Although acne is often thought of as an adolescent boy’s problem, in actual fact the population that suffers the most from acne is adult women.
At MacMed Spa, Salon and Medical, we can help combat acne and acne scars with the Hollywood Spectra laser technology. This innovative technology can help with your acne and skin woes by working under the skin to target the root of the problem. To find out if this laser acne treatment is right for you, contact MacMed Spa today or visit one of our three Massachusetts offices.
Adult Acne
Acne is very common in women between the ages of 20 and 50. Most breakouts seem to be caused by hormones, stress and diet. Many women try every fad remedy and facial cleanser they’ve ever heard of, with minimal results. Over-the-counter products such as benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid can help clear up breakouts, but often they cause dry, red peeling skin that can be almost as unsightly as acne. Doctors can prescribe systemic hormones and antibiotics that are effective in treating adult acne, but many women would rather not expose their entire body to these drugs and their side effects just to treat a small area of the skin. Laser treatments may be the answer.
Lasers for Acne
Ultimately, acne is caused by a bacterial infection of susceptible areas of the skin due to excess oil production. Laser light applied to the skin can not only kill the bacteria, it can also shrink the sebaceous glands that produce the oil, reducing the chance of developing future acne breakouts.
Hollywood Spectra
There are many different medical lasers available today. Unlike most lasers, Hollywood Spectra lasers offer the option to switch between several different wavelengths of light. This is important for treating acne, because a combination of red and blue light appears to be the most effective in treating acne. Other types of lasers cannot produce both colors of light.
Treatment
Several treatments are usually necessary to eliminate acne. A typical treatment schedule is one treatment a week for a month; each treatment only takes about 15 minutes to apply. Some patients report experiencing only minor discomfort during treatment. Side effects may include temporary reddening, crusting and occasionally peeling of the skin in treated areas. Some patients get better results if they apply a topical acne medication in between laser treatments.
Post-Treatment Redness
A problem with treating acne is lingering redness. It doesn’t matter what type of treatment was used to clear up the acne outbreak, in many cases the skin develops red spots that remain long after the actual acne has cleared up. Until the advent of Hollywood Spectra’s special Gold 585nm laser the only “treatment” for this redness was covering it up with makeup. The Hollywood Spectra Gold laser treatment has been clinically proven to rapidly clear up lingering post-acne redness. If you’re fed up with acne breakouts, Hollywood Spectra laser therapy may be an option.