Supportive Acne Treatment

Understanding the causes of acne helps with self care, in knowing why successful treatments work and that you are far from alone.

---

Acne affects almost all young people, can often run in families and is triggered by hormonal changes, in young men and women.

Oil producing sebaceous glands in our skin are sensitive to increased levels of the hormones which appear around puberty, causing excess keratin and oil to be produced. Rather than be released, dead skin cells and other matter clog up the follicles.

Most adolescents will have a few spots on their face, neck, back, or chest. In many cases, the issue is a moderate number of blackheads, or whiteheads, which can be treated with benzoyl peroxide cream from your pharmacist.

For other young people, acne can be a serious condition, psychologically and physically. Pus filled cysts develop, similar to boils, or hard nodules beneath the surface of their skin.

This severe acne has the most effect and carries the greatest risk of scarring. A consultation with a specialist dermatologist and dedicated treatment make sense.

Safe Diagnosis & Covid-19

Patient safety is our first concern, not least during the coronavirus pandemic. Appointments at our clinic are available, although we try to focus on using our secure teledermatology service where possible.

In a medical field dealing with a visible area, our skin, this is often sufficient for a consultant dermatologist to offer an accurate diagnosis, including for acne. Your initial consultation is likely to be by video link.

Even if attendance is best for you (a small number of cases) this will be in a well managed environment and follow up appointments can be by video. A convenient, risk free approach, which in no way lessens the care you receive.

Acne Treatment in London

If your acne is severe, or does not respond to over the counter products, our specialist team can help. Acne treatment in our London clinic starts with a personal assessment, by video or in person, an appointment with a consultant.

They will give you a detailed diagnosis, discuss your condition and any lifestyle changes which may assist. A treatment plan will be created, to match the exact condition you have, which can combine different elements:

• Topical Treatments – cream for your skin
• Antibiotics – taken by mouth in tablet form
• Contraceptive pills – again taken orally
• Isotretinoin – capsules, rather than a gel
• Laser therapy – or light based alternatives
• Chemical skin peels & microdermabrassion

You can find links in the additional menu to explanations of individual treatments and self help. Each aspect can be discussed in detail during appointments, where consultants work with you on a personal basis.

A single choice, or an holistic balance of acne treatment techniques is able to bring solutions. This includes recalcitrant, or inflammatory acne, or cases which have failed to respond to other treatment.

Where a patient has been affected at quite a young age, our consultants are used to offering suitable support. By all means mention that you wish to see a children’s dermatologist if you prefer to do so.

Post Acne Scarring

Acne can cause a loss of self confidence at any stage. This can be heightened by severe acne and more so if this results in scarring, caused by nodules, or cysts bursting and damaging nearby skin.

Good treatment at the time can help prevent scarring, neither should you feel you need to live with this in later life. A detailed assessment by one of our consultants can point to one of a range of modern treatment options.

They include radiofrequency, or laser treatment and specialist surgical approaches. You can read more from the menu linked below, your consultant will also give all the time you need to reach a solution.

---