Clear Clinic Skin Care Blog

22Jun

The 411 on Spot Treating Acne

Posted in Acne At Home Treatments by Clear Clinic. | Leave a Comment

Many people experience a pop-up blemish (usually at the most inopportune time) when the rest of their skin is perfectly clear. Those isolated zits can be the most frustrating of all. When it comes to treating one pimple at a time, rather than applying acne medication to the entire face, the best action to take is with spot treating. Spot treating is when you apply a higher concentration acne medication to a single pimple. Usually the medication is left on overnight. Here, what you need to know about spot treating your acne blemishes:

For overnight spot treating, start off using a product containing benzoyl peroxide in a 5 percent concentration. If you find that your skin can handle it, up the percentage to 10 percent. If the 5 percent is too drying or irritating, downgrade to 2.5 percent, which is the lowest percentage.
For spot treating during the day, apply a clear gel solution of either salicylic acid or tea tree oil. Apply it after you wash you face and before your makeup.
If you need to get rid of the offensive zit pronto, book an appointment for a cortisone injection. A shot of cortisone will flatten out the pimple in about 24 hours.

21Jun

A Closer Look at Acne Scars

Posted in Acne Scars, Uncategorized by Clear Clinic. | Leave a Comment

Anyone with acne has heard time and time again how terrible it is to pick at your acne lesions. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and try and squeeze your pimple, but just try and imagine the damage you will do. One of the main reasons you do not want to squeeze your zits, is that they may cause scarring. It’s much harder to get rid of the scar than it is to control your temptation of picking or squeezing. But things happen and those dreaded acne scars can occur.

Here, Clear Clinic’s top treatments for acne scars:

F.A.S.T. Laser Technique

Dr. Schweiger invented the F.A.S.T. (Focal Acne Scar Treatment) technique and it’s fast becoming the quickest, most effective way to treat acne scars. The procedure uses Fractional CO2 Laser to treat only the area on the face with acne scarring. Since only part of the face is being treated, higher energy levels are used and thus produces quicker results with a speedier healing time.

IPL Treatment

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) successfully treats the dark spots often left over from active acne lesions. The broad spectrum light in these “photofacials” targets and reduces the redness left behind from acne.

Microdermabrasion

Everyone’s skin can benefit from an in-office microdermabrasion treatment. But most of all, those with acne scars will see marked improvement. The microdermabrasion machine gently and painlessly sloughs off the top layer of skin with a suction movement. It’s the ultimate lunchtime procedure, as it has no down time and skin looks immediately better.

21Jun

Acne Treatments for Men

Posted in Laser Acne Treatments by Clear Clinic. | Leave a Comment

Both men and women can develop acne during their adult years. The difference between treating acne for the different sexes is that acne treatments for men must fit into a man’s simple skin care routine. Women are often used to washing their face regularly and applying various skin creams. Men often find the application of topical acne medications to be burdensome, if they are not used to applying creams.

Dr. Schweiger explains that, “Some men don’t mind applying topical medications for acne. However, for those men who can’t adjust to applying a cream each evening, there are other options for treatment. Oral medications and in-office treatments allow men with acne to simplify their daily routine without neglecting treatment of acne.”

Acne treatments for men:

In-office laser acne treatments – Photodynamic Therapy and the Isolaz laser acne treatment can be used in a series of treatments to address both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne. Clear Clinic in NYC has different in-office acne treatment packages to choose from based on the type of acne and the severity of your acne.

In-office non-laser acne treatment – Medical extractions and chemical peels are effective for men with inflammatory acne and for the treatment of whiteheads and blackheads.

Oral medications: Oral antibiotics and even oral isotretinoin can be used for the treatment of acne in men, when appropriate. Men with moderate to severe inflammatory acne, even those who are undergoing laser acne treatments, can benefit from the use of oral antibiotics. Men with severe acne may be appropriate candidates for isotretinoin (Accutane) treatment.

At-home treatments: At-home acne treatments, such as the Clarisonic brush and the Tria Blue Light acne treatment, are helpful for treating acne in men. Just a few minutes of treatment with these devices can improve acne in men with little inconvenience.

Click here to read more about acne treatments for men.

20Jun

Makeup Tricks for Acne Prone Skin

Posted in Acne At Home Treatments, Teenage Acne by Clear Clinic. | Leave a Comment

Dealing with obvious acne lesions is no fun for anybody–especially when it’s time to go out and face the world. But people like Cassandra Bankson, the teenager who demonstrated on You Tube how she applies makeup to cover her obvious blemishes, prove that it is possible to trick people into thinking you have perfect skin with makeup. The best way to cover your acne blemishes is by taking a multi-pronged approach, including a healthy, low-carbohydrate diet with organic milk and a skin care regimen that includes a salicylic acid-based cleanser, a topical acne prescription and a non-comedogenic moisturizer.

After your skin care regimen is completed each morning, here are the tricks you need to know about when it comes to safely and smartly covering your acne blemishes.

Spot treat your acne with ingredients that will not show through your makeup. Apply a colorless gel formulation of tea tree oil or salicylic acid on top of your acne lesion after you wash your face and before you apply your makeup.
Find makeup brands that contain beneficial, acne-fighting ingredients. Some brands that offer makeup with good-for-your-skin ingredients are: Colorescience, Youngblood, Mineral Hygienics and Neutrogena.
Learn the proper way to use concealer to cover your acne blemishes. First order of business is covering up any redness by gently dabbing concealer over the red area, being careful not to cover the raised area. The next step is pressing on powder to set the concealer. Less is more when it comes to using concealer to cover a pimple. The key is to draw eyes away from the zit. Play up your eyes with a double dose of mascara or a bold pink lip.
Make sure your blush does not contain acne-causing red dyes.

Check out Clear Clinic makeup artist Maya Michelle Shapiro’s favorite concealers for covering acne blemishes.

20Jun

Best Acne Medications

Posted in Adult Acne by Clear Clinic. | Leave a Comment

The best acne medication is different for every acne patient. Each patient that we see at the Clear Clinic in NYC has a different type of acne, different needs for their skin, and different schedules in which to fit their treatments into. Some patients prefer to do in-office treatments, such as Photodynamic Therapy, in order to clear up their acne as quickly as possible. These patients generally follow up in the office once weekly for approximately five weeks. Each week there is a different treatment performed to treat the multiple factors that lead to acne. Some patients have schedules that preclude them from stopping into the Clear Clinic each week and prefer to start with prescription medications. It is important that these patients receive the best and most appropriate prescription acne medications for their skin type.

Patients with moderate to severe inflammatory acne can benefit from oral medications. Oral antibiotics (such as Doryx and Solodyn) are commonly used to decrease the p. acnes bacteria that leads to acne. Oral anti-androgen medications (such as Spironolactone) and oral contraceptive pills (such as Yaz or Yasmin) can be used to decrease the androgenic influence that leads to the formation of acne. Oral isotretinoin, aka Accutane, is used to address many of the factors that lead to acne.

All acne patients can benefit from the use of topical acne medications. Patients with mild acne may use only topical medications, while patients with moderate to severe acne will benefit from a combination of topical and oral medications. The most common topical medications are retinoids (ex. Atralin, Retin-A Micro, Differin, and Tazorac), topical antibiotics, benzoyl peroxide, dapsone (ex. Aczone), and combination medications (ex. Duac, Acanya, Epiduo, Veltin, and Ziana.)

Dr. Schweiger explains that, “Dermatologists and Physician Assistants specializing in the treatment of acne will determine the best acne medications for the type of acne that you have. It is important to use acne medications that are specific to the type of acne that you have, whether it be inflammatory or non-inflammatory. At the Clear Clinic in NYC, we often combine prescription medications with in-office laser acne treatments, in order to achieve the best results and to clear acne quickly.”

19Jun

The Best Routine for Acne Treatments

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One question patients often come to us with is about how to correctly apply their topical skin medications and treatments. It seems they are not alone. This week, the American Academy of Dermatology released a video showing the exact order skin care products should be used. When it comes to treating acne, it’s very important to follow these tips, to ensure that your products will do their jobs. Here, our tips on how to get the most out of your acne treatment products:

Read the directions. This may sound obvious, but many patients just apply product with paying any attention to the label. The directions have been placed there from the manufacturer or your dermatologist for a reason. The directions are based on solid research and studies. Using medication as prescribed is the only way to ensure its effectiveness.
Wait about 10 to fifteen minutes for skin to dry after washing before you apply any acne treatments. This will help prevent any irritation and help the active ingredients to work better.
Apply smaller portions to different areas on the face rather than smearing on one large amount. This will ensure that the proper concentration is getting delivered to each area.
If you start to experience any redness or irritation from your acne medication, try using a smaller amount. We also advise cutting back on any over-the-counter (OTC) treatment you are using to treat your acne.This will help get rid of irritation and redness. Keep in mind that redness and peeling is a very common side effect when using prescription acne medications.

19Jun

Botox for Acne?

Posted in Adult Acne by Clear Clinic. | Leave a Comment

It may sound crazy, but one study showed that Botox may help to prevent acne. More information and further studies are necessary to determine if this treatment can actually make a difference, but a few practitioners claim that it can. The theory behind the use of Botox for acne treatment is that Botox can decrease the excess sebum production that attracts the p. acnes bacteria to the pores. The published study also showed the Botox can be used to decrease pore size when injected into the very superficial layers of the skin.

So, is Botox the next great treatment for acne? Dr. Schweiger says that, “As of now, its unlikely. There is currently not enough evidence supporting the use of Botox for the treatment of acne. However, we continue to discover more and more uses for Botox, so it is not unlikely that Botox will someday emerge as an effective acne treatment.”

In the meantime, the best acne treatments remain prescription medications and in-office treatments, such as Photodynamic Therapy and the Isolaz Acne Laser Treatment. Botox is currently used primarily to relax the muscles in the face that lead to deep dynamic wrinkles and to decrease excessive sweating, or hyperhidrosis.

Click here to read more about current acne treatments.

18Jun

Is Acne Contagious?

Posted in Acne Scars, Uncategorized by Clear Clinic. | Leave a Comment

Is acne contagious? No, acne is not contagious. Although acne is caused by the p. acnes bacteria, it cannot spread like bacterial infections. Nearly everyone has p. acne bacteria on their skin, but other factors must be in play for the p. acnes bacteria to lead to the formation of acne. When skin cell regulation is disrupted and sebum collects in the skin’s follicles, the p. acnes bacteria gravitate to the follicles. This produces the inflammatory papules (bumps) that present as acne on the face. These multiple factors that lead to acne can have a genetic predisposition, but they cannot be contracted from another person. Dr. Schweiger explains that, “Close contact cannot spread acne from one person to another. Acne is not contagious. The p. acnes bacteria is present on all of our skin, but other factors determine whether is leads to the formation of acne or not. You cannot get acne from spending time with people who have acne.” There are many treatment options for people with acne. It is important for even those people with very mild acne to see a dermatologist. It is important to treat acne promptly, in order to prevent the formation of permanent acne scars. Topical prescription medications, such as Retin-A and Acanya, are often used in combination with oral medications, such as Doryx or anti-androgen medications, in order to treat and prevent acne. In-office treatments, such as Photodynamic Therapy and the Isolaz acne laser therapy, can treat acne quickly and reduce the risk of scarring.

18Jun

The Best Way to Wash Your Face to Prevent Acne

Posted in Acne At Home Treatments by Clear Clinic. | Leave a Comment

The proper cleansing is key when it comes to unclogging your pores and preventing future acne breakouts. It’s the first thing you should be doing in the morning and the last step at night for a proper anti-acne regimen. We recommend cleaning with a salicylic acid-based cleanser to slough off dead skin cells and help clean out and unclog the pores.

Wash your hands thoroughly before applying cleanser to your face.
Use a headband to pull back your hair from your forehead.
Make sure to spend at least 60 seconds massaging the cleanser into your face. Use a stopwatch to help.
Use the Clarisonic Pro cleansing brush to really deep clean pores. The device stays on for 60 seconds, making it easy to calculate you’re getting a full minute of cleansing.
In the morning, follow with a moisturizer and an SPF.

14Jun

Your Blush Can Cause Breakouts

Posted in Uncategorized by Clear Clinic. | Leave a Comment

You may think adding a pop of color on your cheeks with blush is harmless in terms of exacerbating your acne, but the truth is that it might actually be contributing to the problem. As Dr. Schweiger told New Beauty, some ingredients in blush can cause acne flare-ups. The red dyes to be cautious of are D&C numbers 9 and 40. Other color cosmetic ingredients that can cause acne breakouts are isopropyl myristate and lanolin.

The best makeup to buy for acne prone skin should be labeled “non-comedogenic” or “non-acnegenic.” Follow these other tips on ways to make sure your makeup is not causing you to breakout:

It’s very important to wash your makeup brushes thoroughly every day to get rid of any bacteria that could cause acne.
Do not share your makeup or brushes with friends. Any bacteria that is on there face will then get transferred to yours and possibly lead to pimples.
If you are getting your makeup done at a store or with a makeup artist, make sure they wash their hands before they touch your face.
Use disposable makeup sponges to apply your foundation.

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