As a practicing GP I see quite a few people coming to the surgery with acne – but in truth nowhere near as many as there should be!
Many people suffer the condition hoping it will clear up by itself and subsequently become more and more depressed when it leaves its lasting legacy of scarring. The psychological effects of this condition should not be underestimated.
Recently I came across a website specifically for Acne sufferers and the forum made for some sad reading, for instance there were 1,940 answers to “What is the meanest thing that someone has said about your acne” and over 211,096 people had viewed it. Many people talked about how they couldn’t face their reflection and how they put off going out; depression was common.
So what is acne?
There are multiple causes of acne including hormone dysfunction, allergies, environmental factors and nutrition deficiencies.
Acne scars result after skin follicles become blocked by excessive oils and the physiology of keratin and old skin cells trigger an inflammatory response reaction. The skin will attempt to heal and the scar tissue results as the collagen becomes deformed and thickens.
Scar tissue is the same protein (collagen) as the tissue that it replaces, but the fibre composition of the protein is different. Instead of a nice “basket weave” formation of fibres, the collagen in scar tissue is aligned in a single direction resulting in a pronounced and thicker appearance. Acne treatments for most are long term and can result in scarring – but it doesn’t have to be that way!
At my clinic in Taunton, Somerset, I can do three things to help you if you are an acne sufferer, or if you were and have been left scarred and unhappy.
If your acne is still active:
As a practicing GP I am able to prescribe antibiotics to kill the bacteria in the very first instance and alongside this, help with active treatment. The treatment I favour is Lustre Pure Light.
Lustre Pure Light works on active acne, painlessly killing the bacteria on your skin. It harnesses the safe, natural blue part of the visible light spectrum and uses clinically proven technology to eliminate spot-causing bacteria and crucially, it is also gentle on skin.
Lustre Pure Light is a small, rechargeable product with slim, flexible therapy heads which target problem areas. The device is portable and treatment is delivered while the product is worn, so you are free to get on with the things you want to get on with. The unit is available to purchase through the clinic, please contact us for details.
Acne before Lustre Pure Light Treatment
Acne after Lustre Pure Light Treatment
If your acne has left scarring:
There are many ways to tackle this and you have probably heard of lasering and chemical skin peeling amongst them. My preferred treatment for acne is the use of a Dermapen. The reason for this is simple, it is easy to use, recovery is much quicker and it is gentler. Cost is also considerably less with this proven safe technique.
Dermapen Treatment of Acne Scars
The Dermapen is a convenient and effective way of performing needle dermabrasion.
The Dermapen adjustable needles penetrate a controlled depth into the dermis. The dermis develops multiple microbruises, which start a cascade of growth factor release and collagen production. As collagen is deposited, the skin texture improves. Results are initially seen in six weeks and full effect will take three months to develop.
Severity grade of rolling scars has been shown to be statistically reduced in a clinically meaningful fashion after two sessions of needle dermabrasion (Fabbrocini et al., 2009).
