If You Struggle With Acne Here's What You Need to Know.

Acne breakouts can affect everyone from pre-teens to adults. Acne is both emotionally and physically stressful.  Unmanaged acne can seriously influence your self-confidence which can translate into your everyday life. Acne can be caused by a variety of factors such as:

• Bacterial colonization that can cause inflammation 
• Fluctuations in certain hormone levels
• Genetics and environmental influences 
• Stress, diet, medications, topical agents, and more.

   You may notice not all types of acne look the same. This is why there is no “one-size fits all” treatment for acne and breakouts. Whether you experience, pimples, whiteheads, blackheads, cystic acne, scarring or a combination of different types, you should keep these tips in mind:

Avoid unnecessarily touching your face. No matter how clean you think your hands and fingers are, they transfer oil and dirt each time you touch your face. 

Cleanse, especially after exercise. Sweat remains on your skin after a workout and can contain bacteria that may cause breakouts. Gel cleansers like the Epionce Lytic Gel Cleanser typically work best for oily problematic skin. 

Do not pick/pop breakouts. Just like touching, picking introduces bacteria and dirt onto your face. Picking can also allow bacteria into the skin and scar if the skin is broken. It may seem helpful in the short run but often makes spots last longer.

Use water-based products. If your skin is overproducing oil there is no need to add more oil on top in the form of skincare products. However, your skin still needs to be hydrated and moisturized. Look for products that are water-based as opposed to oil-based. Products like the SkinCeuticals Metacell B3 Renewal and Apex Artistry Green Tea Lotion are ideal for acne-prone skin. 

Salicylic Acid can help treat acne. Products like the SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense made for acne-prone skin include an active ingredient called Salicylic Acid. It is a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) that works in your pores, dissolving dead skin cells that can cause clogged pores.  Apex Artistry Acne Treatment pads with glycolic acid and salicylic acid can help cleanse and calm bumpy, inflamed or greasy acne-prone skin.  We even offer two strengths custom-made for our patients so we can help with sensitive rosacea-prone skin or combination skin or even more resilient acne-prone skin types.

Seen above is a patient who would like to improve their acne and acne scarring. 

The Skinscope daylight shows visible skin concerns and conditions (this patient has oily/acne-prone skin). The Skinscope LED light detects fluorescence in the skin for clearer visibility of skin concerns and conditions not visible in everyday light. After an assessment with the Skinscope and our expert Licensed Aestheticians, we can create a customized skincare routine and discuss in-office treatments that will help you achieve your desired results. 

Some products in this patient’s customized routine include:

• Skinceuticals Blemish + Age Defense
• Epionce Lytic Gel Cleanser 
• EltaMD UV Clear

   If you are struggling with acne there are solutions waiting for you at Apex Dermatology. Click the link below or call our office at 818-889-2739 to schedule your appointment with one of our board-certified providers.

SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT