WHAT IS ACNE? Part 2

So the clogged pore is the primary event in acne.  Sometimes that is all there is - so retinoids, like Retin-A, Tazorac (the most potent), or differin and extractions are all that is needed.

However, most cases of acne show inflammatory (red) lesions, including some large painful cysts.  These are controlled by application preventively of topical antibiotics, benzoyl peroxide, and particularly effective in females - Aczone.  Additionally, oral medications can be used for one of 3 purposes:

1. Anti-inflammatory effects - doxycycline derivatives (they probably don't yield their benefits by killing bacteria);
2. Blocking testosterone in females - birth control pills or spironolactone; and
3. Preventing inflammatory lesions - Accutane type drugs.

Three pearls of wisdom for acne therapy:

1. Washing does not help acne (sorry Mom) - dirt has nothing to do with it and chemicals in soap are off the face in a minute so they have no time to penetrate;
2. Topical medications can be more effective than pills because they are delivered only to the target (skin and then into blood stream); and
3. You need to apply preventively: all over the place where you expect pimples.

Time, not usually medications, get rid of existing pimples. 80-90 % of patients are doing very well within a month on these regimens.

What is cosmetic dermatology?

Cosmetic Dermatology is the non-invasive component of cosmetic treatments (no cutting involved). It includes some of the following treatments:

    - Fillers/Injectables (Botox, Dysport, Restylane, Juvederm, Artefill, etc.) for expression lines,

    - Lasers (Fraxel, C02, IPL photofacial) for wrinkles, broken capillaries and acne scars,

    - Chemical Peels (revitalize the skin, remove fine lines, age spots),

    - Sclerotherapy (spider or varicose vein treatment),

    - Thermage for skin tightening, and

    - Coolsculpting and Ultrasound for fat removal.

Surgery is required for only 2 issues:

    1. Removal of bulging low eyelid fat pads and excess upper lid tissue,

    2. Sagging neck & cheek skin.
All other problems are NOT treated by surgery.

Chemical Peels

A chemical peel is a skin-resurfacing treatment in which a chemical solution is applied to skin to peel away the top layers. The skin that grows back after a peel is smoother and younger looking. Peels are a safe, effective way to refresh the skin and remove fine lines, age spots, and other imperfections.

Chemical peels can be done at different depths — light, medium or deep — depending on the desired results. Each type of chemical peel uses a different chemical solution. Deeper chemical peels produce more dramatic results, but also involve longer recovery times.

We offer glycolic peels, SkinMedica’s Illuminize and Vitalize peels, the Vi peel and D'Luxe peels of various strengths. Side effects vary between peels with mild redness, shedding, and a sunburn-like effect resulting in the hours after a superficial peel and scabs and redness resulting from the medium peel. Patients who undergo a superficial peel can typically return to work the next day, while medium peel patients may need a week to recuperate.

We offer special packages in conjunction with microdermabrasion treatments as well!

Acne Scar Treatments

For those with a limited number of wide superficial scars, fillers, such as Artefill (permanent), can be used with improvement seen immediately.  Dr. Hamilton is the American pioneer in Artefill treatments, having treated the first patients in the U.S. in 1997.

More extensive and deeper scars are treated very successfully with the Fraxel laser in a 5 treatment series that does not require any downtime.  Improvement is visible in most patients within approximately 4 weeks.

We treat many patients with acne scars, many of whom are quite severe and whose lives are markedly improved by these treatments.