When I first entered the beauty industry as a Nurse Injector, I wasn’t even thinking about what could be done for my lips or wrinkles. My main concern was my skin. As someone who has struggled with active acne and the scarring that comes along with it, I was thrilled to find all of the effective treatments that exist. I wanted to correct my skin and have a clear face more than anything. Here is what worked for me.
Microneedling and Platelet-Rich-Plasma (PRP)
Instead of saving the best for last, I am throwing these two related treatments out upfront.
Microneedling is a collagen induction therapy. This treatment involves using a device with fine needles to create tiny punctures in the top layer of the skin. The process stimulates your skin’s natural ability to heal itself and, in the process, produces collagen and elastin — the skin’s process of repair results in a thickening of the derm. With its capacity to activate the generation of new skin cells, just a few treatments of micro-needling can noticeably reduce not only acne scarring but fine lines, pores, and wrinkles as well.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) involves shallow injections of your own platelets – which is a component of your blood. A small collection of your blood is collected and then spun in a centrifuge, which separates it into layers, leaving the platelet-rich-plasma. The PRP is removed and then injected into the problem areas. Platelets contain healing growth factors. Those growth factors essentially provide signals to your skin tissue to regenerate and multiply.
Microneedling can be combined with PRP treatment for an optimal outcome.
Skin Care Regimen
As I am sure most of you can attest, the lion’s share of over-the-counter skincare products marketed as acne combatants are rarely effective. There are many medical-grade products available on the market that most are unaware of exist because they can only be sold by certain entities. The brands that I carry, for example, include much stronger ingredients and work more effectively to combat acne as well as signs of aging. These medical-grade products work harder to cleanse, exfoliate, tone, and protect the skin. Most of these lines generally contain various products and have programs for users to follow, depending on their needs.
Facials
Another form of treatment I had not considered in the past were facials. There are several different forms of facials in existence, but one of the best options available for acne treatment is the HydraFacial MD®. It’s a very common treatment and has numerous cosmetic benefits to offer. It takes about 30 minutes and has the potential to assist in the fight against acne.
The treatment is comprised of several distinct steps. To start, we exfoliate and cleanse your skin. Then, a vortex-extraction nozzle is utilized to open your face pores, do away with dead skin cells, and remove the remains left behind by makeup (think of it as a little vacuum for your face). Finally, a serum is applied with a vortex-fusion tool that is used to infuse your skin with antioxidants and collagen. The serum is crucial because it promotes hydration and elasticity.
Chemical Grade Peels
For acne scars that aren’t as profound, a more topical procedure, like a chemical peel, may be sufficient to shed a layer of skin and reduce the appearance of scars ― this can be an effective way to treat both acne and acne scars.
As you’ve probably deduced, chemical peels use chemicals to strip off dead cells from the surface of the skin and is an effective way to accelerate the healing of active acne and scars. They work by lifting dead skin off the surface, which clears the way for more skin cells to migrate upward towards the surface of the skin from the layers below. These younger skin cells have more natural skin tones than the dead skin cells they replace; this gives pores on the face more room to drain and thus don’t clog as easily with dead skin cells and sebum (the oil that keep your face moisturized naturally).
To conclude, there are various options to help treat acne and acne scarring. The best option for you will depend on the distinct conditions that your skin is currently in but, any, or all these options can work miracles!
