While the majority of us will experience acne at some point in our lives, this does not mean that it is always easy to deal with, both physically and mentally. If you find that your acne is particularly stubborn, causing you pain or affecting your self-esteem, you do not have to put up with it.
To help you discover your best acne treatment, we will run through the different options available at our clinic based on your skin needs and preferences.
The Best Acne Treatment For You
At our cosmetic clinic in Milton Keynes, we offer a variety of non-surgical treatments that can be used to treat acne and scarring caused by acne. These are carried out by highly trained professionals who take pride in providing the utmost care when treating and consulting with clients. If you would like to find out more or book a consultation with our team, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our team today.
What Is Acne?
Acne is a common skin condition that affects more than 80% of people at some point throughout their lives, although the most common age is between 18 and 30. It occurs when hair follicles become clogged with oil and dead skin cells, most commonly on the face, chest, back and shoulders.
The symptoms and acne range from mild to severe, and its impact on a person’s self-esteem and emotional well-being can be significant. Some of the most common include the following:
- Blackheads: Small black or yellow bumps on and in the skin
- Whiteheads: Similar to blackheads, these, however, can be harder and will not empty if squeezed
- Papules: Small, often painful red bumps
- Pustules: Similar to the prior however have a white tip that is a build-up of pus
- Nodules: Painful, hard lumps beneath the skin
- Cysts: Large pus-filled lumps that can cause scarring and look similar to boils
What Causes Acne?
There are many causes of acne, and these differ from person to person; however, the most common is hormonal changes during puberty, hence why acne is more prevalent among teenagers.
Hormones cause the oil-producing glands (sebaceous glands) to work on overdrive, creating too much sebum (the oily substance the body produces to keep the skin moisturised). This then blocks the pores and triggers bacteria growth, leading to flare-ups. Along with puberty, this hormone fluctuation can also occur during menstruation and pregnancy.
Some other causes of acne may be:
- Certain medications: Some medications containing corticosteroids, testosterone or lithium may make you more prone to acne.
- Diet: Studies show that carbohydrate-rich foods, such as bread and crisps, may be a large cause of acne.
- Stress: Although stress doesn’t necessarily cause acne, it can cause flare-ups.
- Genetics: Family history can have a large role in whether you will develop acne; for example, if both your parents had acne, then you are likely to do too.
For more helpful information on understanding the causes of acne, take a look at the British Skin Foundation website.
Best Treatment For Acne
While medications and topical treatments do exist, these may not work for everyone or cause unwanted or dangerous side effects. At our skin clinic in Milton Keynes, we offer a variety of non-surgical treatments that can be used to treat acne and scarring caused by acne. These are carried out by highly trained professionals who take pride in providing the utmost care when treating and consulting with clients. If you would like to find out more or book a consultation with our team, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our team today.
Microneedling
Our Dermapen® Microneedling treatment can be used to treat pitted acne scarring by smoothing the skin’s texture. When undergoing this treatment, a qualified clinical therapist will use the Dermapen® (a hand-held pen device containing sixteen medical-grade needles at its tip) to create micro-wounds in the dermis layer of the skin.
The Dermapen® uses advanced technology to enable precise control over the depth and speed at which it penetrates your skin, which can be adjusted depending on the condition of each area. During the treatment, a hyaluronic acid serum is applied to the skin. This helps the Dermapen® to glide smoothly over the skin, as well as aids in wound healing and helps your skin to retain moisture.
By creating micro-wounds in the dermis layer, your body’s natural healing processes will be activated, including the production of collagen, which will begin to repair and regenerate the skin. This will lessen the appearance of acne scarring and result in skin that is smoother and, from immediately after the treatment, more radiant-looking.
Our microneedling in Milton Keynes is carried out with a topical anaesthetic, meaning that any discomfort felt during it is minimal. We recommend undergoing at least three sessions of the procedure, four weeks apart, for the best results. You should start to notice an improvement in the texture of your skin from six weeks after your first treatment, and your full results will be revealed over the following months.
Microdermabrasion
Our 3D skintech microdermabrasion facial treatment gently exfoliates the surface of the skin, removing the outermost layers, along with dead cells and other debris. This treatment can be used to tackle the appearance of acne scarring and many other skin concerns, including blackheads, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation.
During this procedure, a trained professional will move a technologically advanced dermabrasion wand on the surface of your skin, gently removing the damaged and uneven outer layers to reveal a healthy, new layer underneath. The advanced diamond technology of the wand makes the procedure the most comfortable and efficient out there.
Not only will damaged layers of skin be removed during your microdermabrasion treatment, greatly reducing the visibility of acne scarring, but collagen and elastin production will also be triggered, resulting in firmer and more youthful-looking skin. The results of this procedure, which only lasts for a total of 20 minutes, are so prominent that you may consider it as a no-needle alternative to Botox® or dermal filler treatments.
Skin Peels
Skin peels work by removing the outermost layers of skin to reveal a healthy layer underneath. Since most unwanted skin concerns, including acne scarring, are present predominantly on the outer layers, this will cause your skin to look more radiant, revitalised and youthful.
The Perfect Peel
The Perfect Peel is an incredibly effective treatment for many common skin concerns, including acne-related ones, such as scarring, hyperpigmentation, large pores, and conditions that cause acne. When you come into our cosmetic clinic in Milton Keynes for a perfect peel, you can expect the process to last under an hour, making it extremely easy to slot into your schedule. Many of our clients even book their sessions during their lunch break at work since the peel is non-invasive and enables you to resume your usual activities straight afterwards.
The treatment is applied to clean skin and is left to work its magic before being removed. The skin may appear red or flushed immediately after treatment and will begin to peel around day three. You will be provided with a specialist moisturising product to minimise the appearance of peeling, though we advise that you do not plan any important events where you must look your best for at least one week after your peel. By day 7, your full results will be revealed.
As the outermost layers of skin sustain the most environmental damage and will be the most uneven in colour and texture, removing them to reveal a healthy, fresh layer of skin will transform your skin from dull and lacklustre to smooth and radiant. So long as you maintain a consistent skincare routine, the results of your perfect peel should be long-lasting.
IMAGE Skincare Peels
We also offer IMAGE Skincare peels at our cosmetic clinic in Milton Keynes. There are ten different peels of varying strengths that are either enzyme or chemical-based. Each one is designed to treat specific issues, such as breakouts, wrinkles, or dry, irritated skin. In your consultation, your skin type, concerns and goals will be discussed, along with your previous experience with skin peels. This information will be used to determine which peel treatment is the most appropriate for you.
HydraFacial
The HydraFacial is excellent for treating oily, congested and acne-prone skin. It consists of three revitalising steps which work to purify the skin without leaving it stripped and dehydrated. With regular sessions, this treatment can be used to help control acne flare-ups. The treatment fights active flare-ups by de-clogging congested pores and preventing the growth of bacteria by extracting accumulated oil, dirt, and sebum. However, it also helps to gradually reduce the appearance of scarring from previous acne flare-ups through gentle exfoliation.
Not only does this treatment produce instant results, it only lasts 30 minutes, making it easy to fit into a busy schedule. Many of our clients who undergo our HydraFacial in Milton Keynes thoroughly enjoy the experience, which is totally painless and very relaxing. The procedure will be custom-tailored to your specific skin needs and desires in order to ensure that you receive your desired results but follows three basic steps, which are as follows:
- Cleanse & Peel: Gentle exfoliation and removal of built-up debris and dead skin cells from the skin’s surface
- Extract & Hydrate: Removal of all build-up present in pores using vortex technology
- Fuse & Protect: Strong antioxidants and peptides replenish the skin
Take a look at our previous article for more information about the HydraFacial treatment!
Intense Pulsed Light
Our Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) or laser treatment can be used to treat active acne flare-ups. Acne occurs when the sebaceous glands present in the skin of the face produce excess sebum. This mixes with dead skin cells and forms blockages in pores, which can become infected by bacteria that naturally reside on the skin, resulting in pimples. Our IPL treatment works by using light energy to destroy some of the sebaceous glands, decreasing sebum production and therefore minimising acne flare-ups.
On top of destroying glands to manage sebum production, the IPL treatment also reduces redness and hyperpigmentation as well as encourages the production of collagen. This results in more even, smooth and radiant-looking skin.
We recommend undergoing a course of between four and six IPL sessions with a few weeks between appointments for the best results. Upon finishing your course, your skin will be clearer and less prone to acne flare-ups, and the appearance of scarring will be reduced. If you are interested in receiving this highly effective acne treatment in Milton Keynes, please feel free to get in touch with our team to book a consultation or find out more.
LED Light Therapy
LED light therapy is proven to be one of the most effective and fastest ways to not only clear acne but also reverse ageing signs and heal rosacea, eczema and psoriasis! It is completely pain-free and non-invasive, making it suitable for all skin types and not requiring any downtime. Blue light is usually used for acne as it has very powerful anti-bacterial properties and destroys the P.acnes bacteria, resulting in decongested and purified acne or any problematic skin.
Only a few treatments will start to visibly reduce your acne, so with continued use, the light therapy will prevent your facial acne from returning, turning you away from any topical creams that may not have been helping as much!
How To Prevent Acne
Although acne can be very persistent, and it can be incredibly difficult to clear existing acne up, there are ways for you to prevent the development of acne and reduce your breakouts.
Some of our favourite tips include:
- Maintain a good skincare routine: Removing excess dirt, oil, and sweat can prevent more acne from appearing on your face; however, ensure not to wash your face too much as this can strip the skin of the natural, healthy sebum, which actually causes the skin to make more oil. We recommend washing your face with warm water and applying a gentle, mild cleanser, then rinsing this thoroughly and patting dry. Make sure not to be too rough with your skin, as this can irritate it more.
- Understand your skin type: Knowing about the type of skin you have, whether it’s dry and flaky, oily and shiny, a combination of both or sensitive and reacts easily to products etc, can really help with preventing your acne. You can find the perfect products and ingredients which provide optimum results.
- Lifestyle changes: There are a few changes to your day-to-day lifestyle that can really help to prevent your acne from developing. For example, staying hydrated and limiting makeup to stop pores from being clogged, even trying to stop touching your face, which can transfer bacteria.
Create A Bespoke Acne Treatment Plan
We hope that our article has helped to inform you about acne itself and about some of the treatment options available to you for acne that is stubborn, painful or affects your confidence and self-esteem. When used alongside a regular skincare routine that is suitable for your skin type, needs and desires, the treatments mentioned in this article are proven to be highly effective.
If you are interested in undergoing an acne and acne scar treatment in Milton Keynes, why not get in touch with us at LasaDerm? When you entrust our team of dedicated professionals with helping you reach your skin goals, you can be certain that your requirements, skin concerns and safety will always be the top priority. To get started on designing your bespoke treatment plan, you can book a consultation today.