What treatments are available for acne?

Acne is quite a complex condition. The medical staff at Midland Skin have extensive experience in treating acne, including hormonal acne, resistant acne, complex acne, maskne, acne that recurs following Isotretinoin courses, and acne that is mild but chronic and difficult to control.

We also offer treatments for acne scarring, acne which leaves persistent red marks and acne which leaves persistent blemishes.

Your journey with us begin with an Acne Consultation with a Consultant Dermatologist. You can find out about the benefits of seeing a Consultant Dermatologist for your acne below.

Once you have had your first consultation, an individual treatment plan will be provided to you. This will include treatment options that are best suited to your individual type of acne. For some this may involve only a topical skin care product, usually prescription based. For others, alternative treatments may be required. Further treatments may be added at regular follow-up consultations to get the best possible outcomes.

An assessment of your skin will also help establish if you have folliculitis, fungal acne, rosacea, perioral dermatitis or other overlapping diagnoses that may require a separate line of treatment.

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Specialist acne clinic at Midland Skin

At our clinic, we provide the full spectrum of acne treatments under one roof, all overseen by a Consultant Dermatologist. This level of comprehensive, expert-led care is unmatched by any other dermatology or non-dermatology clinic in the region.

While many clinics offer only a limited range of treatments, or, worse, standardised “conveyor belt” packages where all patients receive the same approach under the direction of non-medical staff, we take a different approach. Acne management requires tailored, medically optimised care, and our ethos is to provide personalised treatment plans designed to meet your individual needs.

The top acne treatments we offer at Midland Skin

Here are a selection of treatments offered for acne at Midland Skin:

  • The latest development in acne treatment is the drug free Aviclear acne laser treatment and Midland Skin were the first Dermatology clinic in he Midlands to offer this.
  • Topical therapies with proven active ingredients – which include prescription medications and bespoke creams that may contain ingredients containing topical retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, clindamycin, azelaic acid, AHAs, nicotinamide
  • Bespoke creams containing prescription ingredients that you can not get anywhere else
  • Antibiotics – short or long-term, pulsed or continuous
  • Steroid injection – intralesional steroid injection
  • Hyfrecation of comedones
  • Roaccutane (Isotretinoin) – also known as Accutane in the USA
  • Spironolactone
  • Forever clear BBL laser treatment
  • Laser Genesis
  • Chemical peels

Treatments offered at Midland Skin for acne scarring

What causes acne?

There are 3 main factors:

Cells lining hair follicles become ‘sticky’. This causes the hair follicles to clog up.

A lot of sebum is produced by sebaceous glands, and if hair follicles are clogged, the sebum builds up.

Overgrowth of Proprionobacterium acnes, a skin bacteria that likes sebum and causes inflamed pussy spots.

What is acne?

Acne can be a very different problem for different people.

For some, acne may involve the odd spot, whereas for others, it causes persistent, large inflamed pustules and nodules, which may cause the skin to scar.

We help a large range of people of varied ages with the whole spectrum of acne.

What types of acne are there?

Acne may be comedonal in which many blackheads (open comedones) and skin-coloured bumps (closed comedones) form.

Acne may also be inflammatory, with red spots (papules) and puss heads (pustules).

Severe acne can lead to the formation of large lumps (nodules) and cysts.

Greasy skin may or may not be present.

Who gets acne?

Acne is common during the teenage years. It seems to be becoming more frequent among adults, with almost 30% of 20-year-olds and 20% of 30-year-olds suffering from recurring outbreaks.

Why does acne need treatment?

Several research studies have shown that acne causes low self-confidence and a poor quality of life. Treating acne leads to a measurable improvement in quality of life. Treating acne early will also prevent scarring.

Cure versus control

Acne is a chronic condition, and treatment is designed to control the symptoms. A treatment plan is introduced at your first visit and augmented during subsequent visits until adequate control is reached. With regular reviews, a high number of patients find their acne comes under good control though patience and persistence are required.

Why you should see a Consultant Dermatologist for acne

A Consultant Dermatologists is the highest level of expert available for skin issues such as acne. Here are some of the benefits of seeing a Consultant Dermatologist

  • Accurate diagnosis – you may have self diagnosed acne or received this diagnosis from a non specialist, though you may have a condition that is not acne or you may have acne along side other skin conditions. A Consultant Dermatologist is recognised as the best placed person to diagnose skin conditions.
  • Ability to manage complex variants of acne – including nodulo-cystic acne, acne conglobata, acne during pregnancy, acne during perimenopause and menopause, acne related to the contraceptive pill and HRT and acne from anabolic steroids. Consultant Dermatologists also have experience in managing acne flares, acne in sensitive skins, and acne in individuals who may not be suitable one or more treatment lines.
  • Ability to manage acne in the context of your health – you may have physical or mental health concerns that may mean your acne treatment will needed to be modified for you.
  • Ability to offer the whole spectrum of treatment for acne – Our team, led by a Consultant Dermatologist, is able to prescribe certain medications for acne such as Isotretinoin which are restricted to be prescribed by specialists only. Moreover, Midland Skin, being a specialist acne clinic, offers a comprehensive selection of acne treatment, which to our knowledge, are not offered by any other establishment in the region (including in the NHS or private sectors).
  • Ability to investigate the root cause – in certain instances you may need investigation for the root cause of acne, such as hormone tests.
  • Ability to treat coexisting skin issues – a Consultant Dermatologist is able to identify other skin issues you may have, such as rosacea, and offer you treatment for this
  • You can find out more about what a Consultant Dermatologist is here.

What should I do next?

Contact us here to arrange an acne consultation where you can discuss your needs with a Consultant Dermatologist who is on the GMC specialist register and is able to offer you the whole range of acne treatments. Our fees can be reviewed here.