Treatments for moderate to severe acne


How we treat moderate to severe acne


By Dr Fatima Ahmed


Acne can be mild, moderate or severe. The best treatments depend on the severity of the condition. If you have severe acne, you’ll be pleased to know that we have more weapons in our arsenal to help bring the condition under control to improve the appearance of your skin – and your confidence.

 

Acne treatments with one aim: reducing excess oil

Severe acne is normally characterised by a lot of angry red or pus-filled spots both on the face and elsewhere on the body. It may look more aggressive than milder forms of the condition, but it causes are the same: an excess of oil production, blocking pores and causing the normally harmless acne bacterium to multiply, leading to whiteheads, blackheads, infection and, ultimately, inflammation.

As the causes are the same, the aim of all our treatments is the same: to reduce the production of oil. Where we differ from other experts whom you may have consulted, such as your GP, is that we specialise in the treatment of acne, and consider all the causes behind it, treating it holistically with a really effective range of products.

We normally recommend a combination of treatments to help reduce the oil to bring your acne under control. Depending on what other treatments you have already tried, these might include:

  • Cleanser: Our wonderful cleanser takes away excess oiliness and is normally recommended along with other treatments
  • Topical medication
  • Chemical peels: salicylic acid peels specifically designed for acne; they come in different strengths, so we can tailor the peel for the severity of your acne
  • Extraction facials: in which one of our therapists manually remove any blackheads or open comedones
  • Laser procedures: an effective way of killing the infection through the heat beams
  • LED treatment: to kill the bacteria and so reduce inflammation
  • Antibiotics: an extended course of antibiotics (two to three months) to reduce the bacteria and infection
Treating stubborn acne

If you have very severe acne or if your acne doesn’t respond to other treatments, we will refer you to a consultant for Roaccutane. If we feel this is necessary, we will refer you back the NHS as it is the most cost-effective way of accessing this treatment, however, we make very few such referrals as this Vitamin A drug has severe side effects, requiring constant monitoring through blood tests and regular consultations. In our experience, all but a handful of patients can be treated successfully for their acne without needing to resort to this potentially dangerous treatment of last resort.

 

Improving scars and pigmentation

While acne in itself is unsightly, it is the long-term side-effects of scarring and hyperpigmentation that present a more serious problem for many patients, so once we have reduced the inflammation, we will assess with you the extent of any scarring and discuss options to alleviate this.

These include:

  • Chemical peels: Suitable for mild (superficial) scarring, they stimulate the production of collagen and elastin to improve the skin’s appearance. We choose the peel of the right strength for your scarring (they work to different depths).
  • Derma rolling: Creating microscopic wounds which induce collagen and elastin production to encourage the skin to heal the scars itself.
  • Platelet Rich Plasma injections: Containing stem cells to promote wound healing and the regeneration of elastin and collagen. Also known as Vampire or Twilight treatments because the platelet-rich blood is produced by placing a small amount of your own blood in a centrifuge.
  • CO2 laser fractional resurfacing: The laser evaporates 5% of the skin in tiny holes smaller than the width of a human hair; when they collapse it tightens the area of the skin and creates trauma which stimulates the production of collagen and elastin.
  • Subcision: The skin underneath deep scars forms adhesions which pull the skin down; we put a needle under the skin to break the adhesion. Subcision is mainly useful for rolling scars (read our guide to the different types of acne scars here.

 

 

 

Severe acne is not harmful in itself, but it can severely knock your confidence and can cause long-term scarring and hyperpigmentation. Fortunately, our range of treatments can dramatically reduce the condition and improve the appearance of your skin.


Book a no-obligation consultation to discuss acne treatment and other dermatology procedures with Dr Fatima Ahmed


Call 01892 22 22 22


Dr. Fatima AhmedMeet the expert

Dr Fatima Ahmed is a speciality doctor in dermatology and aesthetics, with special interests in acne, mole and skin lesion diagnosis.  With medical qualifications from Pakistan, Canada, the UK and USA, she achieved academic distinction at Cardiff University and received the Chancellor International Scholarship award at the University of Hertfordshire.  She has worked in South Asia, the Middle East and the UK.

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