Clear Clinic Skin Care Blog

23May

Acne Remedies for “Bacne”

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As Memorial Day weekend approaches, many of our patients are becoming concerned about acne flares on the body. These acne flares on chest and back, aka “bacne”, can be difficult to treat with OTC acne treatments. Dr. Schweiger recommends that patients with “bacne” use a combination of in-office treatments and prescription medications to clear up their acne quickly. He explains that, “A combination of oral or topical antibiotics, in addition to benzoyl peroxide works very well for treatment of acne at home. The Isolaz laser and Photodynamic Therapy are effective in-office acne remedies for patients with body acne.”

The Isolaz Laser and Photodynamic Therapy can be performed in a series of weekly treatments to clear up body acne quickly. The treatments take approximately 30 minutes in the office. There is no downtime after these acne treatments to the body, but patients must avoid sun exposure for 24-48 hours after Photodynamic Therapy. The quickest fix for body acne, or bacne, is a combination of prescription medications and in-office treatments.

23May

Best Acne-Covering Concealers

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Everyone gets acne. Regardless of how often or how severe the acne breakouts are, we have all experienced a pimple at one time or another. And usually at the most inopportune time. Almost as important as a personalized acne regimen, is the proper concealer that hides active acne lesions so you can step out into the world still feeling good about yourself. We spoke to Clear Clinic’s makeup artist, Maya Michelle Shapiro, to get her picks for the best concealers for covering acne. They are:

Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer: “If I could only work with one concealer for the rest of my life, this would be it. The consistency is smooth, the coverage is great and the shades are realistic. Plus, you only need a tiny bit to erase the biggest blemishes.”

Laura Mercier Secret Concealer:”The emollient nature of this formula is great for delicate skin under the eyes and the color range is flattering.”

Face Atelier Ultra Foundation: “Though you may not have heard of this, you have definitely seen it on the faces of your favorite celebrities. Though technically a “foundation”, it is wonderful for concealing problem areas. The silicone base allows the product to glide over skin for easy application but not absorb into the skin, making it non-comedogenic.”

Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer: “Waterproof and full coverage concealer designed to cover major imperfections. It can be used on the body as well as the face.”

22May

Acne Product Portion Control

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When you have acne, it’s an easy assumption to make that using a large amount of topical acne product during application is better. But actually, that’s not the case. Using too much product can cause severe dryness, redness, peeling and other skin issues that will only make your acne worse. You also might be tempted to apply acne products more than twice a day, which is also inadvisable. The appropriate amount to use is typically a pea-sized dollop for the face–it should be enough for a thin layer to smooth onto the skin.

22May

New Acne Treatments

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Many acne treatments have been around since many of us were teenagers. Anyone with acne has tried benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and retin-a. While these treatments are still effective at treating and preventing acne, there are now many more options for the treatment of acne. Combinations of older medications have proven to be more effective than a single formula cream. These combinations include clindamycin/benzoyl peroxide combinations (such as Acanya), benzoyl peroxide/adapalene combinations (a medication called Epiduo), and tretinoin/clindamycin combinations (such as Ziana.) New single agent medications have also been introduced; a medication called Aczone is a new antimicrobial that has proven to be effective, particularly for the treatment of acne in females.

In addition to these newer topical prescription medications, new laser acne treatments are emerging. The Isolaz acne laser combines pore cleansing with an anti-bacterial light to address acne in two different ways. Dr. Schweiger explains that, “The Isolaz laser is a very effective treatment for acne. We find that it works best when used in a series of treatments, often combined with more traditional Photodynamic Therapy. At-home treatments are another important part of an acne regimen; treatments like the Clarisonic brush and at-home Blue Light Therapy can be very effective”

21May

What is Blue Light Therapy for Acne?

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One of the most effective acne-fighting treatments around is Blue Light Therapy. What do you need to know about this pore-cleansing treatment? Here, the top 10 things you should know about this proven acne therapy.

1. Blue Light Therapy does not hurt.

2. Blue Light kills the p. acnes bacteria that exists on everyone’s skin and can lead to acne breakouts.

3. There is no downtime with Blue Light therapy.

4. Blue Light Therapy does not contain UV Light.

5. In order to reach the maximum benefits of Blue Light Therapy, you need to practice an acne cleansing regimen every day.

6. You may need up to four treatments of Blue Light Therapy to see best results.

7. Possible side effects of Blue Light Therapy include temporary redness or dryness at treated area.

8. Blue Light Therapy may produce better results when used in conjunction with Red Light Therapy.

9. Blue Light Therapy treats both active acne and prevents future breakouts.

10. Blue Light Therapy sessions last about 15 to 30 minutes.

18May

How to Prevent Acne Scars

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Laser treatments for acne scars are effective, but it is still easiest to avoid acne scars in the first place. It is important to treat inflammatory lesions promptly, before scarring occurs. Pitted scars form when the skin tries to repair itself after the insult of an inflammatory acne bump. Prescription medications and in-office laser and light-based treatments can help to treat acne before it leads to pitted scars that do not resolve without treatment. Dr. Schweiger advises to, “Avoid picking and popping pimples. This can cause more inflammation than the pimple itself, which may lead to worse scars.”

If you do end up with acne scars, you’re not out of luck. Laser resurfacing treatments can stimulate collagen production on the scarred skin to repair the pits left behind after acne lesions resolve. The most effective laser treatments are the Fraxel laser and the Fractional CO2 laser.

Click here to read more about acne scar treatment.

17May

What’s the Difference Between Acne and Rosacea?

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If your skin easily breaks out into a flush with little bumps, it’s easy to assume you are just experiencing an acne breakout. But the truth is, you might actually have rosacea. Women ages 30-5o are the most likely candidates for rosacea, though anyone can get it. It’s very common to confuse acne with rosacea, in fact actress Cynthia Nixon did just that for many years and as a a result was mistreating her skin. The exact cause of rosacea is somewhat of a mystery, but there are many triggers. The most common are sun exposure, stress, alcohol consumption and exercise.

So how to tell the difference between acne and rosacea? The answer is that it’s very hard t to tell. But here are the three top points of difference:

1) Rosacea is normally only found on the nose, cheeks, chin and forehead.

2) People with rosacea do not usually get blackheads.

3) Flushing and redness is always associated with rosacea.

Dr. Schweiger advises people with acne-prone skin who think they may have rosacea to book an appointment to see their dermatologist immediately. Often times the “pimples” associated with rosacea look exactly the same as acne, but the treatments are very different.

17May

Help! Retin-A is Making My Skin Dry.

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Retinoids, such as Retin-A micro and Tazorac, are useful medications. They regulate skin cell turnover, to prevent formation of the microcomedone, which otherwise leads to acne. They also stimulate collagen production, which decreases the appearance of fine lines and prevents future wrinkles. Retinoids are an excellent part of any skin care routine, but they can make your skin very red and dry if used improperly.

Dr. Schweigers instructs to, “Use retinoids sparingly; a pea size amount of the medication is sufficient and should initially be used only three nights a week. You may increase the frequency of use as your skin adjusts to the medication, but must be careful not to overdo it when you begin using the retinoid.” If your Retin-A Micro does make your skin dry, you should take a few days off from using the medication.. If your skin is very dry and flaky, you may appy an over-the-counter cortisone cream and moisturizer twice a day for three days. You may then restart the retinoid, but remember to start slowly. Retinoids are helpful medications that most patients can benefit from, but they must be used properly in orer to prevent excessive dryness.

16May

Five Things That May Be Making Your Acne Worse

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Acne breakouts can be extremely frustrating. You seem to be doing everything right. You’re washing your face and making sure not to pop your pimples, but there may be other things you are doing that are affecting your skin. Here, a look at 10 potential acne-causing products and treatments you should cut out of your routine:

1) Swap your cream blushes for powder formulations. Some cream blushes can clog the pores and lead to more acne.

2) Avoid hairstyles that require a lot of hair product. Not only can it seep onto the forehead, but it can leave oils and debris on your pillowcases.

3) Speaking of pillowcases. Make sure to change yours every day when acne is a consideration. Dead skin cells, dirt and debris accumulate on the cases and can lead to more breakouts.

4) Stay away from facials where the esthetician is massaging oils and heavy creams into your face. Instead, go to a dermatologist and book an appointment for a chemical peel.

5) Look at your skin care products, if they contain fragrance it may be time to look for a different brand. Synthetic fragrances contain thousands of ingredients that may be irritating to your skin.

16May

Is Proactiv Better than Other OTC Benzoyl Peroxide Products?

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Benzoyl peroxide is a common and effective anti-acne medication, found in many prescription and over-the-counter acne medications. Dr. Schweiger explains that, “Benzoyl peroxide fights acne in a few different ways. First, it decreases the p. acnes bacteria on the skin that lead to acne; it also cleans out dead skin cells from the pores and reduces inflammation.” Unfortunately, some patient’s skin can become irritated by the daily application of benzoyl peroxide. Technology has been introduced to address this issue, but it is not available in all of the over-the-counter formulations.

Smaller benzoyl peroxide particles are able to absorb into the pores with ease, while larger particles may sit on the skin and cause irritation. Proactiv claims to be the only over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide formulation to have the smaller benzoyl peroxide particles that many prescription formulations use. We are often asked, “Does Proactiv work?” The answer is that it may work better than some OTC benzoyl peroxide medications, since Proactiv’s technology is superior to many formulations. However, it is not as effective as prescription benzoyl peroxide combination medications. By combining benzoyl peroxide with topical antibiotics, such as clindamycin, or topical retinoids, such as adapalene, there is a synergistic response that allows acne to be treated more effectively. The answer to “Does Proactiv work?” is that, while Proactiv may be more effective and tolerable than other OTV benzoyl peroxide formulations, its efficacy is inferior to that of prescription formulations.

Click here to read more about OTC acne medications.

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