Take action this Acne Awareness Month with Aluminate’s integrated approach to skin treatment
At Aluminate, we understand the impact that acne and acne scarring can have.
When we look in the mirror, what is it that makes the difference between us liking what we see or not?
Sometimes it might be that we look tired, for some of us it’s a particular feature that we’re unhappy with but for a lot of us, a lot of the time, it’s our skin. When our skin looks good, we look and feel, brighter and healthier and that’s why experiencing skin issues, like acne, can be so debilitating in terms of confidence and well-being.
From embarrassment to empowerment
What’s even more unfair than suffering from acne in the first place is the social impact in terms of judgement from others.
Recent research conducted with 10,000 women found that an incredible 97% reported that they’d been judged about their appearance. And, worse, there’s evidence to suggest that people who suffer from acne specifically are perceived less favourably when it comes to social judgements around health and happiness and even discriminated against when it comes to decisions about employment.
Let’s be clear, these findings are shocking. And, at Aluminate, we’re passionate about challenging unacceptable judgements about others’ appearance whilst empowering patients with treatment options that can help their confidence and well-being.
Understanding the causes of acne
Understanding the causes of acne help you to evaluate treatment options and make informed choices by understanding how and why some treatments can help (and to spot when the claims made by some treatments or products don’t add up).
The basic root cause of acne is the tiny holes in your skin, known as follicles, becoming blocked. How do these blockages occur? Tiny glands attached to the follicles, known as sebaceous glands, produce an oily substance called sebum. Sebum’s job is to lubricate our hair and skin to prevent it from drying out but when the glands produce too much sebum, the excess mixes with dead skin cells forming a plug in the follicle. Bacteria living on the skin that are normally harmless can then infect the plugged follicles resulting in pustules.
Hormones also play a significant role in acne because the sebaceous glands are stimulated to produce too much sebum by certain hormones. In fact, the impact of hormonal changes is thought to be the reason why more women than men suffer from adult acne. Experiencing acne also has a strong familial connection, whilst certain medications and dietary factors can also contribute.
Importantly, acne is NOT caused by poor hygiene. Skincare can be effective for improving acne not because it ‘cleans’ your skin per se, but because it works on the biological causes of acne.
Understanding scarring
Scarring can result from picking or squeezing spots but can also happen as a result of your body’s attempts to repair the damage from acne breakouts that have penetrated deeper into the skin.
If your body produces too much collagen during the healing process, raised scarring can occur or if too little collagen is produced, depressions or pits can form.
Finally, so many patients Amanda sees have found themselves stuck in a vicious circle of acne breakouts as their attempts to cover up their acne with makeup, which can get ‘stuck’ in scarring, then exacerbates the problem.
Effective treatment requires an integrated approach
At Aluminate, Amanda understands that everybody’s skin journey is different. That said, effective treatment will need to be both preventative, minimising further breakouts, and reparative, restoring skin health, improving the texture of the skin and reducing any scarring.
Acne-savvy skincare
Amanda has undertaken additional training in skincare and skincare products, so when she’s passionate about a brand or product, it’s because it contains proven active ingredients which have demonstrated effectiveness.
A key active when it comes to acne is salicylic acid as it has two important superpowers that address the root cause of the problem. First, salicylic acid helps unblock pores, addressing the primary cause of acne, and it’s also a keratolytic, which means it exfoliates the skin’s surface to remove the dead skin cells that can cause further plugs. Products that can contain this active ingredient are therefore a key part of a skincare treatment regime for acne.
When it comes to specific recommendations, one of Amanda’s hero products for patients that suffer from acne is Epionce Lytic Gel Cleanser. Amanda loves Epionce as a brand in general because it’s extensively clinically researched, contains high-strength active ingredients often not found in other brands and is also gentle on skin as well as being plant-based. Epionce Lytic Gel Cleanser is such a great product as it removes surface bacteria without harming the skin’s natural barrier and extracts impurities to unclog pores.
What really sets it apart though, is that it doesn’t leave skin feeling dry or tight like so many other products formulated for acne-prone skin.
Amanda also finds that patients with acne have avoided some skincare products, like SPF in their attempts to avoid breakouts, which then leaves their skin exposed to more damage. Many SPF's are greasy and not generally present to wear under makeup. As we all know SPF should be a vital part of everyone’s daily skincare routine - both in terms of being sun-safe and reducing the risk of skin cancer as well as preventing signs of premature ageing - but so many patients are skipping this essential step in their skincare because of oily, pore-blocking formulas. Amanda’s solution is Clinicare SPF30, which is great for acne-prone skin as its non-greasy, doubles as a primer so great under makeup and better still gives 13 hours of protection so, doesn't need to be reapplied throughout the day like other brands.
Repair & renew with in-clinic treatments
What’s unique about Aluminate is the wide range of in-clinic treatment options, which means that Amanda is able to recommend the course of action that best meets your skin needs.
Microneedling Treatments
Microneedling (also known as Collagen Induction Therapy) is an incredible treatment for acne scarring, yet so many people have missed out on its benefits because of misconceptions about it being harsh, invasive or painful. In fact, despite what you may think or have heard, microneedling isn’t painful and there isn’t a lot of down time.
Treatment involves multiple super thin needles precisely penetrating the skin to kickstart your skin’s natural healing response other benefits include collagen stimulation which reuslts in improved skin thickness and elasticity. What many people also don't realise is the improvements in acne scarring achieved through microneedling are a permanent result.
Microdermabrasion Treatments
During a microdermabrasion facial, exfoliating fine crystals and vacuum suction are used to remove the surface layer of skin to improve skin tone and texture. By removing the dead skin cells present on the surface of the skin, healthy skin cells are revealed, pores are cleared and your skin’s appearance is improved.
Medical Laser Treatments
During Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) laser skin treatment, light passes through the skin where it is absorbed by the vessels and transformed into heat energy, which in turn triggers the body’s natural repair mechanisms to activate and remove damaged tissue. The light pulses also stimulate collagen production, which further improves the scarring and irregular skin texture caused by acne. IPL’s therapeutic benefits also include reducing inflammation, destroying skin bacteria and preventing the over-production of sebum: IPL, therefore, reduces future breakouts as well as treats acne-related skin concerns.
Skin Peel Treatments
Skin peels are so often overlooked as treatments that can make a great contribution to the treatment of acne. At Aluminate, Amanda offers a range of medical-grade peels and, just like microneedling, they don’t deserve to have a reputation for being harsh or ’stressful’ for your skin.
Take the BioRePeelCl3 bi-phase TCA peel as an example. Dubbed the ‘no peel’ peel, there’s no downtime after treatment yet this treatment penetrates the skin’s layers to trigger the skin’s natural regenerative processes, which can help improve the appearance of scarring. BioRePeelCl3 also has anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties beneficial for reducing breakouts.
Explore your options with no-obligation
Amanda has helped a lot of patients with acne and she understands how they often feel like they’ve tried everything, have wasted time and money on lotions and potions making false promises, and have sometimes felt confused or overwhelmed at the best way forward.
At Aluminate, your consultation with Amanda is completely free and you can rest assured you will to feel pressured or obligated to book treatments you dont want or need. So you can simply take the time together to explore the options and take all the time you need to determine what's best for you.
Amanda understands that achieving skin confidence is a journey and she’s there to listen, guide, and advise along the way.
Amanda is ready to support you on your skin journey.
Download our Clinic App from the App Store or Google Play to book yourself in.
You'll be able to see our diary and choose the most convenient appointment. You'll also be able to manage appointments directly from the app, as well as see any previous treatments you've had with us. The App also contains a handy link to google maps and will bring you directly to the clinic.
