeted areas
● Can fade old acne scars
● It does not cause further scarring
● May treat other skin conditions like rosacea and age spots alongside acne
● Compatible with other medications, if needed
Some side effects of photodynamic therapy for acne include mild pain, skin redness, swelling, itching, peeling skin, etc. These effects may be intense in the first 48 hours after treatment and often subside after one week.
Chemical Peels
Chemical peels for acne involve removing the topmost layers of the skin with acid. This form of therapy is both effective as treatment and prevention of acne. These peels exfoliate the skin and reduce oil levels, thereby reducing acne and acne scars. They also remove and lessen the dead skin cells that may contribute to acne formation.
This treatment has also been proven to smoothen the skin’s surface by reducing hyperpigmentation and mild scarring. Clinical chemical peels in Dubai use effective, powerful chemicals like salicylic acid, glycolic acid, trichloroacetic acid, phenol, etc. These chemicals are effective at dead skin cell removal and skin rejuvenation. Our professional dermatologists at EDEN AESTHETICS Clinic can offer chemical peels at different levels, including:
● Light (superficial) chemical peels. These are designed for treating acne and uneven pigmentation. They only remove the upper layer of the skin. This type of chemical peel can be repeated to treat acne and other skin issues.
● Medium chemical peels. They help remove acne scars by stripping away skin cells from the outer and middle layers of the skin. They are also effective for deeper wrinkles.
● Deep chemical peels. These types of chemical peels can remove severe discoloration and deep wrinkles. It is not a typical option for acne and acne scars.
Chemical peels are most effective for mild to moderate acne. Studies show that light chemical peels help treat pustules, papules, and comedones. However, they cannot treat hypertrophic scars and have limited effects on icepick and boxcar scars. They may also further irritate severe acne.
All degrees of chemical peels may cause some side effects. These side effects range from redness to skin flaking, irritation, and stinging sensations. A deep chemical peel may cause redness, peeling, and some discomfort that may last for a few weeks.
Morpheus8 Radiofrequency (RF) Microneedling
Morpheus8 for acne scars is a fractional microneedling therapy that assists with skin remodeling. The patented Morpheus8 device used by our specialist will penetrate your su dermal tissue to create micro-wounds. As tiny needles begin to puncture your skin, waves of radiofrequency (RF) energy are sent out to enhance the healing process.
The combination of RF energy and microneedling triggers natural healing processes. The feels on your skin will rapidly regenerate and form new tissues, including collagen. With a few treatment sessions, Morpheus8 RF microneedling will get rid of your acne scars. Patients sometimes report minor inflammation or redness after the procedure. However, it results between one and three days.
Fractional CO2 Laser
This skin treatment is also effective for reduce acne scars appearance and deep wrinkles. Fractional laser treatment is a non-invasive techinque involving the removal of outer damaged skin layers using lasers specifically made of carbon dioxide. This approach offers faster healing and lesser side effects compared to ablative laser treatments.
This acne scars treatment is most ideal for boxcar scars and rolling scars because a fraction of the skin is treated. Thus, there is control of the area that is damaged, leading to newer collagen production and tissue remodeling.
Mild pain and discomfort may occur during the process, and shallow redness may persist for a few weeks after the procedure. This fades away as the scar diminishes. You should notice the complete effect of a fractional laser treatment within six to eight months.
Nanofractional Radiofrequency (RF)
This advanced type of skin resurfacing treatment works by stimulating collagen and elastin production. It diminishes the irregularities on your skin and other textural damages. Nanofractional RF combines a needling-assisted radiofrequency device with resurfacing devices to get the best results.
The micro-needles create some wounds on the skin, prompting natural healing mechanisms to increase fibroblast production and repair these wounds. The resulting increase in production of collagen and elastin reduces the acne scars on the skin. This process helps achieve satisfactory and lasting results, and it is relatively comfortable.
Treatment of Acne Scars
There are a few other medical procedures that are effective in acne and acne scars treatment. They include:
VENUS VIVA™️ nano-fractional RF
NanoFractional RFTM applicator is equipped with the patented SmartScanTM technology which:
Allows variable energy densities in a single tip
Enables ablation and coagulation of the epidermis and dermis zone in a fractional manner, resulting in more effective skin resurfacing for mild to severe skin concerns
Lower energy density leads to lower risk of Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH) and is safe for all skin types
Combined features allow for greater depth of penetration, flexible treatment sizes, and safer energy delivery for highly visible results.
Dermabrasion and Microdermabrasion
It uses a specialized high-speed tool that uses friction to remove the upper layer of the skin. Microdermabrasion is a less intensive option with little to no downtime.
Dermal Fillers
In this kind of treatment, substances like collagen or hyaluronic acid can help fill out some types of acne scars. The dermal fillers are eventually absorbed into the skin. Thus, you may have to repeat the treatment.
Punch Grafting
The scar is eliminated like it's an excision. Then the part where the scar was removed is filled with a skin graft gotten from another part of the body, like behind the ear.
How to Get Rid of Acne Scars?
Here are some healthy tips on how to get rid of a pimple at home:
● Adopt healthy living lifestyle by sleeping regularly and eating balanced diets
● Visit a professional esthetician occasionally to open up your skin pores
● Use approved skincare products
● Employ appropriate cleanser to get rid of bacteria
● Reduce excessive oil use on your skin
Get Professional Acne and Acne Scar Treatment from Experts at EDEN AESTHETICS Clinic
Do not wait for acne and the scar will affect the smoothness of your face forever. While there are home remedies to help with this common skin condition, it is important to get professional help. Our specialists at EDEN AESTHETICS Clinic are always ready to restore your face to its flawless condition.
You can rest easy and trust us with your treatment process. After setting up a free consultation, our specialists will examine you closely and recommend the best type of treatment for you. Contact us today for the best acne and acne scar treatment in Dubai!
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