Consultations for acne concerns at Shellharbour Skin

Do we offer consultations for acne?

Yes, we absolutely do! For a thorough consultation, we need to explore the potential primary drivers of your acne concerns, which commonly include hormones, lifestyle, or a combination of the two. Your initial consultation is imperative. We aim to understand the potential contributing factors and discuss your concerns. When these factors aren’t fully explored, it could be why you haven’t yet found a management plan that suits you.

Why might your previous approaches not have met your expectations?

Often, when people find us, they’ve explored a few avenues—skincare, TikTok trends, and even other practitioners—and perhaps haven’t found an approach that suits them. Unfortunately, this is often because not one size fits all when discussing acne concerns. Some acne presentations may warrant a discussion about a combination of dermal consultations and medication. In contrast, other presentations can be discussed with our dermal clinicians.

There are 4 main factors we typically discuss regarding acne concerns: inflammation, skin cells, oil, and bacteria, and how they can impact one another. We will explore different types of consultation plans to discuss these 4 components, depending on the nature of your acne concerns.

What options do we discuss?

Firstly, our goal is to discuss ways to support the skin. If you have been experiencing acne concerns for a while, you’ve likely tried some remedies that may have left your skin barrier feeling compromised or over-dried. A key part of our consultation is to review your current skincare and discuss options, which may include LED (Light Emitting Diode) sessions.

Skin prone to acne is often associated with increased skin cell turnover and more oil production. This oil can be thick and sticky, which, combined with skin cells, can lead to congestion and breakouts. Our discussion will focus on ingredients that support skin cell turnover, efficient cleansing, and exfoliation options to manage this. We have so many options we can tailor to your skin’s needs!

What is the consultation process?

Most importantly, start by booking a consultation with our doctor. From here? The doctor will involve the appropriate members of our multidisciplinary team and help develop a potential management plan.

First, we focus on supporting the skin and assessing its barrier. A compromised barrier can be a factor in persistent skin concerns. We may discuss combining LED sessions with appropriate skincare to support the skin’s natural processes.

If we identify signs of active infection, this will be the priority of our discussion. We can explore a combination of options, including LED and medication, to manage this concern.

Then, we can begin to explore your options. We offer a variety of dermal consultations to discuss acne concerns, including extractions and Advanced Chemical Peels. We can explain how extractions are performed and how chemical peels work by exfoliating the build-up of skin cells, which can support the application of your homecare. We can combine this discussion with other options, such as our BBL (BroadBand Light) consultations, which focus on skin tone and appearance. Or we may discuss superficial Collagen Induction Consultations, which are focused on the skin’s natural processes. Once your active acne concerns have been discussed, we can move on to exploring options for acne scarring.

What about consultations for acne scarring?

If you have concerns about acne scarring, we recommend booking your consultation with the doctor first to assess the nature of the scarring and discuss the available medical options. Our dermal team also offers many consultation options if your scarring is relatively new or presents as red or brown marks. We can begin by exploring the different approaches available.

Some plans require time. We can discuss options to support your skin’s natural processes, such as LED. LED uses specific wavelengths of light, and we can discuss how this may fit into your overall skin management plan.

For some people, the appearance of red and brown marks is the main concern. We can discuss these concerns during a BBL consultation. Our BBL device is a sophisticated light-based system, and we can explain the process and the typical post-procedure experience.

For scarring concerns, we may discuss a plan combining BBL consultations and Automated Skin Needling Consultations (using the Dermapen device). We will explain how skin needling involves creating micro-channels in the skin to support its natural repair processes. We will also discuss the anticipated post-procedure experience, which may involve 3-5 days of redness or sensitivity. A plan often involves a series of 6 appointments, typically spaced 4-6 weeks apart, which we can discuss with you.

Another option we can discuss is Advanced Chemical Peels. As a medical clinic, we can discuss a range of peel options that are suited for different skin concerns. We will explain what to expect after the procedure, which may include some peeling and a sensation similar to a moderate sunburn for about 5 days. Similar to our needling consultations, we may discuss a plan involving 3-6 appointments at 4-6 week intervals.

Then, for more significant scarring concerns, we will explore other options that our doctor and cosmetic nurse can guide you through. Some deeper scars have an “anchored” appearance. We can discuss a procedure known as Consultations for Tethered Scars (subcision), where we can explain the process and what to expect. We may also discuss Facial Volume Consultations as another option to manage the appearance of the affected tissue.

Ultimately, when it comes to scarring, a consultation is vital as we have many options depending on what bothers you most about your scarring.

What about “bacne” and body acne concerns?

Back acne, or “bacne” as it is commonly known, still involves the 4 factors we discuss: oil, bacteria, skin cells, and inflammation. We approach consultations for this area similarly to the face. We’ll discuss a combination of options, including LED, extractions, and exfoliation, for your specific concerns. We may also discuss medications where appropriate for cystic and pustular lesions on the body.

We’re also going to discuss hygiene, lifestyle, and homecare products. If you exercise frequently or play a lot of sports, you may be more prone to breakouts on the upper back and shoulders. It’s important to remove sweaty clothes and shower as soon as practical. We can discuss suitable body wash options and gentle exfoliation. We may also recommend discussing specific product types, such as astringents or antimicrobial sprays, to use after showering.

Ensure to wash bedding and clothes on a warm wash and line dry where possible! Changing bed sheets regularly is also an important consideration to support your skin management plan.