Clear Your Acne with an Individualized Skin Care Program

Acne is a disease of the pilosebaceous unit. Forty percent of adolescents will develop physiologic acne. Pimples are often an early sign of puberty. In girls, acne may precede the onset of the period by more than 1 year. The onset of acne varies. It may start as early as 6 or 8 years of age or it may not appear until age 20 or later. Acne usually resolves in the early twenties. However, particularly in women, acne may persist into the thirties and forties.

Although it seems that there are many different acne medications available at the drugstore, the reality is it makes very little sense to try more than 2 different products. All products contain the same active ingredients: glycolic acid, salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. If any combination of these products is ineffective, you should see Dr. Wong for prescription medications, medical grade acne peels, advanced medical microdermabrasion, and/or laser. Medical strength treatments are more effective than spa or esthetician treatments.

Laser acne facials can be an effective adjunct to the acne treatment program. Laser energy is delivered to pimples, killing bacteria and shrinking up overactive oil glands. Laser acne facials have no down time. You can resume your normal activities immediately. Typically, the treatments are painless; some patients report feeling a mild warmth or tingling sensation during the treatments.

Anywhere from 6-8 treatments may be needed to see improvement in the acne. Laser acne facials can be an option for patients who do not wish to take oral antibiotics.

A common misconception is that acne is caused by having a dirty face. Cleansing more than 2 times a day is unnecessary and will result in drying the skin out. This will cause your face to become flaky, red, and irritated as well as still having the pimples. Over-washing or using harsh soaps will injure the skin's natural lipid barrier. You should always wash your hands before touching your face or before applying any topical agent to your face.

The earliest stage of acne is whiteheads. These appear as little skin-colored bumps underneath the skin. They are most easily seen by stretching the skin. This lesion is the precursor to the big, red, juicy pimples. It is important to treat acne as early as possible to avoid progressing to this stage. The deeper larger pimples can result in permanent scarring and are disfiguring and painful. Do not squeeze these. You will increase your chances of scarring and infection by doing so. Make an appointment to have this type of severe acne treated. Performing home fingernail surgery will not be successful.

ONE OF DR. WONG'S FAVORITE THINGS TO DO IS TO HELP ADOLESCENTS WITH ACNE!

So, don't struggle alone with trying to clear your acne. Call our office now and start clearing up your acne with a medical strength skin care program specifically designed for your skin type. Acne surgery can be performed to clear up pimples more quickly. Stubborn, large, painful pimples can be injected with medication to clear them up in a few days.