Finding problem skin treatments to suit your clients’ needs

Acne breakouts and the resulting inflammation and scarring can be devastating for clients, especially as they tend to manifest in teenagers and young adults who are often already grappling with the stress of just navigating life.

From antibiotics and hormone treatments to topical creams and machine applications, there are many ways in which to treat acne. The challenge is to match the correct treatment to the needs of each individual client.

Before you can treat or advise on treating problem skin in your salon or spa, you need to do your homework. Find out what the options are and their pros and cons so that you can help your clients make informed decisions about their treatment. You can start right here. Read on for more on treatment options.

Starting point

A person’s quality of life can be significantly negatively impacted by acne. One of the biggest challenges for salons and spas is building trust with clients who may struggle to open up, having grown up in a social media-dominated world obsessed with perfection.

The starting point is educating clients on the causes and differences between, for example, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and acne scars, and how these conditions can be managed with treatment approaches from a trusted professional.

A treatment option that aligns with the skincare industry trending towards more natural formulations, is gentle and effective natural alternatives as opposed to synthetic ingredients. Natural skincare can provide all types of skin with essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, promoting skin health while minimising the risk of skin irritation.

Whichever treatment you and your client decide on, it is always a good idea to record progress. Take photographs at the start of treatment and as the treatment continues. Clients see themselves in the mirror every day and may not notice a difference in their appearance. Seeing improvements can act as a well-needed confidence booster.

Treatment and homecare solutions

There is a selection of healing products and treatments to offer acne sufferers.

An acne solution by SIX® suits teens

SIX® has a range of products for problem skin including a teen face wash, pimple control cream, a teen moisturiser and a face mask.

The active ingredients in SIX® ’s Salicylic Acid Teen Face Wash are tea tree oil, willow bark and licorice root. They work together on oily, problematic and combination skin.

Tea tree oil, licorice root extract, and willow bark extract are natural remedies for acne-prone skin. Tea tree oil combats bacteria, reduces redness and swelling, balances oil production, and evens skin tone. Licorice root extract calms irritated skin, while willow bark extract exfoliates and prevents future breakouts.

SIX® ’s Salicylic Pimple Control is ideally applied after cleansing blemishes or problem areas. The cream’s key ingredients also include tea tree oil and willow bark extract like the face wash, with additional ingredients including salicylic acid, aloe vera extract, and Barosma betulina extract.

Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid, aloe vera extract, and barosma betulina extract are effective in exfoliating dead skin cells, reducing acne, and calming irritated skin. They also have antimicrobial properties, reducing inflammation and balancing oil production.

The Mattyifying Teen Moisturiser has skin-calming properties produced by its ingredients which include niacinamide (Vitamin B3), lemon fruit extract, saw palmetto fruit extract, and burdock root extract.

Niacinamide regulates oil production, reduces enlarged pores, and improves uneven skin tone. Lemon fruit extract, rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C, brightens skin, controls oil, reduces shine, and keeps skin matte. Burdock root extract soothes and prevents acne.

Applied once or twice a week and left on for 15 minutes enables Salicylic Acid Tea Tree Mask to complement the work being done by the other products in this range. In addition to salicylic acid and tea tree oil, the mask also contains kaolin, rosehip seed oil and glycolic acid. Kaolin, rosehip seed oil, and glycolic acid are essential skincare products that help cleanse, nourish, and exfoliate the skin. Kaolin absorbs excess oil, Rosehip seed oil promotes skin regeneration, and glycolic acid reduces fine lines and uneven skin tone.

DermaFix has an uncomplicated approach to treating acne

Acne treatment doesn’t have to be complicated. DermaFix knows that by focusing on a gentle, balanced routine that nourishes and protects, acne can be kept at bay without compromising the skin’s overall health. This is unless a chronic condition exists where more medical intervention is required.

DermaFix Gentle Cleansing Gel is a gentle cleanser for acne-prone skin, while DermaPolish + Activated Charcoal offers deep cleansing without irritation, detoxifying the skin and leaving it refreshed and balanced. MD Mandelic Retexturising Wipes with Niacinamide along with hyperpigmentation inhibiting ingredients, these wipes work to resurface the skin whilst refining the pores and targeting breakouts for a clearer, more even skin.

Top priority serums should address inflammation, oil regulation, and free radical protection, with ACC Retinol+ and B3 Boost being powerful solutions for nighttime and daytime use.

Moisturising acne-prone skin is often overlooked, but it’s an essential step in maintaining a healthy skin barrier. Lightweight, non-comedogenic options like DermaFix CBD Lotion or Vitamin B Cream are well-suited for acne sufferers. These formulas are soothing, anti-inflammatory, and oil-regulating, offering hydration without the heaviness that can aggravate breakouts.

DermaFix’s DermaShield SPF40 Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen, formulated with zinc oxide, offers broadspectrum UVA/UVB and HEV light protection, promoting a clear, healthy complexion.

Image: Eco Iva teen collection set.

Eco Diva’s teen guide to clear skin

Superfood natural skincare, managing gut health, and a sprinkle of zen (plus some common sense), are how Eco Diva advises tackling teenage acne.

Harsh chemicals and mixing many different brands only damage the skin. Superfood skincare offers clay masks, antioxidant-rich berries, and soothing oats – all packed with vitamins and nutrients the skin craves. Natural skincare brands, such as, Eco Diva, harness the power of these goodies. Eco Diva’s Teen Mini Collection Set offers 30 days of PH balancing skin superfoods ideal for teens. It balances hormonal breakouts and maintains a health skin microbiome naturally.

Gut health: the skin’s bestie

What a person eats can negatively affect her complexion. Dairy and sugar, for example, can lead to pimple breakouts and also negatively affect gut flora. It’s advisable to eat fresh vegetables and fruit daily and take probiotics found in supplements, such as, kombucha, and kimchi, to maintain healthy gut flora. Vitamin supplements that will also assist include zinc, Vitamin Bs and a good multi-vitamin. A healthy gut means clearer skin and drinking plenty of filtered water keeps the skin hydrated and flushes out toxins.

Eco Diva’s Good Gut Glow. Superfood beauty smoothie is a complete solution for a balanced gut microbiome. Each daily serving provides the body with essential nourishment that promotes overall gut balance, increased energy, better sleep and a glowing skin from within.

"STRESS can TRIGGER ACNE FLARE-UPS. Advise your teenage clients to FIND A WAY in which to RELAX AND FIND BALANCE, whether it’s through YOGA, MEDITATION, or simply TAKING TIME TO CHILL with their FAVOURITE TUNES. Reducing STRESS LEVELS can work WONDERS FOR THE SKIN."

Image: Novoxel

Tixel® by Novoxel treats breakouts and prevents scarring

Tixel® is a fractional skin treatment that uses thermo-mechanical ablation technology (TMA), a combination of heat and motion, to rejuvenate and resurface the skin.

While Tixel® treats a wide range of skin concerns from wrinkles and skin damage to stretch marks, it is also effective in the treatment of acne breakouts and prevents resultant scarring. It can also be used to treat old acne scarring.

It’s performed with a device tipped with 81 titanium pyramid-shaped pins arranged in a grid pattern. The titanium pins briefly heat the skins with thermal energy, creating tiny injuries. These micro wounds trigger the skin’s natural healing process and encourage collagen production, eventually tightening, smoothing and improving the look and feel of the skin.

The treatment results in relatively low pain with noticeable changes after only one to two sessions. Tixel® also requires less recovery time than conventional fractional laser treatments. It is recommended that patients have three to six sessions spaced two to four weeks apart.

Aclinical study concluded that thermos-mechanical ablation (TMA) used immediately before the application of aminolevulinic acid (ALA) may enhance the effective of photodynamic therapy (PTD) in the treatment of acne with minimal side effects, reduced downtime, and fewer sessions. The first column shows patients before treatment, and the second column shows the same patients 16 weeks after their last treatment.

Topical treatment by Isispharma Dermatologie

Teen Derm® AZ is a safer alternative to antibiotics and produces visible results within five days on inflammatory lesions.

A clinical study has proven Teen Derm® AZ alone to be as effective at reducing acne lesions and post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) as it is used in combination with an oral antibiotic. The product also performs well as a maintenance treatment.

Teen Derm® AZ is effective as an oral antibiotic because of two reasons. Isispharma Dermatologie has succeeded in formulating an emulsion that contains 15% azelaic acid (AzA). This molecule is known to have anti-inflammatory, kerato-regulating properties as well as an inhibitory action on tyrosinase. It has been proven that 15% AzA is as effective as 5% benzoyl peroxide and superior to 0.1% adapalene in the treatment of acne.

The advantage of Teen Derm® AZ with respect to existing pharmaceutical treatments, is that it was formulated with the addition of Isispharma’s patented complex a-pure. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory and sebo-regulating ingredients, a-pure completes the action of AzA and acts synergically for optimal efficacy. But above all, the complex contains moisturising ingredients to which glycerine has been added. This is what enables the guarantee 100% tolerance.

Teen Derm® AZ offers immediate visible results on inflammatory lesions, attracting patient compliance. Its quality of life improvement, calculated using the Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI) score, is +72.3% after 84 days, with a higher trend when treated alone compared to antibiotic combination.

Teen Derm® AZ can be used from the age of 10 and by pregnant and breast-feeding women, which is not possible with antibiotics. The product is also recommended for phototypes at risk of developing PIH because the AzA it contains acts directly on tyrosinase. Concerning its use, the product is nonphotosensitizing and therefore usable throughout the year without constraint, for example, morning and evening during the attack phase.