Active Acne by Artisan

In Singapore, there are many current active acne treatments that have been proven efficient by patients. At Artisan, we personalize active acne treatment plans for each patient according to severity of the patient’s condition, medical history, allergies, skin type and sensitivity.

Acne breakouts can affect people’s mental health and self esteem. If not treated immediately and properly, they can leave acne scars on the skin.

Artisan Clinic Singapore > Active Acne

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What is active acne?

Acne is a skin condition that occurs when hair follicles are plugged with oil and dead skin cells. Under skin, our pores are connected to glands to form an oily substance known as sebum. These glands are and pores are linked by a canal known as a follicle that grows out thin hair to the skin’s surface. When sebum and dead skin cells clump together, a plug in the follicle forms, thereby causing inflammation and red pimples. Many often think acne and pimples are the same thing; however pimples are just one of the symptoms of acne.

Healthy pore

Clogged pore with trapped sebum and dead skin cells

Whitehead formation

Blackhead formation

Papule formation

Pustules formation

Someone suffering from acne would also experience the following:

Blackheads

Whiteheads

Papules

Pustules (also known as pimples)

Cysts

Nodules

Acne can appear anywhere on the back, chest, neck, shoulders, buttocks and upper arms. Each patient has different condition, therefore we personalize treatment plans according to severity of the patient’s condition, medical history, allergies, skin type and sensitivity. Often, doctors like to combine acne treatments e.g. topical acne creams with laser for better acne treatment outcome.

Current acne treatment options include:

TOPICAL ACNE CREAMS

Topical acne creams prescribed by doctors containing retinoid and benzoyl have anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-comedomal properties. These properties provide a multi-prong approach to acne. Prescription creams have remained a mainstay of acne treatment in the last 25 years and are used to treat moderate acne.

ORAL ANTIBIOTICS

Oral antibiotics like doxycycline and commonly prescribed for inflammatory acne and work by reducing bacteria and fighting inflammation. Studies have shown that oral antibiotics are safe and highly effective in treating acne, especially cystic acne in adults.

ORAL RETINOIDS

Oral retinoids like oral isotretinoin is recognised as the gold standard of medication that works on even the most severe form of acne that does not respond to other treatments. It reduces oil secretion by 90% within 6 weeks of treatment and blackheads and whiteheads by 90% within 3 months. However, serious side effects like liver failure, depression and birth defects could occur.

FACIAL TREATMENTS

Facial treatments can be useful for mild acne. However, instead of going for facials at beauty salons, opt for medical facials instead. Medical facials use water pressure and a textured tip for physical exfoliation, acids for chemical exfoliation and suction to ensure dead skin is left off the surface. Devices and treatments like LED light therapy and micro currents may also be used for bactericidal effects.

CHEMICAL PEELS

While there are different kinds of chemical peels out there, generally chemical peels are useful in penetrating comedones and pores to clean up the skin, prevent clogging and neutralise bacteria. Jessners’ Peels are commonly used for acne treatment due to their anti-inflammatory properties and combination of active ingredients. Each ingredient has its own unique benefits and mechanism of action. As some peels are better for infected acne or acne marks, the type of chemical peel used will be determined by your doctor after assessment of your skin.

STEROID INJECTIONS

Steroid injections are usually used as instant reliefs for emergency situations. Steroid injections instantly reduce inflammation and are especially useful for adult cystic acne.

LASERS

In recent times, laser therapy have become increasingly popular in the treatment of active acne. Not only do lasers show promising results, they are also non invasive procedures with minimal downtime. While there needs to be more research on the best laser for acne, a current favourite among doctors and patients is the PicoSure Laser. The pico laser comes with multiple wavelengths and lenses to treat across different stages and types of acne, be it inflammation or acne scarring. With that said, results from lasers vary between patients and some may require more treatment sessions than others.

What you should know about Active Acne

What's the difference between adult acne and teenage acne?

Acne formed during teenage years tend to form at the T-zone and appear mostly as tiny superficial blackheads and the occasional pimple.

Adult acne, on the other hand, is a lot more complicated and difficult to treat. Adult acne is mostly triggered by hormonal fluctuations; hence it affects women more than men as women deal with pregnancy, menstruation and menopause. Adult acne also occurs mostly along the jawline and chin and tend to be more cystic.

Which is the best acne treatment?

While there are many treatment options for acne, there is no one best treatment as acne treatments are highly dependent on the severity of the patient’s condition, medical history, allergies, skin type and sensitivity. Often, doctors like to combine acne treatments e.g. topical acne creams with laser for better acne treatment outcome.