Acne + Acne Scarring

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Acne vulgaris is a chronic, inflammatory disorder of the sebaceous (oil) glands of the face, anterior chest and back. Acne is a disease that occurs in all races and has affected approximately 90% of the individuals in the United States at one time or another. It may have its onset during childhood, teen-age years, or later in life. The severity of acne varies from a few papules, blackheads and pustules to the severest form, which is cystic, and results in scars and disfigurement.

We understand that acne can be a real challenge. Not only can patients suffer physical damage from their acne, but they can also suffer emotional trauma from having to deal with the condition while trying to participate in their normal, daily activities.

Many acne treatments are available at our Long Beach, CA office. One of our board certified dermatologists can determine which acne treatment is best for your skin, as well as discuss options to reduce scarring.

Acne Treatment Services

ACCUTANE & ANTIBIOTICS

Isotretinoin is currently the most effective therapy for inflammatory acne. Dr. Ulmer’s personal experience with Accutane® consists of well over 6,000 patients without a single patient having any permanent side effects.

TOPICALS

A variety of agents designed to control oil and bacteria and remove blackheads and whiteheads. Traditional treatments include Benzoyl Peroxide, Retin-A, and appropriate daily cleansers.

Clear Light

Clear100XL™ is the most effective dual-mode, spectrally-selective plasma light source for the phototherapy of inflammatory acne, acceleration of post surgery healing and the visible revitalization of aging sundamaged skin.

Acne Scarring Services

MICRONEEDLING

A minimally-invasive, non-surgical procedure for acne scarring that involves the use of a special device to create controlled skin injury. As fine needles puncture the skin, they create micro-wounds that trigger the body to fill these wounds by producing new collagen and elastin in the papillary dermis.

LASERS & DERMABRASION

We offer a full spectrum of laser treatments that can be utilized to improve acne scarring including, Clear Light, IPL, PDT, and ResurFX. Dermabrasion is another excellent technique to reduce the conspicuousness of scars and requires a diamond fraize be used to lightly sand or plane down the skin.

SUBCISION & FILLERS

Subcision is used to help minimize acne scars and improve skin texture by separating scarring attachments that cause the skin's surface to dimple, or scar. It can be used to treat a variety of acne scar types and is often combined with the use of fillers, which further enhance the elevation of dimpled acne scars.

Acne should never be dismissed. Oftentimes, it is casually treated and patients are told that they will “grow out of it”. However, acne treatments in this fashion oftentimes can result in permanent disfigurement and scarring of the face. Not only can patients suffer physical damage from their acne, but they can also suffer emotional trauma from having to deal with the papules, pustules, and cysts on their face while trying to participate in their normal daily activities. Of importance in acne treatment is a thorough understanding of the disease itself, and the basic concept that acne is caused by plugging of pores. In order to correct this problem, we must keep the pores open; this is of primary importance. One of the main targets of the treatment of acne is to normalize the growth of skin around the follicular pores so they remain open; if this can be maintained patients will experience 100% improvement of their acne. There are several treatments to control acne and eventually most patients outgrow the tendency to have oily, greasy skin and acne. In general, for any acne treatment, it takes approximately six to twelve weeks to achieve maximal improvement.

Acne treatment in this office consists of the use of abrasive agents in order to free the skin from oil and grease, to unplug clogged pores, and to promote drying. The face should have a slightly wind-burned appearance throughout the day. Ideal dryness is obtained by gently scrubbing once or twice a day. Specific drying agents that are used in acne treatments, in addition to scrubbing agents, include benzoyl peroxide derivatives, sulfur and salicylic acid compounds, and retinoic acid (or other related Vitamin A derived drugs). To eliminate the bacteria, a topical or oral antibiotic will usually be chosen. Your doctor will explain to you, after evaluating your skin, the ideal acne solution for you so that you can receive maximal improvement. Depending on the severity of your acne, oral medication, such as antibiotics or Accutane®, may also be used.

Things that have a tendency to aggravate and make acne worse are resting the chin, cheeks or forehead on the hands; picking or “popping zits” is particularly harmful, because it only aggravates the condition and may cause scarring or unevenness of pigmentation. Other factors which have a tendency to aggravate acne include the application of oily, greasy makeups, heavy use of water-based or cake makeups, stressful situations, fatigue and tiredness.

Our goal is to provide the highest level of acne treatment in order to help prevent scars and to educate you so that your results can be maintained. We also aim to decrease your risk of scarring and to control your problem until you outgrow it. When you come to the office, acne surgery will be performed in order to remove pre-existing whiteheads, and blackheads, and also to open up pustules so that they will resolve more quickly.

Unfortunately, some patients already suffer from acne scarring.  We also specialize in treatments for acne scar correction.  These treatments include: subcision, fillers, dermabrasion, fractionated CO2 laser resurfacing, as well as fractionated non-ablative resurfacing with ResurFX.

Every patient’s skin needs are different, so contact the experts at Ulmer and Wu Dermatology for an appointment in Long Beach, CA today and we can determine which treatment is right for you.

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before acne treatment after acne treatment
before acne treatment after acne treatment
before acne treatment after acne treatment
before acne treatment after acne treatment
before acne treatment after acne treatment

*There is no guarantee of specific results. Individual results may vary*