Active Acne - The Chelsea Clinic (2024)

ACTIVE ACNE

Acne is caused by inflammation of the pilosebaceous unit (aka the hair follicle and oil gland). This causes blackheads, whiteheads, pimples and larger lesions called nodules and cysts. Acne occurs on the face, chest and back and may cause scarring.

What causes acne?

People with acne produce more keratin which blocks drainage of oil from the oil gland. Keratin is a protein made by skin cells. Acne sufferers also secrete excess oil as they are more sensitive to male hormones in their body. Note that ladies also have male hormones. The excess oil and keratin form plugs called whiteheads and blackheads or comedones. Acne sufferers also have an acne bacteria called P. acnes which act on these comedones causing inflammation. These inflamed lesions are commonly called pimples, which are red bumps or red bumps with pus. More serious inflammation results in larger bumps called nodules and cysts.

What can we do about it?

Acne must be treated early to prevent depressed scars which will last for life. Treatment targets the processes that cause acne. Treatment for acne comprise skin care in combination with procedures which speed up clearance and make the skin clear and smooth. Sometimes oral medication is also prescribed.

What type of skin care?

We will recommend an appropriate cleanser that will remove surface oil effectively and gently. Creams will be prescribed to treat and reduce the number of comedones. Excess keratin will be tackled with gentle fruit acids. Antibiotics and antiseptics applied to the skin will clear acne bacteria. In addition, it is important for acne sufferers to keep their skin moisturised and use sunscreen. We have light and oil free moisturises and sunscreens that will not aggravate acne. They make the skin feel hydrated and not dry and irritated as irritation may cause acne to flare.

What about oral medication?

Those whose acne is not controlled by oral medication may be prescribed a course of antibiotics or isotretinoin tablets.

Do you treat acne with injections?

Large pimple and nodules should be treated early with a small injection of steroids which will reduce the inflammatory process and cause the large lesion to reduce in size within 2 days. This not only helps it to heal quickly, it also prevents scar formation.

What are the procedures that help acne clear up?

The carbon laser peel is very effective in helping acne clear up and making skin smooth and pores look finer. IPL is also useful as it has a blue light that helps kill acne bacteria, and IPL treatment helps reduce the red spots found in acne sufferers complexions. IPL also results in an instant glow immediately after treatment, makes pores look finer and evens out the skin tone. Silkpeel is another effective procedure where the surface of the skin is exfoliated and this help get rid of excess dead skin and keratin. Healing lotions infused during the procedure penetrate and help to unplug the oil gland. There is another procedure which has minimal downtime and that is the chemical peel. A stronger concoction of fruit acid is applied to the skin which will cause the topmost layer to peel. In the process, pimples will dry up and comedones are loosened. The face takes about one week for all the dead skin to peel off, and the result is fresh, clear and hydrated looking skin. Chemical peel is also effective in treating acne on the back and chest. Procedures not only speed up the healing process, they also make the skin look radiant and glowing, so that not only will you have acne free skin, you will also have beautiful skin.

Can we prevent acne from forming?

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. After the acne has cleared, we will recommend a maintenance plan with daily skin care and procedures to prevent new acne from forming and keep the skin clear, smooth and glowing.

Is there any food that we can eat to prevent acne?

In general, one should eat a healthy balanced diet for good skin. For acne in particular, eat low GI carbohydrates (whole grains, beans, lentils) and avoid sugar laden food and drinks. Excessive intake of dairy products may also aggravate acne.

Is there anything else that I can do?

Keep hair away from affected areas. Do not clean your skin more than twice a day as acne is not caused by dirt. Do not lean your face on your hands for prolonged periods. Most important of all, do not pick or squeeze pimples as the resulting inflammation may make it worse and cause scarring.

Treatments