Does the sun really help treat acne?

I will explain but let’s start with NO, it can actually make it worse.

It is true, acne does look better after a day in the sun but its only due to the darkening of the skin that offsets the redness of the acne. It’s almost like covering your skin with foundation; just a temporary fix that can actually worsen the health of your skin. 

Prolonged sun exposure can make your breakouts worse, especially those with acne prone skin. Debunking the myths and understanding the root causes to acne will help you find the best solutions for you. Sun exposure without the proper SFP can actually dehydrate your skin which in turns signals the body to over produce oil to compensate. This increase in oil production clogs the pores leading to acne flares and breakouts.

A quality SPF of at least 30 not only protects your skin from acne breakouts but further skin damage such as:

• Hyperpigmentation that appears as age or sun spots
• Fine lines + wrinkles
• Dehydrated + dry skin
• Acne

Looking for sunscreen options? The Wellness Exchange has brands you can trust!

So what is a better way to treat acne?

Unfortunately there is no one clear way to treat acne but this I know for sure, it requires treating more than just the external skin, we need to dig deeper, after all beauty starts from the inside. 

At EASTND we have comprehensive treatment options that are customized just for you. You will have the opportunity to work with not only our medical aesthetician but naturopathic doctors that specialize in finding solutions for you.

When deciding which external services are best for you knowing the severity for grade of your acne is important.

Though acne by definition is all the same the severity of it from one person to another can be quite different.

There are actually 4 grades of acne:

Grade 1: Mild, non-inflammatory, blackheads around the nose and a few papules that are small and red found on the cheek area.

Grade 2: Moderate acne, with more blemishes. Breakouts occur anywhere on the face. Several whiteheads, that are raised with white or yellowish dots. When squeezed white material will come out. There may be mild inflammation around the white heads and mild swelling.

Grade 3: Inflammation has increased with breakouts all over the face and sometimes merge together that can look like a mask of acne. Even without picking at this level acne will damage and cause scarring to the skin. There is severe redness and swelling.

Grade 4: Very severe and blemishes are large and referred to as cysts . Occurring not only on the face but neck, shoulders and back. Often they look like a boil or a deep blister, with puss inside and can be very painful. At this stage nodules can also appear, they are firm to the touch but do not contain puss and can be dry painful.

What’s my next step?

At EATSND we understand that acne at any age age can be frustrating and take a real toll on your self confidence. As you probably have experienced it’s not always easy to pin down exactly what is causing your acne. Is it your skin care products, what you eat, what you aren’t eating enough of, were you just born this way, is it hormonal, do you have allergies? The list is long and complicated. 

So thinking that one single product or step can solve your acne problems is probably not realistic.

This is why at EASTND you have access to several health care practitioners and options to manage and treat your acne for beautiful, clear healthy skin.

Where appropriate, more then one treatment options may be recommended for optimal skin health, including:

External Skincare Treatment Options:

Facial Acupuncture - Performed by our NDs and Acupuncturists.

Facial acupuncture uses small needles, mostly in the face to help reduce congestion and inflammation at the level of the follicle. Optimal results with weekly sessions, from 6-10 weeks.

LED light therapy can be added to this service for increased effectiveness. 

Best for Acne Grade Skin of 1 + 2. 

Microdermabrasion - a minimally invasive skin treatment with no downtime. Performed with a diamond tip, this mechanical exfoliation removes the upper layer of dead skin cells, resulting in a gentile exfoliation.

Deep exfoliation removes dead skin cells that often lead to clogged pores which leads inflammation and acne breakouts.

LED light therapy can be added to this service for increased effectiveness. 

Best for Acne Grade Skin of 1 + 2. 

Modified Jessner Peel - Takes exfoliation to the next level, not only cleaning away all dead skin cells but the salicylic acid lingers in the pores keeping them clean long after your skin stops peeling.  

Jessner peels also work on hormonal acne by targeting bad bacteria and by regulating the secretion oil.

Deep exfoliation also reduces hyperpigmentation as a result of acne breaks outs and sun damage.

LED light therapy can be added to this service for increased effectiveness. 

Best for Acne Grade Skin of 3 + 4

Internal Skincare Treatment Options

Nutritional Counselling - Working with our NDs and Nutritionists, will help you heal your gut, balance your hormones, and reduce inflammation from within. We can guide you on what foods will help heal your skin and provide meal plans to simplify changes in your diet.

Best for all Acne Grade Skin

Nutritional Supplementation - One size does not fit all for nutrient supplements. Your supplement plan should focus on the right dosing, and the right combination of nutrients based on your specific type of acne. Our NDs help create a plan specific to you and provide you with access to quality products that work.

Best for all Acne Grade Skin

DUTCH Testing - Hormonal acne is complicated. There are many potential contributing hormone pathways that could be causing your specific type of acne. Determining which pathways to focus on will result in long term healing and solutions. Check out our blog post on why we use the dutch test and the most common patterns of hormonal acne.

Best for all Acne Grade Skin

Take this as an opportunity to have a professional natural skin rejuvenation treatment with our medical aesthetician at EASTND.

BOOK NOW

MONCTON at 1.506.830.8333 or email at [email protected] 

CHARLOTTETOWN at 1.902.367.5300 or email at [email protected]

Karen, Medical Aesthetician

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