Acne and Acne Scarring
Acne is a chronic inflammatory skin problem that leaves you with open or closed clogged pores, pimples, and cysts on visible areas of your body like your face, upper back, shoulders, and chest. The problem tends to crop up wherever there is an abundance of oil glands in the skin. While it came to fame by spotty teens coping with acne, the condition also affects adults, particularly women.
How Does Acne and Acne Scarring Develop?
For some people, stress seems to worsen their acne. You develop acne when a pore in your skin develops clogging. Normally, these are just dead skin cells in your pores, which are pushed to the surface and shed. If your body makes excessive sebum or oil, these dead skin cells can start to clump and stick together in the pore instead of getting pushed out. Bacteria on your skin too can trap in that clogged pore – an environment that is perfect for these microorganisms to multiply rapidly. This excessive replication of bacteria makes the pore go swollen and red from inflammation. You may also develop nodules or cysts if that inflammation runs deep.
What Are the Signs?
Acne can grow and spread due to many causes, and many of these are under study to this day. Hormonal change around pregnancy, using oral contraceptives or other reasons can make acne worse. Medicines that contain testosterone, lithium or corticosteroids can also bring on the breakouts. Family history and your genes may have a part to play too. Chances are, if both your parents had acne, you might too. Poor dietary choices like eating many high carb foods like bread or chips can make it worse. Chocolate is another food that can lead to breakouts. However, the link between diet and acne needs more research. What will help though is to see if any of these foods seem to present a problem for you, you could explore this during a consultation with your doctor.
Spotting Acne Symptoms
Acne can show up in half a dozen different ways, typically on your face, back, chest, shoulders, neck, upper arms, as well as buttocks. Here are some possible symptoms of the problem:
- Open clogged pores called Blackheads
- Closed and clogged pores called Whiteheads
- Small red tender bumps called Papules
- Pimples or Pustules – these are papules that have pus on their tip
- Cysts – pus-filled and painful lumps just below the surface of the skin.
- Painful large solid bumps beneath the skin’s surface called Nodules
Acne Treatment Options
At Skin Spa by Dr. Kia, we offer a range of treatment options for helping you combat the signs of acne at our boutique and luxury med spa in Brentwood. Our selection includes exfoliating facials, microneedling solutions, non-invasive radiofrequency, and skin rejuvenating lasers. We also offer allergy testing to help determine if your environment or food intake is contributing to your breakouts. Allergy testing is a great tool because it helps to diagnose both food and environmental causes that might contribute to frequent acne on the face and body. If you are struggling with unwanted acne, an allergy test may be a great option for you. For acne scars, Morpheus8 RF microneedling is one of our most requested options; see our Morpheus8 acne scar results. If you’re interested in a specific treatment, visit the pages below:
Acne and Scarring Treatments in Los Angeles, CA
If you are struggling with frequent breakouts or have residual acne scarring, our team at Skin Spa by Dr. Kia a Boutique med spa in Brentwood can help. We offer consultations for both our aesthetic treatments as well as allergy testing to determine a cause and give solutions. We welcome you to learn more about your options before you commit. To get started, fill out and submit the form below or call us at (310) 312-1231. We look forward to meeting you!
Frequently Asked Questions About Acne and Acne Scarring in Los Angeles
What causes acne?
Acne develops when a pore in your skin becomes clogged. Normally, dead skin cells in your pores are pushed to the surface and shed, but when your skin makes excess sebum, or oil, those cells can clump together and stay in the pore. Bacteria can then multiply inside the clogged pore, which makes it swollen and red from inflammation. When that inflammation runs deep, nodules or cysts can form.
What can make acne worse?
Hormonal changes, such as those around pregnancy or from oral contraceptives, can make acne worse, and medicines that contain testosterone, lithium, or corticosteroids can bring on breakouts. Family history plays a part too: if both of your parents had acne, you may develop it as well. Stress seems to worsen acne for some people, and high-carb foods may contribute, although the link between diet and acne needs more research.
What are the different types of acne?
Acne can show up as blackheads (open clogged pores), whiteheads (closed clogged pores), papules (small, red, tender bumps), pustules (papules with pus at the tip), nodules (large, solid, painful bumps beneath the skin), and cysts (painful, pus-filled lumps just below the surface). It typically appears on the face, back, chest, shoulders, neck, upper arms, and buttocks.
Does acne only affect teenagers?
No. Acne is best known as a teenage problem, but it also affects adults, particularly women. It tends to appear wherever the skin has an abundance of oil glands, such as the face, upper back, shoulders, and chest.
What acne treatments do you offer?
At our Brentwood med spa, treatment options for acne include exfoliating facials, microneedling, non-invasive radiofrequency, and skin-rejuvenating lasers. We also offer allergy testing to help determine whether your environment or the foods you eat contribute to your breakouts.
How do you treat acne scars?
For acne scars, Morpheus8 RF microneedling is one of our most requested options, and you can see results in our Morpheus8 before and after gallery. Our options for acne and acne scarring also include Fraxel® Skin Rejuvenation, Microneedling with PRP, PicoFOCUS® Skin Rejuvenation, chemical peels, AquaGold® fine touch™, and microdermabrasion. Dr. Kia reviews your skin and your goals at a consultation before recommending treatment.
Can allergy testing help with acne?
Allergy testing can help diagnose food and environmental causes that may contribute to frequent acne on the face and body. We offer consultations for both our aesthetic treatments and allergy testing, so if breakouts keep coming back, Dr. Kia can tell you whether an allergy test is a good option for you.