The Truth About Acne
Acne would have to be one of the most distressing skin conditions that one can have. I know because as a teen I had acne and it lasted well past my teenage years. But that was in 1980 and whilst acne problems haven't changed; the way we approach it as practitioners has.
So first lets debunk some myths.
Myth one. Everyone gets acne as a teen if they have oily skin. This is simply not true. Both oily and dry sub-types of skin can suffer from acne as teens and often the dry skin sub-types are more problematic, and some oily skins do not have acne at all.
Myth two. If you cleanse thoroughly and keep the skin clean you will clear up the acne. Often cleansing is part of the problem. The goal with acne is not to over clean the skin surface but to allow the oil to freely move to the surface of the skin. Over cleaning the skin can be counter productive and actually increase the oil production.
Myth three. All acne is diet related. Diet plays a role but it is not the cause of acne. The role diet plays can influence acne skin by up to 30% which is significant and good news. So when we treat you for acne we always discuss the influence of diet in our assessment and during your treatments.
Myth four. Wearing make-up causes acne. Like diet wearing make-up does not cause acne but the wrong type of make-up or not removing it will probably exacerbate your breakouts. We will always discuss your make-up at our initial consult to see if it is a contributing factor.
We recommend a clinical skin assessment as your first appointment. It is important for us to understand your skin, general health and history of acne. We also evaluate your make-up and skin care to see if it suits your skin sub type and degree of acne. During your first appointment diagnostic imaging will be used to identify inflammation and bacteria. This helps us to write a treatment plan tailored to your skin. It also gives us the ability to monitor your progress. Appointments with our specialist available Tue - Sat.