Menu

Where You’re Going Wrong Treating Adult Acne

How to treat adult acneAcne is a common skin condition which affects many people in different strengths. But whether you suffer from the odd breakout and blemish, blackheads or painful acne lesions, it can be difficult to find a treatment which effectively soothes your skin. Contrary to popular belief acne is not a teenage problem. In fact it effects people in their twenties, thirties, forties and, sometimes, even their fifties. When you’re well into adulthood dealing with acne can be upsetting and annoying. It is probably a problem you thought you would grow out of years ago, and it may make you feel self-conscious and unattractive. What you might not know if you’re still suffering with acne well into adulthood is that even though it doesn’t look like it, your skin is changing. No longer can you reach for the same products that you did in your teens, and if this is what you are doing then it may help explain why you’re still suffering with frequent breakouts.

Adult Acne – The Mistakes / Misconceptions

1. Using over-drying products
In your teens it’s common to have oily skin so you probably used products with drying and antibacterial properties to combat this. However as you get older you skin becomes drier, so using harsh products like this actually has a negative effect. These products don’t strip away excess oil, they remove all the skin’s natural oils as well. Your responds to this by producing even more oil as it thinks it is dehydrated and needs to protect itself. Look for products which treat acne and encourage cell turnover as well.

2. Using Too Much Product
When you have a breakout it can be tempting to slather your entire face in topical spots treatments but this really isn’t necessary. For most people their adult acne breakouts are not as widespread as the ones they had when they were teenagers, so instead applying spot treatments to your entire face just apply it directly to the actual blemish. Choose a formula specially designed to treat you type of breakout, in your thirties you are prone to cystic acne lesions – painful, under-the-skin bumps.

3. Not Thinking About Skin Concerns
It’s not just the acne you have to deal with, but a host of other skin problems too. Your skin is ageing, and you need to find products which effectively deal with this too. Picking products which are both hydrating and exfoliating is the key to targeting adult acne breakouts. By exfoliating the skin you’re able to remove dead skin cells, dirt and impurities which build up on the skin’s surface and lead to breakouts. Regular exfoliation also keeps your complexions looking radiant and youthful because you’re allowing newer, healthier cells to come through. The trick is not too over do it as this will irritate the skin and possibly lead to more breakouts. If you have a lot of whiteheads and painful cystic acne you may want avoid exfoliating for the time being as this will damage the spots and leave them open to collect more dirt and bacteria.

What To Do Next?

If you’re still suffering with stubborn breakouts and blemishes, which seem to be resistant to any type of skincare product or prescription medicine, then you might want to try a stronger treatment. The Obagi skincare systems are designed to prevent and improve common and visible skin disorders in common skin, and they are particularly effective at treating and calming acne prone skin which has become resistant to other conventional forms of treatment. You could try a course of Isolaz treatments, a pain-free photo-neumatic treatment which could give you a 75% improvement in the appearance of acne lesion in two months. Isolaz treats acne by getting to the root of the problem, a special treatment tip is used to vacuum acne impurities, dirt and bacteria from the pores before broadband light is applied to kill acne-causing bacteria. Finally the vacuum tip used to gently stretch the skin so topical treatments can be applied with more effectiveness.

Botox Myths – We Tell All

is botox bad for youRarely a day goes by without there being some mention in the media of Botox. Most commonly it is stories mentioning celebrities, who’s had it done, who’s denying they’ve had the treatment, who says they’re open to have treatment in the future and who has sworn of Botox completely. Quite often we hear of the negative side effects of Botox, and about those who have had poor results, which can make us feel Botox is unwise, unsafe and risky.

Most recently Jerry Hall was quoted as saying that she believe women who turn to cosmetic surgery to combat ageing are ‘lunatics’ and that she won’t be having Botox because it’s ‘poison’. While having cosmetic surgery is a deeply personal choice, and not one which everyone wants to go through, both women and men are perfectly at liberty to opt to have surgery for aesthetic reasons. Although these anti-wrinkle injections are one of the most popular non-surgical treatments worldwide, there are many myths which persist about it and which give Botox a bad name. We’ve debunked three of the most Botox myths for you below.

1. Anyone Can Administer It
Botox is a prescription only medicine and must be treated as such. Only a qualified medical professional, such as a plastic surgeon or aesthetic nurse, with the right training should be performing Botox injections. Unfortunately Botox is not regulated so it is widely available from a number of places, and people who have had no experience of Botox can easily set themselves up to offer injections. If such a place offers you Botox injections or someone offers to visit you at home to perform the injections then alarm bells really should start to ring. All the side effects we hear about from Botox, such as a frozen expression, drooping eyebrows or eyelids and double vision, are usually a result of inexperience application.

2. It Is Unsafe
As we usually hear about people who had a negative reaction to the treatment, rather than those who have had a positive enhancement, it can lead us to believe the it is an unsafe treatment that we should never consider. While there are risks associated with all surgical and non-surgical procedures, Botox has been studied for use in humans for over 100 years and is completely safe. It has been the subject of over 2000 peer reviewed studies and research papers. Again the results of Botox are dependant on the skill of the practitioner not the product, bad results are most likely the result of inexperienced applications – from injecting too much Botox, injecting the Botox too regularly or injected the Botox into the wrong area.

3. Only Used For Facial Wrinkles
Although these anti-wrinkle injections are best known as highly effective wrinkle treatment it actually has a wide variety of uses. The injections on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, forehead and underneath the arms can help reduce excessive sweating, and Botox can also be used in some cases to help those with migraines. In the USA it’s also commonly used to relieve foot pain, the nasty side effect of spending hours wearing stilettos, and Botox injections in the calf can also help to reduce their size. Further research into Botox may also bring to light even more uses for Botox, at the moment it’s being suggested that it may be able to help with knee pain and be an alternative to more invasive knee surgery.

If you would like to find out more Botox and how it could help you, book a consultation with one of our aesthetic nurses here.

    • REQUEST A CONSULTATION