Acne Treatment

Acne is a chronic, stubborn, annoying condition that affects teenagers and adults alike. It causes a great deal of anxiety amongst sufferers due to its cosmetic appearance and the development of acne scars that can be permanent.

 It usually starts in adolescence under the influence of hormones during puberty.  The basis of the acne pimple is the “comedone”.  There are open (blackheads) and closed (whiteheads) comedones.  The comedone can stay open or closed or get infected with bacteria to give an inflamed comedone (the angry red zit).  The treatment of acne depends on what kind it is, how severe it is and the general skin type of the individual. 

Our office has a full range of acne treatments including topical (vitamin A, antibiotic creams, benzoyl peroxide), Cosmelan and Retinoic acid peels, which can improve the acne and associated scars.  We also carry the Zeno™ device which uses thermal energy to target a developing zit and reduce progression over the next 24 hours in 90% of cases.

One of the latest treatments for acne is the Levulan photodynamic therapy which uses Aminolevulinic acid to reduce the size of oil producing glands and kill the bacteria that contribute to acne.   It involves the application of Levulan to the skin, then activating it with light.  In addition to its effect on acne, Levulan is also useful for improving wrinkles and skin texture with pore reduction and improving sebaceous hyperplasia, a common difficult condition involving small oily bumps on the skin.