Adult Acne, Teenage Acne-Why more people are suffering from breakouts than ever before.

According to a study presented at the American Academy of Dermatology’s annual meeting this past  March.  Even though over 50% of adults continue to get acne well into adulthood, if you are over 18 and have acne, it’s easy to feel like you’re the only one.  It’s mortifying enough to have acne as a teenager, but to have it as an adult is downright humiliating.  People find themselves hiding from the public or unable to compete for jobs or promotions with clear-faced peers.  

Professionals with acne are not taken seriously – a big problem for those who really need credibility not only with their peers, but with their own clients.  It is tough not to feel like a failure when you have adult acne.  And it’s not just women who suffer there are many adult men who come into our clinic looking for the answer to their skincare woes. 
 
What causes adult acne?
For most people who suffer from acne, they get to blame their family. It is an inherited tendency of the pores to clog up with dead skin cells too quickly, which causes a cascade or acne-forming events to happen. So, some people never “grow out” of their acne until much older.  Other people don’t have acne in their teenage years, but start breaking out in their twenties and/or thirties. Why their acne laid “dormant” for their teenage years is a mystery, but as adults, many things can contribute to the onset of acne problems.  Stress, medications, comedogenic (pore-clogging) makeup, skin and hair products, pregnancy, birth control pills and smoking are just some of the contributors to chronic breakouts.
 
Hormonal fluctuations caused by birth control, Plan B, pregnancy, pms, medications, and menopause can also affect your propensity for breakouts, sometimes causing severe acne flare-ups in women who never got a single pimple as teenagers. If you are acne-prone, choose a birth control method that won’t make your acne worse and learn about the relationship between hormones and acne so you can prepare yourself ahead of time for any changes in your skin that may arise.  A condition called pyoderma faciale which mimics acne is a sudden breakout that happens to women in their thirties. 

 Medical conditions like PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) or thyroid disorder can wreak havoc with the skin. 

Medications for bipolar disorder like lithium, thyroid medications, anticonvulsant medications, lo-dose birth control pills, corticosteroids, sobriety drugs, etc, can also cause acne. 

Pore-clogging makeup, skin care and hair care can be a culprit in adult acne.  Even if a product says “non pore-clogging” or “noncomedogenic” on the label you cannot trust it.  I have seen scores of products claiming this and look at the ingredient deck to see pore-cloggers. Even the prescribed acne medication, Retin A (the cream form) has a terrible pore-clogging ingredient in it called isopropyl myristate.  If a doctor is going to prescribe a retinoid for acne, it should never be the cream form of Retin A.  For a list of pore clogging ingredients, head to our website, utahacneclinic.com. 

The difference between adult acne and teenage acne
One of the challenges of adult acne is that skin generally becomes less oily and more sensitive. Acne products and treatments that worked well in your teen years may dry you out or cause severe irritation. If you had acne as a teen, you may have noticed that acne seems to travel down and across your face as you age. You used to break out on your forehead, and now you break out on your cheeks. Then it goes to the jawline and sometimes the neck.  This is because the sebaceous follicles mature in stages. For this reason, adult acne is most commonly concentrated around the cheeks, chin, and/or jawline. It is imperative to use the right strength of acne-clearing products on older skin.  Also, starting slowly with a routine allowing the skin to adapt to strong products is an important strategy.
 
The good news: acne products can also be anti-aging!
People who have had acne since adolescence, may be under the impression that their pimples are unstoppable. Adult acne sufferers have usually tried various prescription medications, over-the-counter products, systems such as Proactiv and Murad, and every spa treatment and facial under the sun. The reality is that effective acne treatments and products do exist!
By virtue of their exfoliating properties, some acne products and treatments can even be beneficial for anti-aging and lightening dark spots and acne scars. At Skintherapy Skincare and Acne Clinic, we advise adult acne sufferers to work closely with our acne specialists for a period of four to six months to achieve a lifetime of clear skin. There is no need for anyone, teen or adult to be embarrassed and inconvenienced by the ravages of acne and the scars it can leave behind.  

 Life is full of enough problems… don’t let acne be one of them.

One of our clients shares her experience.  "I’m 30 years old and have struggled with Acne since I was in high school. I’ve been to a few dermatologists, which continued to prescribe antibiotics. One by one they quit working and I worried about my long-term health since I was continually on antibiotics. I’d been looking for a more natural  approach. I stumbled upon Skintherapy Skincare and Acne Clinics website and am so glad I did. They cleared my face up within 10 weeks and I’m now acne free. It’s a miracle. Jil taught me how to manage my acne. I’m a nursing mother and she has always been careful to use safe products. I have more confidence at work now and don’t wear much makeup anymore because I don’t need to."

The Run Down on Clear Skin: Lifestyle Changes to Control your Acne / Part 1

If we have said it once, we will say it a million times again - the best way to clear acne is to consistently use the correct products. While we absolutely suggest using  these products to keep your pores clear, there are a few things you can do at home that will help with your breakouts while using our product regimen.  

Over the next two posts, we are going to discuss a few lifestyle changes that are proven to support our clearing process and keep your pores clean. You should be making these changes while working with Skintherapy Skincare and Acne Clinic of Salt Lake City. We will add safe extractions and a guided program of product use to your new lifestyle choices and your acne won’t stand a chance against the both of us together!

 Here are the first 4 changes you need to make at home. Keep an eye out for our next post - where we will discuss the last 4 lifestyle changes. All together, these 8 new habits will become essential in clearing your skin.

 1.    Stay away from iodides like iodized salt.

You've probably heard that staying away from chocolate or greasy foods will help keep your skin clear, but those aren't the most dangerous foods for acne sufferers. In reality, iodides are the real problem. Please watch out for food, vitamins and sports drinks that contain iodides, iodine or potassium iodides. This includes too much shellfish, seaweed, fast foods and dairy products.  

2. No “high androgen” foods.

Foods that are “high androgen” include peanuts, peanut oil, peanut butter, corn oil, wheat germ, shellfish & organ meats. These contain hormones that irritate acne. Skip the peanut butter on your morning toast from now on! Almond butter is a better choice.

3.  Consult our list of pore clogging ingredients when buying your cosmetics.

You need to start looking at all the ingredients in your makeup, body wash and hair products. Stay away from products that contain these ingredients. We suggest using Priia Cosmetics, which you can get at the Skintherapy Acne Clinic.  

4. Change the way you do laundry.

First, please only use fragrance-free detergents such as Cheer Free, All Free & Clear, Tide Free or Arm & Hammer Free. Make sure to check your detergents like you check the ingredients in your cosmetics. You also need to eliminate all fabric softeners, especially on your pillow cases. Fabric softeners leave a waxy residue on your sheets that can clog pores on those of us who are acne prone. We suggest using dryer balls if you are still worried about static in your laundry. 

In the end, lifestyle changes can be just as important to your clearing process as our products. You will need both to achieve clear skin and we will provide continual support to you in both areas. Please give us a call and schedule your appointment to learn more about clearing your skin!

Some Simple Tips That Your Dermatologist Never Told You For Clearing Your Zits Quickly

There are many ideas on the best remedies to clear our skin quickly. From minor blemishes to full on acne, we've all tried absurd, fast track ideas that would be sure to clear our skin at the speed of light. Growing up, my friends would tell me to use toothpaste to clear a pimple overnight - it was something about drying the blemish out. I’m not sure if this ever really worked, but after successfully clearing acne prone skin for years, I can confidentially say that there are more efficient ways to clear a blemish or zit quickly than with old school remedies.

 

Here are the answers to our most frequently asked questions on fighting zits fast! Get ready because these aren't your’ friends home remedies or simple suggestions from a dermatologist - these are tried and true methods that I, as a professional acne specialist, suggest to clients in my Acne Clinic.  Remember though, these are quick tips for clearing zits or minor blemishes only.  However, to control acne successfully on the face or body you should plan on putting in a good 3-6 months of work with a therapist who has a history of successfully clearing acne.  

 Three Rules

 •           For red bump- (painful under the skin): try icing the area immediately. Take out an  ice cube and use circular motions on the spot couple times a day for two minutes.  Ice will take down redness and inflammation. If you catch this red bump when it begins to hurt by using ice many times the pimple will not progress into a pustule with a whitehead.  Then at night spot treat with a safe benzoyl peroxide spot treatment to kill acne-causing bacteria and shrink the pimple quickly.

  
    •       For pustules (pimples with pus): Do not pop them! Simply, keep the area clean and
            don’t use any abrasive scrubs or wash clothes that could open the pimple. Instead,      apply a warm compress to see if the pimple will release on its own. Follow this up by  applying a dab of benzoyl peroxide to pimple and allow spot to dry before going to bed. The benzoyl peroxide spot treatment can be done two to three nights in a row and then discontinued.  This rule will at least contain the pimple until you can get to a professional for a safe extraction.

     •       For blackheads, forgo the pore strips they pull filaments from the nose, not blackheads.  Instead use a non- pore-clogging cleanser with benzoyl peroxide to loosen oil and debris and then rotate using a mild scrub like cleanser two times a week between regular cleansing on entire face. If you need extractions hire a  licensed skincare professional to do the job. Don’t extract on your own.

What if I already broke the second rule and popped my pimple?

We suggest cleansing the area and patting it dry with a clean towel. Icing the area will help with inflammation both before and after you've popped the pimple. Believe it or not, icing is one of the best remedies for taming redness in acne - its so simple, yet so effective - I bet you never heard that from your dermatologist or girlfriends.

What is the most important thing to do when trying to clear your skin quickly?

DO NOT POP OR PICK AT YOUR FACE! This will only cause scarring and actually spread bacteria throughout your skin. You think that picking will help eliminate the problem, but it actually aggravates your skin and makes things worse.

 

For more information on achieving clear skin, checkout  Skintherapy Skincare and Acne Clinic of Salt Lake City today.

 

How to Get Rid of Blackheads

You've heard the term blackheads before - your friends could use the term regularly - your co- workers may talk about them at the office and your older sister never seemed to shut up about them while you were teenagers, but do you actually know that much about what a blackhead is? Read on for a few facts about blackheads and how to get rid of them.

 According to the US Library of Medicine, “blackheads are small, dark spots on the skin, caused by a small blockage in the opening of a pore.”

Blackheads have been considered to be the beginning of acne and much like all forms of acne, blackheads develop due the over production of dead skin in the pore, oil and bacteria.

How Blackheads are Formed

Sebum lubricates the hair and skin, and usually drains from pores. If the sebum/oil becomes blocked by excessive dead skin in the pore then bacteria begins to build up with no opening to the surface of the skin, a whitehead appears. A blackhead forms if the pore opens to the surface of the skin, allowing air to enter.

Why Blackheads are Black

Blackheads are dark in color because sebum contains melanin. Melanin is the substance that gives skin its color. When melanin is exposed to air - it turns dark. The dark color of blackheads does not mean they are dirty, and although scrubbing does help with blackheads, it will not completely remove them.

 Why blackheads on the Nose seem to come right back

Blackheads can show up anywhere on the face. As a skincare professional I mainly hear complaints about blackheads on the nose and under the lower lip.  Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips seem to be popular with blackhead sufferers. However that product doesn’t remove blackheads. Instead, the Biore Pore Strips remove sebaceous filaments from the nose.  You see the body produces these filaments in both the nose and lower lip area and they can be easily lifted out of the pore manually or with a strip.  They also return quickly because they are not blackheads and should be in the pore.

The Difference

Sebaceous filaments will be all the same size, extract and then return very quickly.  Blackheads will not be uniform in size compared to sebaceous filaments.  The blackheads need to be extracted and do not release as easily from the pore.  Blackheads may return but not as quickly as the filaments.  However, blackheads can be controlled by using the correct skincare products at home along with professional extractions.

If you are suffering with blackheads or searching for a way to eliminate blackheads and control acne Skintherapy Skincare and Acne Clinic in Salt Lake City can help.  Our Acne Specialists are trained in managing all types of acne including blackheads.  Give us a call.

Acne and Birth Control

Many of us have a false notion that a prescription for birth control can clear your skin. The reality of birth control is that options such as the pill, IUDs, shots and implants have the potential to cause acne rather than prevent it. This is especially true in women with acne prone skin. If you suffer from acne, it is important to take a few things into consideration when selecting your birth control method in order to prevent breakouts.

As a general rule of thumb, pills with the potential for higher androgenic symptoms should be avoided in women who are prone to acne. Birth control pills are typically divided up as estrogen or progestin dominant and have varying degrees of androgenic (testosterone like) effects. Ultimately, you will want to talk with your doctor about using a birth control pill that is high in estrogen potency and low in androgenic effects in order to avoid breakouts.

 Here is a rough list of prescriptions that are high in androgenic effects and low in estrogen. These should be avoided, as they can cause breakouts.

 Alesse

Triphasil//Trivora

Azurette

Amethyst

Cryselle

Caziant

Jolessa

Lo-Ovral/Ovral

Cyclessa

Lessina

Low-Ogestrel/Ogestrel

Desogen

Levonest/Levora

Lo-Feminol

Emoquette

Lutera

Ortho tricyclen Lo

Kariva

Nordette

Estrostep Fe

Linessa

Portia

Loestrin

Marvelon

Seasonale/Seasonique

Microgestin

NuvaRing

Sronyx

Apri

Depo-Provera

Mirena IUD

Mircette

Reclipsen

Implanon

Nexplanon

Norplant

Paragard/CopperIUD

 *Although the Paragard/Copper IUD does not contain any hormones, we have observed that it has aggravated acne with our clients.

 The following is a list of birth control pills that are higher in estrogen and low in androgenic effects. These are safer options for women who suffer with acne.

 Brevicon

Demulan/Zovia/Kelnor

Modicon

Ortho tricyclen

Necon

Sprintec/Tri-Sprintec

Ortho-Novum

Previfem/Tri-Previfem

Ovcon

MonoNessa/Tri-Nessa

Femcon

Zovia

 As an acne specialist, it is important to me that you understand that birth control is not needed to clear your acne. If you are using birth control pills for the sole purpose of clearing your skin, please stop. These pills are not the simple answer to your acne problem and it might be true that you are only aiding your breakouts by using a birth control with the wrong ingredients.

The only sure answer to clearing your skin is to create a habitual program of product use, extractions, and chemical peels until your pores are cleared. Working with an acne specialist can help ensure the most effective skin clearing process for you regardless of your birth control use.  We at Skintherapy Acne Clinic can help get you clear without the use of prescription medications or birth control.

How to Cure Acne

 

You’ve dreamed of having clear skin but are still suffering from acne. You may have been a teenager when you got your first pimple and it may very well have followed you into adulthood.  You have probably tried products and programs which promised a cure to your acne but that promise never happened. You may have gone as far as taking some crazy prescription drugs such as Accutane, but those pesky pimples came back. Let me tell you why.  Acne can never be cured, but rather managed.  Think of diabetes as an example for comparable treatment patterns as acne. With the correct lifestyle choices, skincare and treatments, your skin can maintain a clear complexion, just as blood sugar can be maintained with the correct treatments and dietary habits. Although acne cannot be cured, an acne specialist can help you achieve clear skin by helping you control the acne with a personalized treatment plan.

Is there an Acne Cure?

Acne stems from genetic traits therefore it cannot be completely cured. If you are prone to acne, it usually runs in your family and unfortunately you can’ just throw out these traits.  A person without the acne trait sheds skin cells once a day in each pore, while those of us with the acne trait, shed skin cells up to seven a day. These skin cells clog our pores, ultimately causing acne and leaving us without an absolute cure.  

So if we can’t stop our skin cells from shedding, how do we maintain clear skin? This is a great question which many professionals, even dermatologists haven’t figured out.  However, an acne specialist just treats acne, and is an expert in the field of controlling acne.  An acne specialist will never offer you a cure.  Instead, they will clear out your pores and then use the correct products to keep the pores clean and your face clear.   

Here is what an acne specialist can do that’s different from a doctor, dermatologists or any other acne option available.  How do I know this? I’m an acne specialist. I’m also a previous employee of multiple doctors and dermatologist who haven’t had time in their busy schedules to really give their acne patients the attention they need. Most doctors see up to 40 patients per day so spending about five to ten minutes with each patient is the norm. But as an acne specialist we have the time to spend with our acne clients. In fact, we talk about everything that could be impacting their acne problems.  We start with a few lifestyle changes, to eliminate the use of any product or food that will intensify acne. This includes using shampoo, makeup, lotion, and laundry detergent without pore clogging ingredients. It also means staying away from milk or anything high in salt, among other things. Then, we start a routine of bi-weekly extractions and chemical peels, as well as a routine of using the correct products at home. Depending on one's progress every other week, we make subtle changes with product to ensure the safest and most successful clearing process. Eventually, pores are all cleared out and the habitual product use keeps them that way!  

For most people, the clearing process takes about 12 weeks, but every case is different and it can take various versions of the same treatment plan to get your skin clear. Using an acne specialist, who has worked with many skin types and acne types, is the best way to ensure the most successful plan for you! Without an absolute cure, the help of an acne specialist is the surest way to achieve results and treat your acne! 

To learn more about starting your successful acne treatment plan, call the Skintherapy Acne Clinic of Salt Lake City.  We are Acne Specialists we care and we can help!

 

Top Reasons for Acne Scarring

Scarring from acne is an extremely unfortunate side effect when you are acne prone.  Not many of us are fans of scars, especially on our faces, but the good news is… scarring from acne can be avoided and or minimized in some cases with these top reasons for acne scarring. 
  

1. If you have inflamed acne & are not treating it properly, your acne will most likely breakdown the pore and cause scarring. This will be indented scarring, like boxcar scars, rolling & pitted scars. It is important to treat inflamed acne with the correct product and safe extractions in order to avoid damage to your pores. The sooner the better I say, and seek out an acne specialist.

 

2. Picking, self extracting, scratching & using your own instruments to extract can cause serious damage to your skin. It is important to deal with extractions in the safest way possible to avoid indented scarring as well as pigmented red & brown scars. Do not pick at your skin and see an acne specialist for the safe & most beneficial extractions. 

3. Sun exposure can be a huge cause of scarring from acne. Acne lesions produce extra melanin when exposed to the sun as a protective response. This turns active acne and red spots brown. So, keep your sun exposure to a minimum. See # 4 for more information.  

4. Acne scars can form if you do not wear sunscreen. Individuals who suffer with acne should always wear a sunscreen. Sunscreen is used to protect skin from UV damage even during times when the weather is overcast or while driving in a vehicle.  UV damage can cause pigmented scarring, but sunscreen will help! Make sure to lather up before you head out.

5. Over exfoliation is another cause of acne scarring. Over using active ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid etc., can burn the skin and cause dark colored scarring on acne. This is not to say don't use these ingredients but rather find a professional that can help you balance the right active ingredients to control your acne while avoid burning  and scarring your skin.  

6. Chemical Peels, if done incorrectly, can cause scarring. At home chemical peeling or professional chemical peels which are not formulated for your skin color can produce dark scarring on acne. Again, this is why it's a good idea to work with an acne professional. 

Now that you have a better idea on what can cause scarring from acne, you can also identify with the importance of working with a professional to clear your acne while minimizing scars. There are a lot of aspects to clearing acne and working with an acne specialist will ensure the safest and most successful clearing process.

 If you are in Utah and suffer from acne or scarring from acne, give us a call at the Skintherapy Acne Clinic in Salt Lake City to start treating your acne today! We can ensure a safe and effective way to clear your skin and manage scarring.