Comedone Extraction

The basic or primary lesions of acne are the comedones these are commonly known as blackhead (open comedo) or whitehead (closed comedo), and are caused by an accumulation of sebum and keratin within the opening of a hair follicle unit. Most times patients fail to identify and realise that there are multiple comedones on the face and back, which could ultimately lead to flaring up and appearance of bigger pus filled or nodulo-cystic lesions. It is important that these lesions be removed so as to prevent occurrence more unsightly pimples.

PROCEDURE:

We at Zolie carry out comedone extraction with utmost care, the various steps of the process are:

  1. Cleaning the skin with the help of a cleanser so as to remove all the dirt and oil
  2. Steaming: Before extraction we steam the face so that the pores open up and the extraction process becomes much more easier, faster and painfree.
  3. Extraction: We use a sterilized comedone extractor to gently remove the comedones that are blocking the hair follicular unit, thus also  decreasing the chances of future eruptions. Sometimes, however if the comedones are deep then there might be a little bit of swelling left after the extraction which usually settles down in a day or two.
  4. Hydrating mask: We apply a hydrating mask after the entire extraction process is over.
  5. Sunscreen application is the last of the process.

Duration of the procedure: Half an hour to one hour depending on the number of comedones

Most patients recommended Comedone extraction every 1-3 months depending upon the severity of the condition

Acne Buster Peel

Sometimes, for early benefit and to target the ugly spots and marks, chemical peeling might have to consider as a supportive treatment. Zolie’s Acne Buster Salicylic acid peel which is a light superficial peeling agent, oil reducer and pore cleanser can work wonders on an acne prone skin.

PROCEDURE:

Patients are advised the Acne Buster Peel when they are looking at getting faster results and want a more aggressive approach to treatment. The steps of the procedure are:

  1. Cleansing: To get rid of all the dust, oil and grime.
  2. Degreasing the skin with a degreasing lotion.
  3. Vaseline application along the corners of the eyes, mouth and along the ala of the nose.
  4. Chemical peel applications over the entire face for 1-5 minutes depending on a lot of factors like end point, skin type etc.
  5. Neutralising the peel
  6. Hydrating mask: to nourish and hydrate the skin
  7. Sunscreen application

Duration of the procedure: 40-45 minutes

Recommended number of treatments: 5-6 sessions

Backne Clarify

Acne on the back which is most of the times ignored in the early stage might lead to ugly and deep spots which take a long time to fade. We purify, deeply cleanse and try to heal this otherwise hard to reach area so that the spots and scars reduce to great extent.

We either use combination peels or sequential peels to help improve the acne on the back. Most commonly patients require stronger solutions like TCA, pyruvic acid, citric acid.

PROCEDURE:

  1. Cleanser: We need to clean the skin to prepare it for the subsequent steps
  2. Degreasing agent: to remove the excess oil and sebum
  3. Peel application: We divide the back into various sections and apply the peel in one section and then neutralise it before we move to the next section
  4. Cooling gel: We apply a cooling gel in the end so as to soothe and calm the skin
  5. Oil free Lotion: is applied at the end of the procedure

Duration of the procedure: 45 mins- 1 hour

Recommended number of sessions are around 3-6 sessions depending upon the severity of condition and type of skin.

PCOS treatment Protocol

Some female patients with acne also tend to show other features like increased facial hair, hair loss, weight gain which tends to point towards PCOS or poly cystic ovarian syndrome. Our doctor recommends certain blood tests and ultrasound to ascertain the diagnosis of PCOS and then treats the patient accordingly.

The treatment of the hormonal imbalance needs to be done in conjunction with external application of anti acne creams in order to get the desired results. If the hormonal issue is left untreated then the patients would not be able to gain much improvement by the anti acne applications and treatments.
Some treatment options for PCOS include:
–  Lifestyle modification
–  Oral medications
–  Hormonal pills

Acne Scar Treatments

Sometimes, acne if not treated early or effectively, may leave behind pitted and atrophic scars which give the face an uneven skin texture. Patients come to us with queries like: How to get rid of scar? How can I heal my acne scars? We explain to the patients about the reason behind the occurrence of scars and how stimulating the production of skin protein collagen can improve the appearance of the scars.

There are various modalities which can be use to improve the appearance of acne scars. Some of them being:

  1. Microneedling with Dermaroller
  2. Microneedling RF
  3. Deep chemical peel
  4. TCA cross
  5. Subcision
  6. Non ablative fractional laser
  7. Fractional CO2 laser
  8. Dermal fillers