Acne Awareness Month!

Summer has officially started, (even if we’re unable to really tell at the moment) meaning heat and humidity intensifies oil production, clogs pores with dirt and debris & adding sweat into the mix then creates the perfect environment for acne-causing P.acnes bacteria to fester and grow. Also, in summer, due primarily to sweating, people tend to touch their faces more and wipe areas of sweat, both of which exacerbate the potential for acne to appear and flare-ups to seem more angry. We’ve got some amazing tips to manage and prevent acne in the coming months, whether it be a sudden breakout or if you’re a consistent sufferer:

• 💦 Although it may seem counter-intuitive to use a moisturiser when your skin is producing excess oil that can lead to acne, it is essential to maintain a healthy skin barrier. Regular use of a high-quality, pharmacosmeceutical, lightweight moisturiser that contains ceramides, Hyaluronic Acid (HA), or Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) can be beneficial, and is encouraged here at ESHO. MD, especially for those with acne-prone skin.

• ☀️ Regular SPF Protection is also a critical component in summer skincare. If not already a staple in your morning skincare routine, be sure to get in the habit now. To help prevent acne flare-ups, using an oil-free, mineral-based, medical-grade SPF 30 or 50 is your best protection against UV damage or further pigmentation.

• 👚 An obvious, but often forgotten tip, especially those who are suseptible to body acne, includes being cautious with chosen laundry detergents, and ensuring their changing and washing their bedding, pillowcases & activewear often. Scented laundry detergents, additives, and fabric softeners leave harmful residues that can irritate sensitive skin, cause contact dermatitis, and worsen acne or eczema. Pillowcases can be sadly neglected, change cotton pillowcases every two or three days and silk pillowcases every week! As the latter doesn’t absorb dirt and oil, it can go longer between washes and will even have a healthier effect on your hair!

• 🍽 If you’ve tried nearly every topical and are still having difficulties, its best to try looking into having your Hormones/Intolerances checked. Acne can be caused by food allergies that patients might not even realise they have. Understanding triggers through a professional food intolerance, hormone or gut health test is an amazing way to supplement a smooth complexion whilst looking after your insides too!

• 🥗 Several studies have shown that people with acne have less bacterial diversity in their guts than others and have increased intestinal permeability, meaning the gut allows compounds other than nutrients and water to pass through into the bloodstream, otherwise known, as a leaky gut. To reverse these effects, maintaining bacterial diversity and gut health, aim for as many different plant foods a week by eating the rainbow! Polyphenols are compounds in colourful plants that help to feed your “good” gut bacteria. So try to consume as many different fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, legumes, nuts, and seeds you can.

• 🍾 Although the actual consumption of alcohol does not directly cause acne, it can contribute to other factors that can trigger breakouts, such as inflammation, cell dehydration, lack of sleep, lack of consistency with homecare and even, hormone imbalances. So although summertime has arrived, and we’ll all be a great deal more social, try and limit alcohol consumption, and stay hydrated, to prevent sudden breakouts or flare-ups.

Treatment Spotlight… ClearSkin✨

It’s Acne Awareness month, so it’s time for the ClearSkin Laser to take centre-stage! The Alma ClearSkin laser is the first technology to combine a non-ablative laser with contact cooling and vacuum technology to treat acne (or scientifically known, acne vulgaris) safely and effectively, whilst also stimulating collagen renewal, so contributes to reducing the appearance of Acne scarring – win win!

The non-ablative, ER glass 1540 laser deeply penetrates the skin causing thermal damage directly to the sebaceous glands, reducing the production of oil and sebum, whilst simultaneously targeting that heat energy to the p.acnes, destroying acne-causing bacteria. While all this is going on, the vacuum within the Harmony XL Pro device cleans the area by extracting all the dirt and debris that is clogging up the pores. To protect the skin from any damage during treatment, contact cooling is added. This makes the treatment comfortable and almost painless. The epidermis remains unaffected, meaning very minimal downtime too.

The added benefit from ClearSkin treatment is that whilst it’s been designed and used to target active acne, the heat generated by the laser also stimulates the production of new collagen in the skin, which has an amazing effect on reducing acne scarring and rebuilding the skin’s surface.

The ClearSkin by Alma Laser is ideal for treating the following:

• Active Acne, Papules, Pustules, Nodules
• Lingering Acne bacteria
• Acne Scarring
• Hormonal Breakouts

Patients are typically required to have 4-6 treatments over 1-3 weeks. Upon consultation, a Skin Specialist will medically assess the patient’s skin and suggest the amount of treatments required, as well as prepare you with a patch test.

We also have the ClearSkin PRO – same concept, same wavelength, twice the power! Your Skin Specialist will advise when ready, or if applicable, to step up to the ClearSkin PRO, for a more powerful treatment.

Included in CULTSKIN® for a discounted £290 a session! Or, NOW included in CULTSKIN® LITE for £150 per express session!
CLEARSKIN BY ALMA LASERS FAQS:

WHAT’S THE AFTERCARE LIKE SINCE THERE IS NO DOWNTIME?

Since ClearSkin by Alma Lasers is such a gentle treatment on the epidermis, or outer layer of the skin, the aftercare is pretty straight forward and not much different from your normal routine, which would’ve been discussed with you within your consultation, especially if your skin concern is active acne.

This treatment can be combined with other treatments too. Enquire into CULTSKIN® to obtain further information on how the ClearSkin can be incorporated into your treatment plan on a monthly basis!

WHEN WILL I SEE RESULTS?

We offer this treatment as an individual facial, and of course, it’s included in our CULTSKIN® menu, but for optimal results, we recommend a course of 6 treatments spaced 2-4 weeks apart.

You can expect good results after your first session but things are really noticeable after your third, most-effective in the long term, making it a beneficial treatment in the prevention of ageing, as well as for targeting specific concerns. As the treatment is boosting your skin’s collagen production and the dermal layer of the skin, you can expect results to continue working long after your course has finished.

In the spirit of Acne Awareness Month, we’re bringing you something a little more personal, a direct testimony from our Regional Manager, Annice, who you’re sure to have met or spoken to before, with her having been by Dr Esho’s side for nearly 10 years now:

“Like most teenagers, I suffered quite badly with acne all over my face, chest and even back from the age of around 14 years old. This skin disorder effected my self confidence greatly. Medical professional advice encouraged the combination hormonal pill and I chopped and changed from antibiotics to antibiotics, all of which I found nothing really helped. Acne is something that runs in my family. My grandma talks of having it as a teenager and how it effected her, my auntie too. The last resort was Roaccutane, but I knew I didn’t want to resort to this. My auntie had been put on this as a teenager herself experiencing some nasty side effects so I decided to just wait it out and that’s when my self-exploration into dermatology began!

My journey with acne throughout my teens and lack of options/information available to me, made me want to help others with skin disorders and similar experiences. After my GCSEs, during my study into Beauty Therapy, the science and anatomy of the skin and body completely fascinated me and so my love for treating the skin truly kicked into action. By the time I was 20 years old, my hormones had settled and as expected with most hormonal, teenage acne, so had my skin. However, my personal skin journey didn’t end there, I was left with post inflammatory hyperpigmentation and scarring. In all honesty, this was less of a bother, as it was nothing compared to the relentless breakouts that I would have to endure when I had active acne.

When I met Dr Esho at the age of 22, he introduced me to a whole new side to the beauty industry which further peaked my interests… the world of aesthetics! He kindly started treating my post inflammatory pigmentation and scarring with PRP, Microneedling and Laser – the results were nothing short of amazing. I knew that these were the treatments that I wanted to do, to help treat others dealing with skin disorders, as I had witnessed the results first-hand! And so I fell even deeper in love with treating the skin, but this time using state of the art, advanced skin treatments.

I can still remember it, like it was yesterday, how debilitating it was, suffering with acne as a teenager. Acne effects around 70% of the population and it is more common in adults than it is in teenagers!

I am so proud to have helped so many patients with skin concerns and disorders – that feeling as a practitioner that you feel, is like no other, when patients start to get their confidence back after seeing improvement and real results!”

We have a wide range of treatments to treat acne, at all stages. Give our Patient Care team a call to discuss your current skin concerns or for further information on which of our results-driven medical grade treatments would suit you and your skin best!