June is Acne Awareness Month and so I thought I would spend this post speaking a little about this very common, very confusing and sometimes difficult skin condition to treat. Ask almost any esthetician you meet and they’re likely to tell you that they at one point struggled with acne or that they still do.
I’m no different. That’s my story, too. I didn’t start dealing with breakouts until after I graduated from college. I was in my early twenties. I’ll admit that I didn’t have the best skincare habits at that age and that’s because I escaped my teenage years from dealing with breakouts for the most part. However, meet a person that’s struggled with their skin and you’re likely to find out that we learn complex, multi-step skincare routines that we are obsessive about and that’s quickly who I became. I started seeing my first esthetician and dermatologist and receiving monthly chemical peels along with oral antibiotics, prescriptive topicals and the occasional steroid injection for painful cysts to manage my acne. I spent the better part of my twenties with some version of that combination switching from one antibiotic to another, changing from Retin-A to Tazorac to EpiDuo to Differin.
I wish this was going to be a blog post with some magical solution to tell you how I cleared my acne and how you can too…but the truth is- acne isn’t like that. What worked for me, won’t necessarily work for you. What ended up working for me was switching my oral contraception to one that’s not even on the market anymore that was advertised as THE PILL that was going to work for birth control and control your breakouts. The first few months my skin was AWFUL. I’m talking too embarrassed to go out at night, clients at the spa I worked at mentioning my horrible skin to our receptionist…AWFUL. But after a few months, it cleared up and I stayed on that pill from 2007 up until my breast cancer diagnosis in 2011. I kid you not, in those first weeks dealing with my diagnosis and unlocking what my treatment plan was going to be (Lumpectomy->Chemotherapy->Radiation->Tamoxifen) I thought, “Great, I’m going to lose my hair and get all of my acne back.” That tells you the effect that breakouts have on someone’s psyche. In the aftermath of my treatment, my acne didn’t really return. Sure, I get an occasional breakout, but it’s nothing like it was before. They’re so mild now that I can’t even get upset about them. I just remember what they used to be like and choose to be grateful that it’s not like that now.
Side note: I’ve got mixed feelings now about the long-term use of hormonal contraception. (I was on birth control for 14 years leading up to my diagnosis.)
Instead- this post is going to be about my best recommendations to help you manage your acne the best you can, try to minimize your scarring and what treatments might be able to help.
First- Develop a Skin-ship with a licensed esthetician. It may take some searching to find one you gel with, but a good one won’t promise the sun, the moon and the stars in one visit. They should also be willing to refer you to a dermatologist when necessary and work alongside whatever they may be prescribing in those instances.
Second- Give your treatments and your at-home products some time. Consistency is key when it comes to both. I personally like to see my acne clients every 2-3 weeks at minimum when they’re starting out to get on top of things. As far as at-home products are concerned the saying “it will get worse before it gets better” can really be true for some. Retinoids- either OTC or RX can cause a purging effect on the skin. That can be disheartening for clients and your natural instinct is to quit it. I can’t tell you how common it is to do a consult with someone that is struggling with breakouts and have them tell me how often they jump from product to product. The end result of that is that your skin never adjusts, it’s likely a bit sensitized and you have no idea what’s working and what isn’t.
Third- Resist the urge to pick. This one was difficult for me to learn but it was a game-changer once I did. Those painful cysts- they aren’t extractable. When you start picking at them you’re increasing inflammation and your risk for scarring. The truth is, if you leave them alone they’re also less visible and easier to conceal with makeup. This advice works well for us as esthetician’s too. I’ve often felt that some us can be a little “extraction crazy” and we need to know when to leave things alone and set that expectation with clients that not every blemish can be extracted.
Some of my favorite treatments for acne include: clinical facials, chemical peels, blue light LED therapy and Hydrafacials. Most of the time- I like to find some combination of all of these for the best results. Once a client’s skin gets to a more manageable place, I like to incorporate microneedling for any textural scarring.
This month we’ve put together some great deals on products and treatments at Mint and Thyme to help treat breakouts. But if you haven’t ever been in for an appointment, you should book a facial for your first visit, have a consultation with me to determine what the best treatment for you will be. Be prepared to be committed to coming in regularly for treatments and an personalized at-home regimen.
Hope to see you soon!
