Letting acne runs its course is not always the best advice, for a few reasons. Without treatment, dark spots and permanent acne scarring can appear on the skin as acne clears. Treating acne often also boosts a person’s self-esteem. Finally, many effective treatments are available. Acne can persist well into one’s 30s, 40s, and even 50s.

Persistent acne is acne that does not resolve by one’s mid-20s. This type of acne can often cause deep-seated, tender, inflamed pimples and nodules. Persistent acne tends to form on the lower face, predominately around the mouth, on the chin, and along the jawline.

Adults can also develop late-onset acne. People who have not had acne for years can suddenly see deep-seated, inflamed pimples and nodules. Even those who have never had acne get late-onset acne. For some women, acne becomes a problem during menopause. Adult-onset acne generally forms on the chin, jawline, and around the mouth. Lesions can appear on the chest and back.

We offer a range of acne treatments: ranging form cleansers, retinols, which also provide amazing anti aging benefits, to in-office chemical peels and at-home treatments. Acne treatments can be used on the face and any other place on your body there may be acne. With the summer months upon us, as well as warm days, exposed shoulders and backs, be confident that people see your natural beauty and not your acne.

Here are some simple daily tips that can help one’s acne to resolve:

1. Wash twice a day and after sweating. Perspiration, especially when wearing a hat or helmet, can make acne worse, so wash your skin as soon as possible after sweating.
2. Use your fingertips to apply a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser. Using a washcloth, mesh sponge or anything else can irritate the skin.
3. Be gentle with your skin. Use gentle products, such as those that are alcohol-free. Do not use products that irritate your skin, which may include astringents, toners and exfoliants. Dry, red skin makes acne appear worse.
4. Scrubbing your skin can make acne worse. Avoid the temptation to scrub your skin.
5. Rinse with lukewarm water.
6. Shampoo regularly. If you have oily hair, shampoo daily.
7. Let your skin heal naturally. If you pick, pop or squeeze your acne, your skin will take longer to clear and you increase the risk of getting acne scars.
8. Keep your hands off your face. Touching your skin throughout the day can cause flare-ups.
9. Stay out of the sun and tanning beds. Tanning damages you skin. In addition, some acne medications make the skin very sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light, which you get from both the sun and indoor tanning devices.

It seems every month we hear about a new skin care product extolling a new anti-aging ingredient that will bring about more youthful, healthy looking skin.  Yet, often these “revolutionary” ingredients will not stand the test of time, and often the tubes and nicely shaped containers storing these “next generation” ingredients are soon found deep in a bathroom drawer or lost somewhere on a shelf amongst other “innovative” products.

Through all this hype, Vitamin C is still among the very best ingredients to have in your skin-care products.  Vitamin C is a “tried and true” ingredient that has been studied for decades and found, in REAL peer reviewed studies, to improve and regenerate skin. Indeed, Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant that has been shown to exhibit sun damage protective properties when applied to the skin.  Not only does it provide a “force-field” like effect on the outer skin layers, Vitamin C also protects your dermal collagen layer from degradation, while simultaneously stimulating new collagen synthesis (production).

So, when you’re thinking about changing products or thinking critically about what’s best for your skin, consider the adage “sometimes the old ways are the best ways”, and find products that contain stable forms of Vitamin C . . . And give your skin a further boost with a retinol or tretinoin product.