WellMedica

Acne Treatment

Although many people will experience acne reduction as they get older, some will experience acne as a lifelong issue.

Acne Treatment

Our clinic has a proven track record when it comes to acne treatment. Board-certified laser cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Dima Ali has helped hundreds of patients clear up their acne breakouts. You deserve clear, acne-free skin, let us help. Read more about our process below, or contact us today for more information.

ACNE TREATMENT | BEFORE & AFTERS

ACNE TREATMENT

Although many people will experience acne reduction as they get older, some will experience acne as a lifelong issue. It commonly occurs during the teenage years due to hormonal surges, but adult acne is not uncommon – even in those who have never experienced it as teenagers.  The main reason to treat acne is to avoid scarring, which is more difficult to treat. In addition, acne scarring can be socially debilitating for many people.  Wellmedica offers a wide variety of acne treatments for all skin types. Although acne is most commonly treated with topicals and antibiotics, high-tech solutions offer more effective and long-term solutions, especially for acne scarring.

What is Acne?

Acne is an inflammatory disorder of pilosebaceous units (hair shafts, the hair follicles, the sebaceous glands, and the arrector pili muscles). The most common characteristics are closed or open lesions (whiteheads and blackheads), inflamed papules, pustules, nodules, and cysts. These can lead to significant scarring and skin pigment changes. Although acne is typically a symptom of adolescence, it can also affect men and women in their forties and fifties.

Acne lesions primarily occur on the face, neck, upper back, and chest. A patient may be diagnosed with chronic acne by determining the spread, type, and number of the lesions and the presence of heavy scarring.

Symptoms of Acne

The symptoms of acne will vary from patient to patient and depend on severity. Some of the most common symptoms include:

  • Whiteheads
  • Blackheads
  • Papules
  • Pustules –  inflamed bumps filled with pus
  • Nodules – painful, large, and hard bumps
  • Cystic Lesions – painful, pus-filled lumps under the skin

These symptoms are often painful and embarrassing for many people. Often times, pustules and cysts will leave behind scarring even after the outbreak has cleared up.

What Causes Acne?

Acne occurs as a result of excess oil (sebum) production and dead skin, which in turn clogs pores and hair follicles leaving behind painful bumps. Although the true cause behind acne is not fully understood, there are various factors that could potentially lead to an outbreak, even in your older years.

Risk Factors

Some of the more noticeable factors that may make your skin more acne prone include:

Age: although it is possible to have acne midlife, it is more common during your teen years

Hormonal changes: hormonal changes, especially during puberty, will increase androgens causing an acne outbreak. Hormonal changes midlife, such as menopause, can cause an acne outbreak.

Medications: hormonal medications or other drugs containing corticosteroids or lithium may make your skin more prone to acne.

Diet: Some believe that diet may contribute to acne outbreaks. Although, more studies are necessary to determine whether dietary restrictions help relieve acne symptoms.

Family history: Genetics can be a potential risk factor for developing acne in your teens or later on. If your parents had acne, it is likely you will too.

Stress: Although acne does not occur due to stress, it is possible that stressing about your acne may make the outbreak worse.

Squeezing or popping pimples:

Scrubbing skin too harshly or using harsh chemicals too often

Can Acne be Avoided or Prevented?

Acne cannot be avoided nor can it be prevented. However, there are ways to reduce potential scarring. Various treatments are available to you if you are seeking to reduce the presence of acne on your body. In many cases, your general practitioner or dermatologist will recommend topical ointments or antibiotics.

Many over-the-counter topical creams and lotions contain benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. And, although it is a commonly recommended treatment, it may take weeks to show improvement and may cause increased skin irritation, dryness, or inflammation. Other antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medications may also have serious side-effects. It is best to talk with your doctor before using any over-the-counter acne treatments.

Some of the more prominent treatments for acne scarring include: skin peels, skin ablation, and laser or light treatments.

When To See A Doctor

You should see your doctor if your acne becomes severe or does not resolve with home remedies. A dermatologist will be your best bet for receiving lasting treatments.

How to Treat Acne

We understand that acne scarring can often leave patients feeling self-conscious and can lead to a continuous journey to find which treatment best relieves embarrassing symptoms. From over-the-counter topical retinoids, topical antibiotics, oral antibiotics, or to at home natural remedies, the journey may seem endless. However, we at Wellmedica offer high-tech solutions that can offer a more lasting and effective way for treating acne scarring.

Cosmetic Treatments For Acne

There are many efficient and prolific cosmetic treatments that help with acne reduction. Cosmetic treatments for acne include but are not limited to:

Chemical Peels

Chemical Peel Treatment is not a new thing anymore, it is a trend that’s continued to grow since its inception. Chemical peel treatment is an in-office treatment involving the placement of a chemical on the skin’s surface to treat facial wrinkles, abnormal skin growths, or abnormal skin pigmentation. It’s a treatment available to people of all ages whenever the first effects of photo aging (damaging effects of sunlight on skin) begin to be visible on facial skin. At WellMedica, we provide our customers with a chemical solution that is applied to the skin, which makes it “blister” and eventually peel off. The new skin is usually smoother and less wrinkled than the old skin.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is a minimally invasive procedure used to renew and refresh your skin tone and texture. Combined with a special applicator and an abrasive surface, we gently sand away the top layer of skin to rejuvenate it. This process is often helpful for people who have fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, enlarged pores and blackheads, acne and acne scars, stretch marks, uneven skin tone and texture, melasma, and/or sun damage.

Intralesional Corticosteroid Injection

Intralesional corticosteroid injections are typically used to treat painful cysts or deep nodules that are more prone to scar. The corticosteroid is directly injected into the cyst or nodule and will help reduce its size. The needle is much smaller than your typical vaccine or shot needle and is designed to enter the skin with very little pain.

Blue-band Light Therapy

Blue-band light therapy is an effective way of treating acne scarring while also reducing sebum production and sebaceous gland size. Although blue light therapy may have difficulty preventing or reducing non-inflammatory  acne, there have been countless studies showing how applying light therapy twice a week for four weeks has successfully reduced inflammatory lesions as well as reducing acne scarring, acne presence, and rejuvenating the skin.

Laser Resurfacing

Laser therapy is an advanced non-invasive treatment for acne, acne scars, and fine lines. The laser uses a combination of skin heating and cooling to selectively heat the middle layer of the skin. By heating the middle layer (dermis) it is possible to gently treat a variety of skin problems.

The most common side effect is mild redness in spots lasting about a few hours. Rare side effects can include blistering or color changes. Scarring is extremely rare, but possible with any treatment of the skin. Even though the laser is cutting edge technology, there is a chance it may not sufficiently treat your skin problem.

Photodynamic Therapy

At WellMedica, we provide Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) laser treatment. Photodynamic Therapy Laser Treatment is also a solution to other skin conditions, some of these conditions are discussed below. Photodynamic Therapy also known as ALA (PDT), is a treatment performed with a typical photo-sensitizing agent called Levulan ( 5- aminolevulinic acid or ALA) that is applied to your skin and then activated with the correct wavelength of light.

Injectable Fillers

At WellMedica we use Bellafill for Acne Scars. This has given our patients fabulous results from some of the most difficult cases of acne scarring our practice has come across. Bellafill is the first and only injectable filler that is FDA approved to treat acne scars. This filler that fades acne scars by adding volume to them, and bringing them to the level of surrounding skin. Bellafill will keep this volume throughout one year.Bellafill reduces the look of acne scars in two ways. First, it’s remarkably small polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres are suspended in a smooth collagen gel. The diameter of each microsphere is less than that of a human hair. This makes them not visible to the naked eye. Once your Doctor injects this using a fine needle below the depression you will notice the filler providing an immediate improvement. Usually within minutes, or when leaving the office. Secondly, the PMMA microspheres form a supportive scaffold allowing your own collagen to build upon. Therefore, as the gel breaks down over time, your collagen forms a foundation. This foundation adds volume to the acne scars providing an improvement that can last for an entire year.

Table Of Contents

Acne Treatment
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What Is Acne?
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What Cause Acne?
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Can Acne Be Avoided or Prevented?
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When to See A Doctor?
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CONTACT US

Contact Info

1801 Robert Fulton Dr. Suite 540
Reston, VA 20191
phone# 703-787-9866
Fax# 703-787-9861

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MONDAY
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FRIDAY
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

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