Acne and impurities
Acne refers to an inflammatory disorder of the pilosebaceous unit. It is a common skin condition, affecting approximately 80% of people at some point in their lives. For most, the symptoms are mild and transient, but for some, acne can be severe and leave permanent scars on the skin.
The most common causes of acne are currently thought to be the blockage of sebaceous glands, excessive sebum production, the proliferation of acne-type probiotic bacteria on the skin, an imbalance in this bacterial population and skin inflammation. Genetics and hormones also influence the onset and severity of acne.
For many patients, acne runs in their immediate family. Internal factors beyond complete control include, for example, pregnancy, genetics, hormones, or medication. External factors that we can control include stress, diet, lifestyle, and improper skincare routines.
Symptoms
The skin changes characteristic of acne are whiteheads, blackheads (comedones), pimples and pustules (papulopustular acne), and in severe cases deep, larger nodules and cavernous changes in the skin (cystic acne). The skin changes are usually most prominent on the midface, forehead and chin, but in some patients they also appear on the neck, upper back, chest and shoulders. Acne comes in varying levels of intensity.
Different subtypes of acne:
1. Comedo acne
The main skin lesions are black and whiteheads, i.e. open and closed comedones. Little or no inflammatory changes are seen on the skin, i.e. pimples or pustules.
2. Papular acne
The skin has mostly red pimples.
3. Papulopustular acne
A moderate form of acne with comedones, red inflamed nodules called papules, and pustules.
4. Cystic acne and other severe forms of the condition
In addition to whiteheads, blackheads, pimples and pustules, there are deep cavernous lesions, often painful and scarring. Skin changes may also affect the body, especially the upper back, shoulders and chest.
Treatment
At Klinik Linnea, we treat acne with high-quality medical skin care at home and in clinics. The first important step in acne treatment is to identify the patient’s skin type and select the right skin care products for home skin care.
The medical skincare homecare protocol typically includes a high-quality cleansing system, consisting of a cleanser, exfoliant, and a toner that soothes sebum production and inflammation. Targeted treatments, such as vitamin A-based preparations (retinoids), are used to regulate and treat bacterial levels, sebum, inflammation, and structural issues in the skin. Maintaining the moisture balance and protective barrier of acne-prone skin is also crucial to calming inflammation and preventing symptoms such as dryness. Daily protection with broad-spectrum UV sunscreen is essential for skin health.
For clinic treatments, we recommend pHformula’s AC and CR coating treatments for acne management, ZO Skin Health Stimulator/Restorative Peel, AlumierMD chemical peels, HydraPeel treatment, Fractora radiofrequency treatment, and Hollywood Spectra AcnePeel laser treatment.
Treatment of ance scars
For some patients, acne can be severe and leave permanent scars on the skin. The development of scars is individual, but the risk is generally higher in severe forms of acne. The best treatment for scars is to prevent their formation, which involves starting acne treatment early and continuing it for a sufficient duration. Most acne scars improve after the acne has subsided. Remedial measures should be considered if one wants to expedite scar healing and if severe acne scars are present. After isotretinoin treatment, scar correction treatments should be initiated no earlier than six months afterward. In Klinik Linnea’s service range, you will find a wide variety of treatments for scar management.
We recommend, for example, a series of microneedling sessions, RF needling such as Morpheus8 and Fractora treatments, Cellbooster LIFT mesotherapy, pHformula TCA coating treatments, Hollywood Spectra laser treatment, Tience treatment, Skinboosters treatment, and ZO Skin Health or Alumier MD medical-grade retinol for improving skin texture.
Klinik Linnea recommends
In the treatment of acne, an essential role is played by a medical homecare program aimed at treating impurities and effectively reducing sebum production, combined with clinic treatments suitable for acne-prone skin.
