DESCRIPTION
Acne Treatment - Adelaide
Are you not sure if it’s time to see your doctor about your acne treatment? To help make the decision easier for you, consider these three questions.
- Have over the counter products from the chemist stopped working?
- Is acne affecting your self-esteem and making you feel socially isolated?
- Is your acne painful and does it leave you with scars?
If you answered to any of these three questions then it is definitely time to consult Dr Rahma Targett!
The Benefits
1. Acne treatments can reduce the appearance of acne and acne scarring, restoring your confidence and enhancing your skin.
2. Our treatments can improve your overall complexion, working to prevent acne breakouts from occurring by unclogging your pores and removing skin bacteria.
3. Multiple treatments can reduce inflammation, redness, and other skin blemishes for clearer skin.
4. The treatments can prevent any future acne scarring from occurring by eliminating dead cells and bacteria and, over time, shrinking the size of pores.
How it works
Have your over the counter products stopped working?
Mild acne should usually go away after using over the counter products from the chemist for six weeks. These products contain benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. Some over the counter products from the chemist are simply not suitable for your skin and may even cause more severe breakouts to occur. Your doctor will be able to prescribe more powerful drugs such as topical (applied to the skin) retinoids which can help to unblock clogged pores and reduce oil production. Oral Therapies such as the birth control pill (for women), antibiotics, and isoretinoin can be prescribed to treat more serious deeper acne and hormonal breakouts.
As a guide, if you have oily skin then try to wash your face two times daily with salicylic acid face cleanser. Conversely, if your skin is dry then use a gentle foaming cleanser. It is always a good idea to allow the cleanser to sit on your skin for a few minutes before washing off. This allows the active ingredients time to penetrate deeply into your skin. Salicylic acid helps to unclog pores and it does not kill the bacteria or have any effect on oil production. After cleansing try using a benzoyl peroxide cream. It is the Benzoyl peroxide cream that will kill the bacteria that cause acne and inflammation.This is an essential part of the acne-treating regime.
Is acne affecting your self esteem?
Rest assured you are not lone in your plight against acne. 85% of teens are affected by acne. Acne can also extend into adulthood with 25% of men and 50% of adult women suffering from acne.
As a teen or even as young adult, acne can be a difficult condition to cope with emotionally. However, no matter what your age it can still lead to anxiety disorders and depression.
Is acne painful and leaving you with scars?
Pimples occur when the pores in your skin become clogged with dead skin cells. When bacteria get trapped inside the pores, this will cause the area to become red and swollen. Cystic acne occurs when the infection extends deep into the skin, creating a very tender bump which is full of puss. The follicle wall can become damaged and rupture, leading to acne scarring. Cystic acne is the hardest type of acne to treat without the help of a skin specialist, like Dr Rahma Targett. Over the counter acne treatment will never be enough to treat this type of acne.
Always avoid squeezing or popping cystic acne as this will cause severe scarring to your face.
Are there other treatments for acne apart from medical treatments?
When it comes to acne treatment, there is definitely no such thing as “one treatment suites all”.
At Advanced Cosmetic Medicine we realise that it is often a combination of treatment which works best. This is why we offer other treatments as well as medical treatment.
Other treatments which are beneficial in treating active acne include: Chemical Peels, Excel V 1064nm Laser, and Blue Light LED Treatment.
What should you expect from some of our treatments?
- Steroid injections are commonly used as a temporary treatment for nodules and cysts, which are incredibly painful lumps that form beneath the skin’s surface. Usually, these skin lesions can take weeks to clear up independently, but steroid injection treatments can clear the skin within days and reduce the pain and lumpiness. It is not suitable to treat more widespread acne because its side effects can include thinning of the skin and skin pigmentation changes.
- Chemical peels can treat mild acne breakouts and lessen the appearance of fine lines, sun damage, and minor facial scarring. During treatment, a mild chemical solution is applied to the skin that works to unclog pores and eliminate dead skin cells, whiteheads, and blackheads, with new skin cell growth stimulated. Multiple treatments may be needed to prolong the results.
- Blue Light LED therapy is designed to deliver intense pulsed or continuous light to the acne affected area, which has been proven to control acne flare-ups and reduce inflammatory acne lesions such as red raised and pustular pimples. A course of two treatments per week over a four to five-week period is usually recommended, with patients noticing a degree of improvement around four weeks.
- Laser treatments are designed to reduce acne scarring. The laser treatment removes the top layer of your skin where scarring has formed, and as the top scar layer peels away, the skin is left smoother, and the scar appearance is reduced. As the top skin layer is eliminated, the laser encourages new skin cell growth, and the laser’s heat reduces inflammation as blood vessels are targeted.
The Doctor
Dr Rahma Targett
Dr Rahma Targett is a General Practitioner(FRACGP), with a specialty in Cosmetic Medicine. She founded Advanced Cosmetic Medicine in 2016 and has since become well known as a trusted and in demand Cosmetic Physician in Adelaide. She has a Diploma in Dermoscopy and a Diploma in Aesthetic Medicine with the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine. Dr Targett is a leader in her field and regularly attends Cosmetic conferences to keep up to date with modern aesthetic techniques. At advanced Cosmetic Medicine you can always be reassured that you will be welcomed and treated personally by Dr Rahma Targett.
Bacteria is one of the biggest causes of acne, growing inside blocked skin pores and producing damaging substances that can lead to dead skin cells build-up and produce more bacteria. This is how pimples and nodules can form on the skin.
Androgen hormones increase during puberty and are one of the most typical causes of acne. The hormones can cause too much oil production in the pores of the face, neck, chest, and shoulders, causing them to become blocked. Hormone imbalances caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) can also cause acne, and stress, genetics, and diet can also impact the formation of acne.
Yes, different types of acne can form on the skin and include:
- Blackheads – Dark, open bumps on the skin filled with excess oil and dead skin.
- Whiteheads – White, closed bumps on the skin closed by excess oil and dead skin.
- Papules – Small pink or red bumps that are inflamed.
- Pustules – Pimples with pus that look like whiteheads, surrounded by a red ring of inflamed skin, and cause scarring if picked or squeezed.
- Nodules – Solid pimples that form in the deep layers of the skin and are often quite large and painful.
- Cysts – Pimples with pus that can cause severe acne scarring.
Most acne treatments can have temporary short term side effects, including:
- Redness
- Swelling
- Skin dryness
- Changes to skin pigmentation
- Photosensitivity
- Pain or discomfort at the treatment site
- Crusting and peeling
To prevent new acne spots from appearing as well as scarring, there are various factors patients can enact, such as:
- Washing your face twice daily with a mild soap-free face wash.
- Use proper sun protection.
- Removing makeup thoroughly before sleeping.
- Having a healthy, well-balanced diet with regular exercise.
- Avoiding oil-based makeup.
- Do not wash your face too often or use harsh products.
- Squeezing or picking pimples and spots.
Some patients may already employ these measures in their skincare regime. Still, it is always important to remind patients what products and actions they should avoid to prevent further acne formation.
This information can provide insight into how and why acne breakouts occur for patients, which can be a good guide for developing a suitable treatment plan.
- Forehead and nose – This can be due to excess oil present in the skin, and the use of gentle cleansers regularly can help prevent oil build-up.
- Chin and jawline – This can be caused by hormone fluctuations that overstimulate oil glands present in the area.
- Cheeks – It can be possible that your phone or pillowcase contains bacteria, causing breakouts in this area. Washing your pillowcases regularly and sanitising your phone can help reduce breakouts.
- Hairline – Your hair care routine can cause acne around this area.
