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Our Vis a Vis Acne Bootcamp was created to help those suffering from mild to severe acne through a series of facial treatments and a proper home-care regime to achieve optimal skin health!
What Is Acne?
Acne is a very common skin condition. It is caused by a build up of sebum, dead skin cells and bacteria. It occurs when your hair follicles become plugged or experiences build up. Acne is characterized by the appearance of blackheads, whiteheads, papules, pustules and cysts.
Acne is an inflammatory disorder of the skin, which has sebaceous (oil) glands that connects to the hair follicle, which contains a fine hair. In healthy skin, the sebaceous glands make sebum that empties onto the skin surface through the pore, which is an opening in the follicle. Keratinocytes, a type of skin cell, line the follicle. Normally as the body sheds skin cells, the keratinocytes rise to the surface of the skin. When someone has acne, the hair, sebum, and keratinocytes stick together inside the pore. This prevents the keratinocytes from shedding and keeps the sebum from reaching the surface of the skin. The mixture of oil and cells allows bacteria that normally live on the skin to grow in the plugged follicles and cause inflammation—swelling, redness, heat, and pain. When the wall of the plugged follicle breaks down, it spills the bacteria, skin cells, and sebum into nearby skin, creating lesions or pimples.
GRADES OF ACNE
Grade 1
Mild congestion mostly blackheads and whiteheads
GRADE 2
Moderate acne congestion is mostly blackheads and whiteheads with some inflamed papules
GRADE 3
Moderate to severe acne mostly papules and pustules
GRADE 4
Severe cystic acne often times painful and very inflamed
Certain medical, lifestyle and dietary choices can impact how your acne forms:
Our acne bootcamp is roughly a 12 week program that is completely customized to your skin type, acne grade, skin health and skin goals.
1st Visit:
You will come in for a consultation where we will discuss all the above and set you up with a proper home-care regime to condition your skin for the treatments.
2nd Visit:
Onwards treatments may begin on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis depending on the grade of acne. Approximately 6-12 treatments over the course of 12 weeks, dependent on the individual.
Your treatment plan will be customized to target and treat your specific type of acne, get your skin healthy and balanced.
The options your aesthetician will be curating your plan from are:
— Chemical peels
— Custom acne treatments
— Blue Light Therapy
- Do not scrub the skin with harsh scrubs, or exfoliants or pop the pimples, as this may push the infection further down, causing more blocking, swelling, and redness.
- Avoid using too many active products, you should only be using one. Don't mix BHA, benzoyl peroxide or retinol together.
- Avoid popping pimples, as this makes scarring more likely, and the development of PIE post-inflammatory-erythema (red marks on the skin) or PIH post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (brown marks on the skin). Refrain from picking at your skin.
- A specialist can treat a pimple that requires rapid removal for cosmetic reasons.
- Choose makeup that is mineral-based and avoid oil-based products. Remove makeup before sleeping, first with a pre-cleanser, and then with the cleanser to assure all the make up and residue is off the skin.
- Avoid anxiety and stress, as it can increase production of cortisol and adrenaline, which exacerbate acne.
Your inner health and well being need to be addressed before you can expect results to show externally. Scientists believe that following a low-glycemic diet may reduce acne because this diet eliminates spikes in your blood sugar. When your blood sugar spikes, it causes inflammation throughout your body. These spikes also cause your body to make more sebum, an oily substance in your skin.
Some supplements that can be added into your diet to help combat acne are:
— Vitamin A: Helps control sebum production
— Vitamin C: Helps heal damaged skin, and post-inflammatory pigmentation
— Vitamin D: Powerful immune-regulatory properties that help reduce acne symptoms
— Omega 3 & 6: Increases hydration, locks in moisture, and reduces TEWL
— Probiotics: Inhibits bacterial growth and restores the skins barrier.
— Zinc: Anti-Inflammatory
*Consult with a physician before adding any new supplements to your daily intake
An acne treatment ranges from $150 — $225. Will be determined after your consultation, dependent on the level of acne. Acne is a complex skin condition, results may very. Treatment time will vary from 30 — 60 minutes.
After acne has been treated and the skin is balanced, there may be post-inflammatory erythema/pigmentation and acne scarring that needs correction. A series of microneedling is an option and it will be offered at a discounted price, of 20% off.