Acne Vulgaris Treatments
If your skin is displaying some of the acne vulgaris symptoms then there are a number of treatments available to you.
Exfoliation of Skin
As mentioned in causes of acne, build up dead skin tissue can block the opening of the skin pores causing acne to form. Below are a few treatments designed to alleviate this problem.
Dermabrasion for Acne
First established in the 1950's, dermabrasion is a medical procedure of a cosmetic nature where the surface of the skin (derma) is removed by abrasion (sanding). The procedure can be painful and in most cases requires a general anaesthetic. Dermabrasion is used for removing scars when the scar is raised above the surrounding skin. It's not so effective when treating sunken scars.
The procedure begins by cleaning the area to be treated with an antiseptic cleansing agent. The surface that is being treated may also be numbed by a spray. The sanding of the skin can done by a power-driven hand held tool which has an abrasive attachment typically a diamond fraise, serrated metal wheel, or a wire brush. The spinning wheel attachment is gently applied over the surface of the scar causing the topmost layers of the skin to be worn away. More commonly a CO2 or Erbium:YAG laser is used today and this process is often referred to as laser dermabrasion. It's claimed to be much easier to control and gauge. It is also less traumatic for the skin than regular dermabrasion.
For small areas of skin the procedure should only take a matter of minutes. However, for larger areas, the procedure can take hours to perform.
It can take many months for the skin to fully recover and regrow. Initially, the skin will be red in appearance and tender to the touch. A compress or special dressing is often applied to reduce any irritation and to improve the time it takes to heal. Initially the face may itch as the new skin grows.
Microdermabrasion for Acne Scars
Developed in Italy in 1985, microdermabrasion (also referred to as Microderm) is a cosmetic procedure in which the dead outermost surface of the skin is partially or completely removed by light abrasion. When microdermabrasion is used for treatment of acne, the procedure must be repeated periodically to be effective.
Acne Microdermabrasion is carried out using a device which emits jets of abrasive particles onto the skin and vacuums them back up. The treatment is popular in spas, doctors' practices. The procedure is not very painful requiring no anaesthetic. It has the advantages of low risk and rapid recovery compared with other techniques such as standard dermabrasion, chemical peeling and laser resurfacing.
Microdermabrasion for ance is also available using home kits which use a vibrating foam applicator to massage a cream containing abrasive aluminium oxide crystals on the surface of the skin.