Non Surgical Cosmetic Forum

best non-surgical treatment for acne

I am in my 40's and still have acne. It does not consist of red spots but is bumpy and congested all over my face and neck and is extremely oil, this has led to scarring. What's the best type of treatment for this? dermabrasion, IPL or chemical peels? I would value advice from anyone who has experienced good results from any particular treatments

Hi Joanne.

This is a complicated issue so I’ll go through this slowly and in the right order. Firstly all the treatments you have suggested can give results but the question should be to look at why you still have acne and treat that first. I see lots of patients with active adult acne who request laser or chemical peels. I do not recommend this at this stage unless an attempt to get the acne under control is made first as using IPL and peels etc. will only give a short term benefit in many cases while the treatment is being carried out.

I recommend using prescribed creams to control the acne first. OBAGI is a brand I use a lot of as this contains retinoids and other products that can regulate the skin and decrease the oil content of the skin. They also improve the collagen and can decrease pigmentation so this can decrease the appearance of scarring in the skin. You would need to see a doctor before being put on this as they can prescribe a tailored system for you and the wrong system will do no good so get a consultation with a doctor first. After a minimum period of at least 12 weeks i would then look at using other forms of treatment to improve the skin.

The next form of treatment would depend on the results of the topical therapy. If the acne were still present then i would consider IPL to help decrease the number of active spots or pustules.

If the acne is brought under control and it is the quality or condition of skin that is now the issue i would consider using chemical peels or laser resurfacing to improve scarring. I personally use CO2 laser as this is still currently the gold standard for skin resurfacing and i have gained excellent results with this treatment. There is down time after the treatment but it is now a matter of days as opposed to weeks with the new fractional laser technology. This type of laser is excellent for the treatment of acne scarring but also improves fine lines and pigmentation will all go to improve the appearance of the skin.

It should also be said that there are also treatments such as dermaroller and dry needling techniques but I’ve yet to see conclusive evidence for results