When you’re growing up, homework, school projects, and nasty teachers are among the worst things you can deal with.

Acne, however, is considered the be-all and end-all.

Back in the day, getting a pimple on the chin here, or a zit on the nose there, was enough for my most confident schoolmates to be thrown into a tizz. They resorted to slapping on their moms’ foundation to hide them.

For the girls who had really bad acne-prone skin, their pimples tended to stick out no matter how much base they applied.

Pimples, hey – what a bloody travesty.

At least acne sufferers aren’t alone because, according to Skin Renewal, acne is a dermatological condition which affects approximately 80-95% of adolescents as their bodies go through puberty:

This condition is characterised by lesions that most often appear on the face and neck, but it is not uncommon to develop these lesions on the chest, back, shoulders and upper arms too. Acne vulgaris, the most common skin disorder, affects virtually all individuals at least once.

Yip, we all had to go through it.

Luckily, its occurrence declines over the following years until middle age. On the other end of the scale, though, acne can come back with a vengeance.

Women are more likely to suffer from ongoing acne that commences or reappears during their early adult years. Around 8% of women have acne persisting into their 30s. In worst case scenarios, sometimes it carries over to their 40s and even their 50s, a time when wrinkles are making themselves known.

Double bummer.

So how and why does acne break out like that?

The reason behind the formation comes down to the interaction of four factors:

• Dead skin cells blocking the oil duct causes abnormal keratinisation, which results in the formation of keratin plugs which blocks off the drainage of the sebaceous follicles. This leads to the accumulation of inflammatory debris and increased bacterial numbers of acne spots.
• Too much oil production caused by androgenic hormonal stimulation of sebaceous glands at puberty or later.
• Too many bacteria, which can lead to the growth of acne in blocked follicles.
• Too much inflammation, which is a direct or indirect result of acne proliferation.

Not only can acne crack a dent in your self-confidence, but it can also cause ugly scarring on your skin if you leave it untreated for too long.

The last thing you want to worry about is unsightly marks that can remain on your skin for years, and possibly even decades.

At the Renewal Institute, they can offer you the perfect solutions to help you tackle acne and scarring head-on:

1. Topical Skin Care

Administering the right cleansers, creams and corrective serums can send acne packing and on its way. A good quality SPF is also essential to prevent pigmentation formation. Lamelle’s Clarity range offers products that have been medically formulated to provide active ingredients that won’t dry or irritate the skin, but target the overproduction of sebum and sooth sore and sensitive skin.

The range also helps increse keratinocyte turnover, improves comedone (blackhead) clearance and reduces bacterial load.

You can purchase these products from Skin Renewal’s online shop.

2. In-Salon Treatments

By popping over to your nearest Skin Renewal branch, you can find the right treatment that suits you. These can include:

• Peel and laser combination treatments – this uses advanced resurfacing technologies to remodel skin that suffers from acne. They simply remove and vaporise columns of tissue in the skin, leaving some of the tissue intact and improved.
• Carboxytherapy – this safe and minimally invasive treatment involves injecting tiny amounts of carbon dioxide beneath the skin. It improves upon acne scars by promoting collagen formation under the scar, leading to a youthful, smooth appearance. A minimum of eight to 10 treatments are needed.

3. Acne Scarring Treatment

• Skin needling – it’s a medical procedure using an electrical needle-like instrument that mechanically causes micro injuries. The device is moved multiple times over the whole area to be treated, triggering the release of growth-factors that form new tissue layers and natural collagen with hardly any downtime at all.
• Subcision – this is a simple and safe office surgery procedure using a hypodermic needle for the really deep kinds of acne scars that leave depressions in the skin. It’s used for affected areas that are separated from the scar tissue, allowing the skin to grow more level.

4. Pimple Extraction

Not all pimples are caused by acne – some are actually infected follicles with a blockage at the surface which traps bacteria and causes the infection, according to Skin Online.

If you want to extract a pimple without damaging your skin, make sure it has a soft white head. This means the pus or infection is close to the surface of the skin and is ready to be drained without effort (and without hurting your skin).

After washing your hands and face, start by sterilising the pimply area with alcoholic swabs. Then, pierce the skin with a sterile needle or lancet to press out the infection (make sure your hands are gloved during this process). Use tissues to gently wipe the open pimple and sterilise with swabs again. And hey, presto, the pimples are gone!

As for acne, leave that to the professionals to deal with.

Head down to one of the many Skin Renewal branches located around the country for a consultation.

[source:skinrenewal&skinonline]