Okanagan Skin Care: Acne Treatment

Acne affects about 85% of people at least once in their lifetime and just because you don’t experience it as an adolescent, doesn’t mean that you won’t later in life. Leaving emotional and physical scars, acne can create psychological problems for anyone suffering from it.

What causes acne?

Acne is a very common skin condition caused by chronic inflammation, that presents itself as blemishes on the face, neck, chest, back and even other areas. When the oil glands in our skin over produce sebum and mix with dead skin cells, the combination fills and clogs our pores to later develop into pimples.  Some other acne triggers are:

• Genetics
• Hormones
• Headgear (hats, helmets)
• Cosmetics

What are Acne Treatments?

Okanagan Skin Care Centre offers a wide variety of effective acne treatments that can control all types of acne. Some of the treatments available include:

• Blu-U: Also called Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is an advanced light technology that uses a non-laser, blue light to gently eliminate bacteria found in our oil glands. This system can be used on mild to moderate acne patients and only requires 16 minutes a week.
• Levulan: Is an aminolevulonic acid that is applied topically to those with more severe acne prior to using the Blu-U treatment. Levulan encourages skin’s responsiveness to the Blu-U light.

Okanagan Skin Care Centre also offers a vast variety of topical treatments to combat acne. When used in combination with non-comedogenic products and gentle cleansers, these creams have proven to be highly effective. Some of the topical treatments offered are:

• Benzoyl Peroxide: A topical cream used to fight acne for over 30 years.
• Tretinoin: A derivative of Vitamin-A, this cream I used to correct sun-damaged skin and to fight acne.
• Adapalene and Tazarotene: Both creams are designer retinoids and have similar acne fighting properties to Vitamin-A.

If you’re experiencing persistent acne symptoms and your current skin regimen is ineffective, call Dr. Brian Peterson at Okanagan Skin Care Centre today at 250.868.9290 for a consultation.