Serious About Skin

slider Swoosh

INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT FOR YOUR SKIN

Common Myths about Severe Acne

A Spot of Bother: 5 Common Myths about Severe Acne

Severe Acne affects many of us at some point in our lives, yet there are still so many myths and misconceptions about this common skin condition.

# 1 Acne only affects teenagers

Although acne is a common problem during our teenage years, due to the dramatic hormonal surges that ensue, it can actually occur at any age. Adult acne is becoming increasingly prevalent and we see many men and women suffering from acne in their thirties, forties and beyond, to their great distress. Whatever your age, we typically approach severe acne in the same manner, devising a treatment programme to manage and resolve the problem, but also offering advice and care throughout your journey.

# 2 The sun can clear up acne

Many people think that getting a tan will help ‘dry’ up spots, whether that’s courtesy of the sun’s rays or a sunbed. Although a tan may cover up redness temporarily, it won’t clear up acne and you can actually damage your skin further, even risking skin cancer. You should always protect your skin when outside, whatever the weather – if you’re worried about clogging up your pores then choose a non-comedogenic product that is specially formulated to avoid this problem.

 # 3 Popping pimples helpsSevere Acne

However tempting it is to squeeze a spot, it can often result in more long-term damage, spreading the bacteria further into your skin and causing increased redness and swelling. Furthermore, you also risk permanently damaging your skin and acne scarring can be an incredibly challenging problem to treat. At the Specialist Skin Clinic, we offer a range of procedures that can help improve the appearance of the scarring, but it won’t be possible to remove it completely. The best option is to resolve the acne as soon as possible, so scarring is minimised.

# 4 Exfoliating is the best way to get rid of acne

Many acne sufferers wash their faces too much, often using abrasive exfoliators and scrubs, because they think oily skin leads to acne. However, optimal skin health depends on having some natural skin oils and stripping the skin can actually lead to other skin problems including making the skin red and unsightly.

 # 5 Avoid Roaccutane

Oral retinoinds’ ability to make a significant difference to those suffering from severe acne was first discovered in the late 1970s, yet people often have mixed views on medication for severe acne as its side effects, particularly the link to depression, have been highly publicised.

Oral retinoids are vitamin A derivatives. They target acne in a number of ways; firstly, they reduce the size of the skin’s oil glands and the amount of oil they produce. The bacteria that causes acne lives in this skin oil, so less oil also means a dramatic reduction in the amount of bacteria present on the skin. One contributing cause of acne is clogged pores and medication for severe acne slows down cell production to minimise the amount of dead skin cells present on the surface of the skin. They also work as an anti-inflammatory agents.

According to the British Association of Dermatologists, about nine out of ten patients will see a significant improvement after just one course of treatment with medication for severe acne.

Often patients can spend many thousands of pounds on acne treatments with very mixed or short-lived results, yet medication for severe acne produces predictable, effective management of this condition. What has changed in recent years is the way prescribe this medication is prescribed. Much lower doses than in previous years are used, carefully monitoring patients throughout their course of medication for severe acne, and the vast majority of patients are highly satisfied with the results.

For more information on how we can treat both severe acne and acne scarring, please call the Specialist Skin Clinic on 02920 617690.

request a brochure

.

Specialist Skin Clinic
10 Penlline Road
Whitchurch
Cardiff
CF14 2AD

To book an appointment

T: 02920 617690

F: 02920 621209