Acne Treatments

Our experienced dermatologists have been treating acne for the past 25 years. We also run subspecialty clinics to deal with all types of acne including a team that manages acne medically and a team that deals with scar mitigation & treatments. 

Our Brisbane based Clinic is renowned internationally for our laser and procedural research. 

Apart from skin care, we can amplify and accelerate your acne treatment with:

• BBL treatments including Forever Clear
• Phototherapy with blue & red-light LEDs
• Clinical grade chemical peels
• Extractions of cysts & blackheads
• Higher strength retinol

For resistant acne, our dermatologists can provide investigations and treatments at a specialist level. 

Chemical peels are $120

Lasers start at $199

Acne phototherapy $79

Book a FREE* nurse consultation in our Brisbane clinics. *T&C apply

Dermatologist consultations are partially covered by Medicare. 

If you are struggling with acne, our specialist team of dermatologists can help investigate and manage it. We employ:

• Lasers, peels and phototherapy
• Anti-hormone medications
• Prescription topical retinoids
• Oral retinoids 

The time frame depends on the type of acne you have and the treatments we perform. In simple cases of blackhead acne, results can be seen as quickly as 24 – 48 hours. Hormonal acne and cystic acne can take a few weeks to months before improving. 

Accelerated results can be expected with chemical peels, laser, BBL Forever Clear and phototherapy. Contact us to book a FREE* nurse consultation at our Brisbane clinics. *T&C apply. 

Our dermatologists are experienced in treating all skin types, including ethic skin. We manage skin of colour differently because:

• Acne is often more severe in darker skin types
• Scarring is more common
• Post acne pigmentation is universal 
• Pigment can last beyond 5 years

On this basis we are more proactive with our treatments, as we understand how darker skin reacts to inflammation. We have the very latest pico lasers including the Picoway and Picosure Pro to quickly and effectively treat post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Ideally a BHA or salicylic acid wash. Start off with a 2% BHA wash once a day, increasing to twice a day as tolerated. 

It’s complex, but the buzz word is negative feedback. By moisturizing you are telling your skin it doesn’t require more oil. 

A moisturizer also establishes skin barrier function. This reduces the possibility of scars. 

Retinoids treat all 4 causes of acne, namely they reduce inflammation, bacteria, and oil production and at the same time reduce clogging of pores. Retinoids are classed as first line therapy for acne prone skin. A sensible formulation is retinol 1%. Apply nightly to acne prone areas. 

Retinoids take a few weeks to work, with maximal results at 12-20 weeks. Purging is not uncommon. 

Firstly, if your acne does not respond to therapy after 8-10 weeks of optimal use. Secondly, if you exhibit scarring acne, including post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. 

The way to assess clinical improvement is to take pre and post photos. If treatments are working, you should see a 25-30% drop in acne lesions- count them. 

Prescription retinoids include tretinoin/retinoic acid, adapalene, tazarotene and trifarotene. 

Don’t over dry your skin. You don’t need to clean more than twice a day, or you will end up stripping the skin’s outer barrier, leading to dry irritated skin. Recommended cleansers include Neutrogena, LRP Micropeel and Cerave.

Don’t pick. If it scabs it scars. Acne patches can help heal pimples, zits and picked pimples. They cost less than 10 cents each and are available from leading pharmacies. You don’t need fancy ones, just hydrocolloid patches. 

Let your skin breathe: Avoid oil-based foundation, remember to take makeup off every night & ensure that your skin is make-up free for at least 2 days. It makes a difference. Non-comedogenic is a marketing term – it means products don’t cause acne but reducing occlusion can improve acne.

Don’t underestimate dieting: It can make a huge difference in breakouts. Dieting however is hard, unlike calorie counting, you cannot have a cheat day. It takes a few weeks for a diet to kick in, so hang in there. 

It’s complex, but it’s essentially genetically driven, modified by the environment, namely foods, stress, occasion, humidity and a multitude of other factors. In females, hormones play a huge role, especially in PCOS. 

The physiological basis behind acne can be summarized with 4 main factors. 

1. Blockage of the pore or more accurately the opening of the sebaceous gland. 
2. Increase in oil or sebum production.
3. Proliferation of c.acnes bacterium.
4. Secondary inflammation. 

Effective treatments are geared towards treating each aspect. Retinoids treat all four causes, BBL Forever Clear treats only one; namely it targets c.acne bacterium, whilst salicylic acid washes can target blockage as well as secondary inflammation. 

The two standout ingredients are azelaic acid and niacinamide. Don’t use salicylic acid if you have sensitive skin. For acute outbreaks, you are best treated with BBL or lasers over chemical peels. 

Avoid benzoyl peroxide, tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar and high strength retinoids if your skin is sensitive. For more complex cases, a dermatologist can help. 

You can try ascorbic acid 10-20% in the evening and add azelaic acid in the morning. Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation improves slowly with topical creams, pico lasers offer much faster clearance. 

This potent anti-inflammatory ingredient can be found in wheat and rye. It is useful for treating inflammatory acne, especially in pregnancy. Azelaic acid 10-20% can be used as a spot treatment, as opposed to retinoids where a field treatment is indicated. 

In summary, retinoids prevent acne, azelaic acid can treat spots as they appear. 

Vitamin B3 can help acneic skin by:

1. Reducing skin inflammation and post acne redness.
2. Aids in skin barrier function meaning faster healing from pimples.
3. Reduces oxidation of sebum and oil, in turn reducing c.acne bacteria. 

Book a FREE* nurse consultation at our Brisbane clinics, they will guide you through skincare and appropriate procedures for your acne. *T&C applies

Ascorbic acid has 3 main roles in acne management. 

1. Reduces oxidation of sebum or oil
2. Reduces post inflammatory hyperpigmentation
3. Aid in repair of acne scars by aiding in collagen production & remodelling. 

We recommend a 10-20% L-ascorbic formulation. This requires careful titration if you are on retinoids & or BHA washes. 

This is a relatively new retinoid. It occupies a unique position as it is heralded as more powerful than retinol without the side effects of prescription topicals. HPR is useful as first line management of papulopustular acne or as a transition from other acne medication.

HPR does not require a prescription. A sensible routine is BHA washes twice a day, HPR application at night to acne prone areas. 

A strict anti-acne diet can be effective in over 50% of cases. The flipside? You go to be 100% dedicated to dieting, with no off days. This means eating NO (it’s not less of, it is ZERO), dairy, including milk, cheese, ice cream, yoghurt, no simple sugars and no refined foods. 

Eat more, non-hormone fed meat and fish, organic foods and vegetables. It takes 10-14 days before diets work; maximal gains are at 6-10 weeks.

Patches prevent picking. Picking leads to scarring. Patches are cheap, about 10 cents each for HC or hydrocolloid ones. They are ultra-thin, so people won’t notice you have half a dozen on your face. 

HC provides a moist healing environment. This aids in both resolution of the pimple & reduces acne scarring. Don’t buy the micro dart formulations, they are a waste of money. 

Zinc sulphate has the greatest evidence behind it. It works by increasing your immune system and in the case of acne, it can potentially reduce c.acne bacteria. Zinc is a sensible supplement; you can buy it from most health food shops. Side effects are rare.

Proactiv is a bleach, it contains 2.5 % benzoyl peroxide, the same active ingredient found in Benzac AC wash, gel & creams. Benzac is significantly cheaper than Proactiv, but you are buying essentially the same ingredients. 

We find benzoyl peroxide most useful for treating big areas, like bacne or truncal acne. BPO is a tad bit too harsh for daily facial use, especially if you combine it with retinol & BHA washes.  

It can be useful in some cases of pustular acne as it kills c.acne bacteria. It is also anti-inflammatory. The downside of tea tree oil is the high skin irritation and allergy rate. Therefore, dermatologists don’t like it. 

We would rather you go with tea tree over apple cider vinegar. With TTO, the worst-case scenario is an allergic reaction, whilst with apple cider, we have seen acid burns that have resulted in long term hypopigmented scarring that requires skin grafting. 

It’s up to you, we have given you a synopsis of mainstream OTC acne treatments. With a well formulated skin care program, good diet and skin hygiene, you have at least a 50% chance that your acne can be managed without prescription medications.  

Just be mindful of new fads, for one simple reason – ‘’the biggest predictive factor for acne scarring is the time taken to effective control.’’