What is Acne?
Acne is an inflammatory skin condition caused by a blockage and/or infection of the hair follicle. A healthy follicle is open which means it has oxygen circulating through it.
When it becomes blocked there is no oxygen which allows the bacteria C.Acnes to proliferate. This signals to the body that there is an infection so it will respond with inflammation, redness, swelling and excess white blood cells, forming a pimple.
The following slides will explain what the four main causes of this are and how Corneotherapy can assist in treating acne.
1. Excess Oil Production
Having too much oil coming out of the sebaceous glands in the hair follicle will cause a blockage and lead to acne. Excess oil also causes pore size to enlarge to allow the oil to come out, which can make it easier for bacteria to enter.
Causes of excess oil production can be due to an impaired skin barrier and cell communication, hormonal imbalance, high cortisol levels, dairy intake or a high sugar diet.
2. Hyperkeratinisation
This occurs when the skin is not self-exfoliating naturally and leads to a build-up of skin cells that can stick together and clog hair follicles. This occurs when there is an impaired skin barrier and water escapes from the skin leaving it dry and dehydrated.
For natural exfoliation to occur the skin needs to be in hydrated state.
3. Impaired Acid Mantle
The acid mantle is a very fine, slightly acidic film on the surface of the skin which contains the skins microbiome and acts as a protection against bacteria. When this gets damaged C.Acnes bacteria can proliferate and cause pimples.
Causes of acid mantle imbalance can be due to chemical peels, using harsh skincare, air conditioning, hormonal changes, diet, over exfoliating and sun exposure.
4. Comedogenic and Toxic Products
Skincare and Make-up products that contain comedogenic ingredients such as emulsifiers, silicones, coconut oil, parabens and PEGs cause blockages in the hair follicles which can lead to an infection.
How Corneotherapy Can Help Acne
The principle of Corneotherapy is to repair and maintain the health of the skin barrier, so we only use products and treatments that are non-comedogenic, skin friendly and contain active ingredients that help to rebuild and repair the skins defence system.
Our holistic approach involves assessing your skin health, swapping toxic skincare for safe, repairing skincare, giving you delicious, healing facials and referring to our Naturopath Mel for any internal work that is required.
The corneotherapeutic range we use at Solstice Skin, Dermaviduals, allows us to customise treatments for targeted acne care. We use actives that help reduce excess oil production, improve cell communication, kill off non-beneficial bacteria, enable self-exfoliation and rebalance the acid mantle.
Book a consultation with Solstice Skin today or call us at 0466 416 927.