Acne Treatment

About Acne Treatment

How our skin works

Our skin contains tiny microscopic holes called pores, the largest of which are on our face, back, chest and shoulders. These pores are our skin's opening to the outside world and allow our body to "breathe" if you will, releasing impurities and toxins.

One of the structures located deep within each pore is an oil-producing gland known as the sebaceous gland, which lubricates the skin keeping it soft and moist. Under normal circumstances, sebum, the oily substance made by this skin gland, travels up and out to the skin's surface. This oil production and subsequent release is part of a normal cycle occurring regularly throughout the day.

How acne is formed

The problem arises when certain genetic factors, such as increased hormone production for example (as occurs during puberty), causes this oil-producing process to go into overdrive, leading to an over-production of oil. Since the body can't keep up with this excessive oil production, it tends to accumulate and combine with dead skin cells located on the skin's surface to clog the pores.

Since the bacteria that are normally located on the surface of our skin feed on skin oil, the clogged pore with its trapped oil now becomes a feasting ground for them. As they eat the oils, they multiply and move deeper into the pores, becoming lodged underneath the skin's surface. This summons your immune system to attack and fight back.

Whitehead - If a pore that is clogged with oil, dead skin and bacteria is closed off by the body's immune response, and then proceeds to bulge out, you have what is known as a whitehead.

Blackhead - If a clogged pore stays open, the top portion may darken when it is exposed to the air, leaving you with a blackhead.

In some cases, the sebaceous or oil-producing gland itself can become infected, forming what is known as a cyst deep beneath the skin's surface. These acne cysts can rupture, spreading the infection into nearby skin tissue and often lead to those disfiguring acne scars.

Why you need laser acne removal

Therefore, it is the over-activity of the oil glands that is the true cause of acne.  And the problem will not go away with those topical skin cleansing systems and herbal remedies advertised on late night TV. The only FDA approved drugless method for treating acne at the source, which are the oil producing glands themselves, is Laser Acne Removal.  Medical clinical studies show that Acne can be drastically improved with the Candela Smoothbeam Laser. This laser treats the sebaceous glands in the dermis of the skin. The Smoothbeam Laser targets these glands resulting in prolonged reduction of oil secretions on the skin. A dramatic improvement can be achieved after four to five treatments with long lasting benefits.

More about Smoothbeam Laser Targets

The FDA has also recently approved the Smoothbeam laser for the treatment of atrophic acne scars. Existing therapies including dermabrasion, excisions, ablation and chemical peels have not been entirely effective.

The Smoothbeam is a diode laser that emits a series of laser pulses that target the second layer of skin. The laser energy induces a mild thermal injury to the area of the scar. The body's response is to initiate the formation of new, organised collagen, which results in the "lifting" or "filling in" of the indented area of the atrophic scar.