Acne Treatment

Acne is one of the most common skin disorders, peaking in adolescence and early adulthood and affecting approximately 85% of people between the ages of 12 and 24. Often thought of as a teenage problem, acne can occur in people of any age; over 25% of women and 12% of men in their 40s report having acne.

Acne is a skin condition where hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. It causes whiteheads, blackheads, or pimples on the face, back, and chest. Pimples with pus are known as pustules, while those without pus are called papules. Blackheads and whiteheads are known as comedones.

While effective acne treatments are available, the condition can be persistent. Severe acne can cause cysts and nodules to form under the skin, causing scarring, which can be permanent.

Acne is classified based on the type and severity of lesions:

• Comedonal acne, or mild acne, refers to when comedones and a limited number of pustules and papules are present without nodules
• Papular, pustular, and non-scarring inflammatory acne is known as moderate acne and refers to when the skin has some comedones, a more significant number of pustules and papules, and few nodules
• Cystic acne and scarring acne involve multiple comedones, more pustules and papules than in moderate acne, and nodules or cysts

If you have acne, you may notice any or all of the following symptoms:

• Inflamed, raised bumps
• Inflamed, raised bumps with yellow or white tops, filled with pus
• Tiny dark (blackheads) or white (whiteheads) bumps
• Lumps under the skin that are often painful
• Darkened spots on the skin that may remain for several weeks or months after acne lesions clear up
• Scarring, which may appear as indentations, pits, or raised marks
• Tenderness and pain

Acne develops when hair follicles get clogged with oils, dead skin cells, and bacteria. The oil comes from the sebaceous glands connected to the hair follicles under the skin's surface. They secrete sebum, an oily substance that travels up the strand to the surface, moisturizing the skin and hair.

Androgens encourage sebaceous glands to produce sebum. During puberty, the body increases androgen production, stimulating the sebaceous glands to produce excess sebum, which clogs hair follicles.

Other conditions that cause hormonal changes can trigger acne, such as:

• Pregnancy
• The menstrual cycle
• Menopause
• Certain medical disorders
• Medications that affect hormonal levels, such as oral contraceptives, corticosteroids, and anabolic steroids
• Your skin’s natural bacteria content

In addition to fluctuating androgen levels, other factors have been associated with acne, including:

• People with a family history of acne may be more likely to develop it themselves
• Diet, such as white bread, potatoes, and dairy
• Certain endocrine disorders, such as polycystic ovary syndrome and congenital adrenal hyperplasia
• Stress
• Skincare products such as cosmetics, sunscreens, and moisturizers that clog hair follicles

At Allure Esthetic, we understand how difficult it is to treat acne, especially as an adult. Here are just some of the aesthetic procedures we provide to help you treat existing acne while preventing future breakouts:

Microneedling

In a microneedling procedure, fine, shallow needles make hundreds of tiny, invisible punctures on the skin’s surface. These micro-injuries stimulate the body’s wound-healing response, increasing cell turnover and production of collagen and elastin. Increased collagen production from microneedling treatments can help plump the skin and create a more youthful appearance.

Microneedling treatments reduce acne scars, similar to how they improve the overall texture of your skin. Additionally, you may experience hyperpigmentation from pimples, blackheads, or whiteheads; as the sterilized needles poke holes in the uppermost layer of your skin, they remove the source of the recurring blackhead. After treatment, your pores should appear smaller, especially around your nose.

Chemical Peel

A chemical peel improves the appearance of the skin by applying a chemical solution, causing it to exfoliate and eventually peel off. The new, regenerated skin is usually smoother, less dark, and less wrinkled than before the peel.

Because chemical peels rapidly exfoliate the skin, dead skin cells shed more effectively. Keeping dead skin cells and excess oil from clogging the hair follicle reduces pore blockages and pimples, while more advanced forms of chemical peels can reduce the appearance of acne scarring.

Oxygen Facial

An oxygen facial delivers pressurized oxygen – a vital skin nutrient – and other therapeutic ingredients into the skin. While oxygen has natural antibacterial properties and a soothing, calming effect on damaged skin, the added ingredients increase the treatment’s effectiveness. Adding specific healing serums to brighten skin tone and calm acne breakouts can make an oxygen facial a powerful addition to your acne treatment regimen.

The Glow-Up package

At Allure Esthetic Plastic Surgery, our master estheticians have curated the Glow-Up Package, consisting of rotated chemical peels and microneedling sessions, offering the best facials Seattle offers.

The Glow-Up Package is a personalized facial treatment protocol that consists of three chemical peels and three microneedling sessions, rotated over a few months. Because the chemical peel and microneedling procedure is highly customizable, your Allure Master Esthetician can target acne and breakouts while also caring for your skin type’s needs.

Chemical peels and microneedling are effective acne treatments, but when combined, they provide powerful skin benefits by going below the surface to provide comprehensive skin-clearing and calming.

The Glow-Up Package has many benefits, including:

• Improved skin tone
• Smoother skin texture
• Treated acne scars
• Reduced appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Reduction in the severity and frequency of acne breakouts
• Treatment of overly dry or oily skin
• Minimization of pores
• Removal of dead skin

Since the Glow-Up Package is performed over several weeks, this prolongs and improves results while being more cost-effective than purchasing each session individually. As one of the best facial specials in Seattle, the Glow-Up Package provides medical-grade facials at a special price.

In addition to facials and procedures, you can effectively treat acne with medical-grade skincare that includes the following ingredients:

Tretinoin

Tretinoin is one of the most powerful and widely researched retinoids, Vitamin A derivatives. This skincare powerhouse treats acne, wrinkles, fine lines, and uneven skin tone, clearing breakouts while treating hyperpigmentation and sun damage.

Some of the many benefits of tretinoin include the following:

• Increased cell turnover and chemically exfoliated top layers for more even-textured skin
• Creates more even skin tone by fading dark spots from old breakouts
• Calms inflammation by reducing the shedding of dead skin cells into the pore/hair follicle
• Unclogs pores by exfoliating dead skin cells before they can form comedones and attract acne-causing bacteria
• Increases collagen production for a fresh-faced glow
• Diminishes acne scars by triggering collagen remodeling, which helps smooth the appearance of pitted, textured scars
• It turns back the clock on fine lines and wrinkles while fighting acne, making it the perfect solution for treating adult acne

Beta-Hydroxy Acids (Salicylic Acid)

Salicylic acid is a type of BHA, or beta-hydroxy acid, containing an active peeling ingredient obtained from white willow. Dead skin cells are held together by fats and lipids that clog the pores, causing blemishes and acne. As salicylic acid breaks these bonds, it promotes cell renewal and rejuvenates the skin.

BHAs such as salicylic acid have the following acne-fighting benefits:

• They are antibacterial agents that penetrate deeply into the skin to remove excess sebum from the pores
• Gently activate the skin\'s ability to renew the cells
• Minimize fine lines, wrinkles, and discoloration, such as hyperpigmentation from old acne breakouts
• Best for blemished and oily skin types, which can be challenging to treat without irritating the healthy skin around it

Ferulic Acid

Ferulic acid is a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes accelerated skin aging. The ingredient is naturally found in the cell wall of plants such as oats, brown rice, peanuts, oranges, and apples. However, when used in skincare, it is created in a lab for quality control, consistency, and consumer safety. It mostly comes in a liquid form and can be found in serums, such as the ferulic acid serum included in the Allure Esthetic Acne Care Kit.

The benefits of ferulic acid for acne treatment include:

• Reduces inflammation by protecting your skin from oxidative damage that can cause inflammation, blocking pores and causing breakouts
• Reduces the formation of brown spots
• Decreases redness to improve skin tone
• Minimizes the dark spots from pimples
• Boosts the effects of vitamin C and vitamin E, which are other excellent acne treatments, by stabilizing their formula

Caring for your face and body is part of a healthy, happy lifestyle, especially when done as it should be. In addition to the surgical services offered at Allure Esthetic, we are also proud to offer Seattle medspa services, such as acne treatment and medical-grade skincare. We provide the ultimate in luxury in our facial treatments, and each treatment is customized to produce the most dramatic improvement for your skin type.

At Allure Esthetic, our primary focus is on making your acne treatment experience pleasurable while producing maximum skin clarity, smoothness, and glow. To learn more about the medspa services and skincare products offered at Allure Esthetic, please contact us today!