What is Acne?

Acne is the most common skin condition in the United States. Most people who have acne are teenagers or young adults, but acne can occur at any age. Newborn babies can get acne. Men and women get acne. Some people have perfect skin during their teens, and develop acne when they reach middle age. Even though 50 million people have acne at any one time, it doesn’t make you feel any better if it is on your face or body. The good news is that acne is treatable, but you need to be compliant in order to clear your face. That means that you need to use all the medications that your doctor prescribes for you EVERY DAY unless otherwise directed by your doctor. You need to follow a proper skincare regimen. Being tired and falling asleep before you wash your face and put on your nightly medications is not a good excuse to have bad skin. If you take care of your skin, use your medications daily, and follow up with your doctor regularly, you should have clear skin within 4 months. There are no “miracle cures.” You need to put in the time and effort to achieve clear skin. Once you clear your acne, you still have to continue using the proper washes and maintenance medications so that the acne doesn’t come back. Your doctor will create a simple routine for you  based on the severity of your acne.

What Causes Acne?

Acne occurs when a pore in your skin gets clogged up. This clog begins with dead skin cells. Normally, dead skin cells rise to the surface of the pore, and the body sheds the cells. When the body starts to make oil (sebum) to keep your skin from drying out, the dead skin cells can stick together inside the pore. Instead of rising to the surface, the cells become trapped inside the pore and is a great environment for bacteria that lives on our skin, p. acnes, to multiply and grow. With loads of bacteria inside, the pore becomes red, swollen, and inflamed. If the inflammation goes deep into the skin, an acne cyst appears.

In order to get rid of acne, you need to:

• Keep your pores unclogged (so bacteria can’t grow)
• Kill the bacteria
• Decrease the inflammation

​Your doctor recommends the following regimen to clear your skin of acne. There are a multitude of skincare products out there, and you can choose any product that you like and has worked for you in the past, but we recommend the following products because it is effective and non-comedogenic so that it won’t clog your pores and make your acne worse.

Skincare Regimen for Acne-Prone Skin

Morning Routine

1. Wash Your Face. It is important to unclog your pores, and a good face wash will break down the oils in your pores and clear them out. We recommend Glowmedica Exfoliating Face Wash which has glycolic, salicylic, and lactic acid with scrubbing beads to deep clean your pores. 
2. Medicate. Put on your morning topical medication and/or take any pills as prescribed by your doctor.
3. ​Sunscreen. With all the medications that you are using, you may become more sensitive to the sun. It’s a good idea to start protecting your skin with sunscreen if you haven’t already done so. If you are already using a sunscreen that you like and doesn’t break you out, then you can stick with it. We recommend EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46. It is non-comedogenic and contains niacinamide, which is an antioxidant that decreases inflammation and is good for clearing acne and helps with skin discoloration.
4. Makeup. If you wear makeup, choose a non-comedogenic makeup. Usually, a loose mineral powder makeup causes the least problem. If you like more coverage, we recommend ISDIN Skin Drops, which is non-comedogenic and is great at concealing blemishes on skin.

Night-time  Routine

1. Wash your face. Again. This is very important to remove all the dirt that has accumulated on your face and in your pores throughout the day
2. Medicate. After washing your face, you can put on your night-time topical medication and/or take any pills that your doctor prescribed. ​
3. Moisturize. If your skin is extremely dry, we recommend using an oil-free, non-comedogenic moisturizer. It is important to keep your skin barrier intact for healthy skin. We like the TEEN SKIN Oil-Free Recovery Hydrator, made specifically for acne-prone skin so it doesn’t make you break out more.

Weekly Treatments

1. Acne Mask. Masks have become very popular lately because it is fun to use and has immediate effects. Ingredients to look for include glycolic acid, salicylic acid, clay, and sulfur. Acne masks work by drying out acne, reducing skin oiliness, and unclogging pores. We like the Glowmedica AHA Mint Mask to unclog pores and dry out blemishes.

Monthly Treatments

1. Acne Facial. This is a nice option if you want to get a jump-start on clear skin and to keep it maintained. Our esthetician has been trained to properly extract your blemishes to get you clear skin faster. She will give you an acne mask that uses to decrease inflammation and dry out your acne. You have the option of a Blue Light add-on that clears your skin by killing the bacteria that causes acne.
2. Chemical Peels. There are different peels to help clear acne and improve scarring. One type is called a salicylic acid peel. It helps reduce the symptoms of oily, blemish-prone skin, decreases mild acne scars, and improves active acne lesions. As an added bonus, it also reduces fine lines and wrinkles. Usually a series of 3-4 chemical peels is best to clear your skin.
3. HydroGlow Acne Facial. This facial uses hydrodermabrasian to really deep clean pores and removes blackheads and impurities from your skin. It includes a cleanse, exfoliation, extraction, and hydration step with a oxygen infusion booster that helps to clear skin. You can add a blue-light add-on to further clear your skin.  
4. TheraClearX Acne Treatment Facial. This is an FDA approved treatment that uses a vacuum to suction out acne combined with a light that kills acne-causing bacteria and decreases oil production. 

Other Treatments

1. Blue Light Treatments. Blue light has been FDA approved to clear acne by killing the bacteria that causes acne on your face. This is a great option if you are allergic to or don’t want to take antibiotic pills. It is a painless treatment that takes about 20 minutes. You need a series of 10 treatments twice a week for it to be effective. Afterwards, a monthly treatment will help maintain the results.