Anyone that’s ever suffered from acne knows how much of an impact it can have on your life. Despite being the most common skin condition in the US – affecting a staggering 50 million Americans annually, it still has the ability to significantly affect a person’s confidence.
While treating chronic acne is still a more challenging and specialist process, the good news is that there are more and more ways to effectively treat or improve milder forms of acne, as well as its common side effects of scarring and discolouration – and the HydraFacial is one of our personal favorites.
If you’re not already familiar with it, the HydraFacial is a completely unique “super-facial” that has become one of the world’s most popular skin treatments. Sitting somewhere between a traditional facial, a chemical peel, and microdermabrasion, the HydraFacial is an incredible non-invasive treatment that more than deserves its level of success and popularity.
There are many wonderful benefits of a HydraFacial, and the good news is that treating and improving acne is one of them.
So, without further ado, here’s everything you’re wanting to know about HydraFacials and acne!
What Causes Acne?
Acne is a common skin condition that results in pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, and other types of breakouts appearing on the skin, most commonly on the face, shoulders, chest, and back.
It’s caused by skin pores getting clogged with oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria. These blocked pores then create an excess production of sebum (an oily substance) which leads to the acne breakout. In teenagers, this is usually due to a simple combination of enlarged pores, overactive oil glands, and hormones. Adult acne can have a range of different causes, including stress, hormones, pollution or weather conditions, genetics, contraceptives or other medications, food sensitivities, and more…
All of which means, unfortunately, there’s often not much that can be done to prevent it. However, that’s not to say there aren’t ways of minimizing or reducing its impact.
There are four main types of acne, ranging from Grade 1 (mild), which is mostly whiteheads and blackheads, to Grade 4 (severe), which is when there are numerous large, inflamed, and often painful pustules and nodules.
While severe acne needs specialist dermatological care, mild to moderate acne – as well as the scarring and discoloration that is commonly left behind once the acne itself has cleared – can be greatly improved by quality skin-care treatments such as HydraFacials.
As it’s a medical condition, you should always seek expert advice before having any kind of treatment for your acne – especially if it’s severe or not improving over time. But general healthcare providers and estheticians will always be able to advise you on the treatments that will be suitable for your condition, and here at BodyTonic Med Spa, Cleveland we’d be very happy to advise you on your best course of action for treating your acne.
Why Are HydraFacials Good for Acne?
An essential part of improving acne is reducing the congestion in your pores, and the best means of doing this is deep cleansing and exfoliation. However, these treatments are often too aggressive for sensitive acne-prone skin, leading to further inflammation or even causing the acne to spread further.
Having deeply hydrated skin is also important for minimizing acne on a longer-term basis. Dehydrated skin lacks volume, which typically means pores become larger, plus dehydrated skin overcompensates for its lack of moisture by producing more oil – both of which make the occurrence of blocked pores considerably more likely. But again, a lot of hydrating skin-care products and serums can aggravate acne further due to being too oily, or they can simply irritate or inflame your already sensitive skin.
Well, HydraFacials address both of these issues:
Because a HydraFacial deeply cleans out pores and exfoliates the skin while simultaneously nourishing and hydrating it – and it’s all done in an extremely gentle, non-invasive, and non-inflammatory way.
To put it simply, here are the main reasons a HydraFacial is good for acne sufferers:
- It’s pain-free and non-invasive
- It uses no harsh chemical exfoliants
- It performs an exceptionally mild exfoliation and extraction
- It moisturizes, nourishes, and hydrates the skin
- It reduces the skin’s over-production of oil
- It reduces inflammation and irritation
- It shrinks pore sizes, reducing the chance of blocked pores
- It stimulates collagen production which reduces the appearance of scars
- It’s completely customizable
- It’s suitable for all skin types, including the most sensitive
All of which combines to mean healthier, clearer skin, without any pain or recovery.
How Does a HydraFacial Work to Help Acne?
The HydraFacial is a branded experience. It uses a patented mechanical wand-like device for the entire treatment, with different tips and serums being used and added throughout the process.
It’s a multi-step process that cleanses, exfoliates, peels, and hydrates the skin in the gentlest and most effective way possible.
Here’s exactly how Hydrafacial performs its magic:
Step 1: Cleanse and Exfoliate
Using the wand and a nourishing serum, the skin is gently cleansed and exfoliated to remove all the dirt, debris, and sebum that clogs the pores and causes acne to develop. This process is so gentle it feels a little like a soft brush being swept across your face.
Step 2: Gentle Acne Peel
Next is a super-gentle form of a peel. Unlike harsher chemical peels, this causes no actual peeling, and instead simply loosens and dislodges the stubborn dirt and impurities in the pores. The Glysal™ serum that is used in this stage is ideal for treating acne while also preventing future breakouts, as it contains a low percentage of glycolic acid, which is known to help reduce acne.
Step 3: Gentle Extraction and Hydration
Using its unique Vortex technology, a gentle suction is then used to vacuum any of the remaining loosened impurities from the pores, while simultaneously flushing them with nourishing serums chosen according to your individual needs – such as the Murad Clarifying Booster for treating acne and preventing further breakouts. The serums used during this step are customized to your individual needs, so as well as deeply hydrating the skin, this is an opportunity to deeply infuse the skin with whatever it needs most – whether that’s treating acne itself, or reducing the effects of the scarring it’s left behind.
The combination of these stages – all of which are almost impossibly gentle and nourishing when considering how deeply they are cleaning and hydrating your skin – is what makes the HydraFacial so unique, and so effective at treating mild to moderate acne.
What Results to Expect From a HydraFacial for Acne Scars
One of the greatest benefits of the HydraFacial is its instant results.
As a non-invasive treatment suited to almost all skin types, most people will walk out of their HydraFacial appointment with noticeably clearer, brighter, more radiant skin.
With more congested acne-prone skin there is more likelihood of a breakout following the treatment, but this is actually a good sign – it’s a natural process of your skin ridding itself of further underlying congestion, and it’s far better for that to come out than stay under the skin where it becomes inflamed and irritated. Plus, these breakouts will heal much faster than normal.
The main results you’ll notice after your HydraFacial for acne treatment are:
- Reduced signs of acne
- Less redness and shine on the skin
- A less oily complexion
- Reduced appearance of acne scars and other imperfections
- Smoother and firmer skin
- More even skin tone, texture, and less noticeable discoloration spots
- Fewer fine lines and wrinkles
While some of these results will be fairly instant, the most visible results typically show about 3–7 days after the treatment… and of course, regular treatments will lead to the best and longest-lasting results.
Unfortunately, HydraFacials aren’t suitable for people with chronic acne or during active inflammatory outbreaks, and it won’t necessarily be able to address significant acne scarring. Radiofrequency (RF) Microneedling is a great minimally invasive treatment for treating more significant scarring, while chemical peels and dermabrasion are good options for severe scarring.
But for the large majority of people suffering from more minor acne outbreaks and side effects, the HydraFacial is likely to be your new favorite treatment.
So are you ready to see for yourself? If you live or work in the Cleveland area, we at BodyTonic Med Spa would love to show you just what this amazing treatment is capable of. Schedule a consultation today, and let’s eliminate acne from the list of things you need to be worrying about!
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