Dermatologist vs. Aesthetician for Treating Acne

I understand why those who suffer from acne seek out a dermatologist.  After all, they are a medical doctor who spent years in school learning.  They are very important to our medical community.  They also accept health insurance and treating any health condition can be costly.  Why wouldn’t they be your first line of defense? 

Ask yourself these questions when considering consulting a dermatologist, or if you have worked with a dermatologist and feel you did not get the results you desired.

Did they take the time necessary to educate you about acne?  Meaning did they explain exactly what it is so that you could better understand the genetic disease you have.

Did they write you a prescription for oral antibiotics or topical products and send you on your way?

Did you feel that your skin condition was not taken seriously?

Did they explain exactly what the prescriptions were going to do in order to alleviate your acne?

Did they take photos of your skin?

Did they require you to see them again in two weeks so that they could see the results and form a plan to go forward?

Did they share with you that your skin may adapt to what they gave you and that at that time your routine would need to be adjusted?

Many of my clients have come to me after they have worked with a dermatologist or their primary care physician and did not get the results they were seeking.  They now have the belief that “nothing works.”

There are some valid reasons to seek the consul of an aesthetician or skin care therapist. 

The have gone to school to treat skin.

A good aesthetician will continue his or her education, just as physicians do.

They will usually take the time to educate you about acne and the entire process you will go through to clear it. 

They will take pictures so that as you go through the process of clearing your skin you have something for comparison.

They will follow-up with you on a bi-monthly basis until you achieve clear skin.

Your success is very important to an aesthetician.

Just some things to think about when seeking help for acne.

May all of you who suffer from acne get the results you desire – CLEAR SKIN!

So Many Acne Myths

First, nothing causes acne but there are things that can exacerbate it.  Acne is a genetic disease and you are born with it.  One of the important things I do in my practice is educate clients about all the myths surrounding acne.  Because these myths have been repeated for years, people believe them.  If you are going to clear your skin from acne, whether on your own, or with the help of a professional, you need to quit believing the myths.  I actually have clients repeat these myths to me all the time and they firmly believe them.  When someone has suffered for years and tried everything they usually are speaking from a place of what has and has not worked for them.  However, they may have not been using topical products correctly, they may have given up when it didn’t work right away because they did not possess the knowledge to use them in the correct manner or they were prescribed the wrong thing to successfully treat their acne.

Following is a list of the most popular myths:

Eating chocolate and greasy foods causes acne.

Too much or not enough sex causes acne.

Dirty skin and dirty hair hanging in your face causes acne.

Acne only affects teenagers.

Make-up will improve your acne.

There is nothing that will successfully treat acne.

I don’t really have acne, my complexion is just bad.

I hear this last one often and it’s never fun to inform someone that they actually do have acne, that it’s not just a complexion problem and that if they would start treating it right away they could stop the damage that might occur if it is left untreated.

Stop believing the myths so that you can successfully treat your acne and have clear skin.

Acne Scarring

Over the years in my practice I have had numerous clients inquire about acne scarring and what can be done for it.  That depends on what type of acne scarring you want to correct. 

There is the “pitted” scarring which means there has been tissue damage in the dermal layer of your skin.  Some of the terms are ice-pick, rolling and boxcar scarring.  This type of scarring can be difficult to correct as the tissue that was damaged due to an acne lesion has been destroyed.  When the healing occurs, your epidermal layer (the surface layer) has no alternative but to re-adhere to what is left in the dermal layer, creating the “dents” in your skin.  When someone promises you they can change this, be cautious and educate yourself.  Some acne sufferers have experienced significant improvement in their scarring with laser treatments that are complimented by dermal filler injections following the treatments.  The dermal fillers will lift the depressions in the skin so they do not appear to deep.  This type of treatment does require some down time where you do not want to go back into public for 7-10 days.

Discoloration of the skin, commonly called hyperpigmentation or dark spots, is another type of acne scarring.  This can, most of the time, be corrected with lightening agents or bleaching creams such as hydroquinone, mandelic acid, various chemical peels or microdermabrasion treatments.  This process often requires a series of treatments and patience.  If the damage is in the dermal layer (below the surface) and has been present for many years, you may have a tougher time treating it.  When treating this type of scarring it is imperative that the skin be protected at all times from the sun.

If you suffer from acne scarring, do your research, educate yourself and seek professional assistance.

Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome and Acne

If you suffer from Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome (“PCOS”) it is likely you may develop acne along with it.  An acne sufferer who has PCOS may find it harder to clear the acne.  Don’t give up!  See your physician for a medical diagnosis.  If you are diagnosed with PCOS you should share this with your skin care therapist.

PCOS means that you have a higher level of androgen (male) hormones in your body which is one of the reasons you may develop acne.  Topical products are the recommended treatment.

If you are having troubles clearing your skin with topical products a common drug your physician may prescribe is Spironolactone.  This can be used in combination with the topical products provided by your skin care therapist.  Spironolactone has anti-androgenic properties. It also decreases oil production.

Acne is a difficult condition to treat and is often exacerbated by PCOS due to the over production of androgen.