A PAW patient before and after she underwent treatment for acne. We prescribed a six month regimen of Vivier skin products and oral antibiotics.
A quick Google search of “get rid of acne fast” yields articles that tell you how to get rid of acne and acne scars at home. We at PAW are not claiming that home acne remedies don’t work—some do and some don’t—but all of them involve risk, as you cannot control the quantity of active ingredients in them. At best, the effects are minimal and appear over a long period of time. At worst, you can cause severe and painful damage. If you really want to get rid of body acne, facial acne, or reduce acne scars by fall safely and quickly, you have to get aggressive with some physician-managed treatment planning.
We’ve broken down our acne and acne scarring treatments based on a very broad range of aggressiveness: Level 1, being the least aggressive (but still effective) treatment, to level 3, being the most aggressive treatment. Without hearing your history and seeing you in person, we can’t diagnose which kind of treatment you need, but we’ve given you this range so you can see how much time each type of treatment could take. The purpose of this article is to give you a loose plan for how much time you might need to get results, but you will need to consult with a professional to get a diagnosis.
Schedule your consultation to find out which acne treatment or acne scarring treatment plan is right for you!
Level 1 Acne Treatment: Pharmaceutical Grade Skin Care Products
Time until noticeable results: 4 weeks, *but give it 3 months minimum as more sensitive skin needs time to adjust
Time between treatments: None. Use Twice Daily
Level 1 is specific to the mild, occasional acne breakout or very superficial acne scarring. It is also useful for ongoing, preventative treatment and post-recovery after any of the other procedures listed below. A four-week treatment plan with a high-quality, pharmaceutical grade product like Vivier™ , used twice a day, will yield great results.
Pharmaceutical grade products contain more active ingredients than allowed by the FDA in over-the-counter products. This shouldn’t mean that they are harsh or overly chemical, but rather that those ingredients are subject to careful standards imposed by the government to give you the right balance for optimal skin health.
We use Vivier™ , because it is effective, yet very gentle. At PAW, our philosophy is health from the inside/out. Some products will take care of an overlying problem, but you might pay the price of underlying damage to your skin. We’ve tried and tested Vivier™ and are always happy with the results.
To fight acne, look for ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and for mild acne scarring, glycolic acid. Avoid products with harmful and unnecessary perfumes or dyes, as they will make the acne problem worse.
For oily, acne prone skin with occasional breakouts, we recommend Vivier HEXAM™. For drier skin, the Vivier Foaming Cleanser™. In combination with either of the above products we use the Vivier Vitamin C Scrub™, which contains microbeads for gentle exfoliation you can do everyday.
You can visit our office and try any of our Vivier™ products at our test sink. Mention this blog post and receive 10% off any Vivier™product!
Level 2 Acne Treatment: Chemical Peels
Time until noticeable results: Immediately – 7 days post treatment
Time between treatments: 4-6 weeks, may need more than one treatment depending on your results.
Warning: No sun exposure 10 days before and after a chemical peel.
If your acne or your acne scars are mild to medium, a chemical peel is a good treatment option for you. Your results will depend on how deep your treatment is, which is dependent on the type of your acne or acne scarring.
On our chemical peels services page , we explain the different types of peels we have, from medium to deep. Look for spas that use pharmaceutical grade chemical peels with ingredients that include 2% salicylic acid.
If you are trying to reduce the appearance of superficial acne scars, you will want a chemical peel with a combination of acids, which studies have shown to be effective in treating scars. At PAW, we offer the Jessner Peel for mild to moderate scar treatment, as it contains lactic acid, salicylic acid and resorcinol.
We also use the Perfect Derma Peel as a more aggressive option. Among several different acids in this peel is tricholoroacetic acid (TCA). TCA has been shown in clinical studies as being very effective in reducing certain types of acne scarring.
If you’re in the area, stop by for an assessment of your skin and a recommendation on which type of peel would be best for you.
Mention this blog post and receive 10% your chemical peel treatment!
Level 3 Acne Treatment: Micro needling, Photo Rejuvenation (BBL) or Micro Laser Peel for Acne Scars
Time Until Results: Immediately –10 days
Time between treatments: 4-6 weeks
No Sun 10 days before and after treatments for BBL and 3-4 weeks for Micro Laser
If you have an acne flare up and need it gone now, with little recovery time, then a spot treatment for active breakouts with the acne blue light is the perfect tool. Our Sciton Jewel BBL Machine is safe, effective and administered by a physician in our spa.
Our micro laser peel helps with pitted acne scarring, fine lines and wrinkles. We do not recommend a patient undergo this invasive treatment during an active acne flare-up. The downtime is approximately ten days, but the results are remarkable.
If you aren’t ready to consider laser treatments, [micro needling] is a procedure that, after 3-6 treatments, shows very promising results for anti-aging and reduction of acne scars. It requires less downtime than a laser and is less costly.
None of these treatments are mutually exclusive, as studies have shown that combined acne treatments really are the most effective way to combat acne and acne scarring. Dr Botros can also evaluate your skin to see if you need oral medication if the above products are not giving you proper results, or to use in combination with some of the above treatments.
Call us by the end of August to schedule your complimentary consultation and make a plan to get rid of your acne or reduce your acne scarring by fall, all with your beauty budget in mind.
