If you search the internet you will find a multitude of  information on how to successfully treat acne. Usually the information is coupled with a sales strategy from some skincare brand trying to get you to purchase their products. The information, promises and pictures look amazing. You decide to  purchase the product and pray that this skincare plan will successfully treat your acne once and for all!

Does the story above sound familiar? If you have acne and are feeling desperate this story may have repeated itself multiple times for you over the years.  You buy a product,  after two weeks to a month it's not working and so you move onto another product or regimen.  You might even decide to try something your friend, co-worker or some famous actress has tried.  Let me stop you right here though and explain to you WHY these skincare regimens haven't been successful.

1. There are three types of acne. Depending on what type of acne you have, depends on what products will work best for you.  So ask yourself this.... when you purchase a product over the internet, at the local drug store or even Nordstrom has your acne type been taken into consideration???

2. Products have to address three main concerns. The products you use for your acne need to do these three things.
a. Keep the pore from clogging
b. Kill bacteria
c. Control Oil

3. Products have to be strong. That is "strong" enough to produce an improvement in your skin, while still being used in the right manner so that you don't dry your skin out within the first week and drop off the wagon.

4. Products need to be changed up slightly about every two weeks. This is very, very important and a definite MUST when clearing acne.  As your acne is treated it will become accustom to your products and therefore will need to be continually changed up.  This allows the skin to be pushed and get clear.

For more information on How to Successfully Treat Acnevisit Skintherapy Acne Clinic in Salt Lake City, Utah. We treat acne the right way.

Coconut Oil has become the "go to" product of 2013.  Dr. Oz has referred to Coconut Oil as having super powers and can aid in people losing weight, treating skin conditions, ulcers and much more.

HOWEVER, acne is a skin condition that doesn't respond well to Coconut Oil.

Infact, the molecule for coconut oil is very small and will CLOG pores.  It is highly comedogenic; and clients that I have had who used it and already had acne came into my clinic with even more acne. These clients admitted to using Coconut Oil on their faces for over a month and noticed a drastic change in their acne lesions. Their acne went from mild breakouts to severe within that month.  Fortunately, they found me and Skintherapy Acne Clinic in Salt Lake City.  I got them on an acne treatment program using the right products and eliminated the Coconut Oil. Within three months they were clear. Lesson learned!  For a more complete list of Pore Clogging ingredients like Coconut Oil visit Skintherapy Acne Clinic website.

Are you using prescription medications to treat your acne? How's it working?

You may want to read this article. Seems doctors are more concerned about getting your $$$ from the prescriptions then actually treating your acne.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/GeneralPediatrics/41618
Learn more about Real Acne Treatments from Skintherapy Acne Clinic in Salt Lake City  I care about treating your acne the right way and getting you clear!

Monthly periods, changing birth control, post baby and menopause, these events can all trigger hormonal acne in women.  Men may have acne in their teen years and then it tapers off, however women can spend their entire life fighting hormonal acne. Hormonal acne is frustrating, and appears generally on the lower part of the face in the form of deep, cystic type zits. The main contributor to hormonal acne problems are a women's androgen levels. When estrogen levels drop approximately two weeks after menstruation, testosterone, an androgen, stimulates the oil glands. Oil production increases, making an acne flare-up much more likely.  Hormonal acne can be controlled though and overcome with regular skin care treatments and safe, therapeutic-grade products.  Products which contain, glycolic, mandelic and salicylic and/or benzoyl peroxide all used in the right way for your acne can keep hormonal acne from forming in the first place. To find out about how to treat hormonal acne if you live in Salt Lake City, Utah visit Skintherapy Acne Clinic

Tetracycline became the first go to antibiotic to treat acne for doctors and dermatologists after it was discovered in the early fifties.

The story goes that a couple of acne cases were treated with tetracycline therapy and slight improvements were witnessed.  The excitement grew from just these few cases and doctors began prescribing antibiotic therapy to ALL their acne patients.  Unfortunately, the doctors and dermatologists became falsely infatuated with this antibiotic. After Tetracycline, other antibiotics followed, both oral and topical forms gained popularity with doctors. However, you see the antibiotic will kill only a small percentage of the bacteria once it filters it's way into the skin.  Even if you had a miracle antibiotic that would kill 100% of the bacteria from acne you still would have only dealt with a fraction of the acne problem.

Controlling acne calls for products that control not only bacteria but also acne products that control oil and keep the pore clear.  To learn more about treating acne and the use of antibiotics for acne treatments in Salt Lake City, Utah click here

Blackheads can be found on numerous areas of the body including the face, back, and chest of acne suffers. However, the most pronounced area on the face where people seem to believe they have blackheads is on the nose. The truth is that the nose also contains natural occurring sebaceous filaments that resemble blackheads. So what's the difference between a sebaceous filament and a blackhead?  The basic rule of thumb is that an actual blackhead will be larger in size than the rest of the pores and filaments. You can push and press and pick at those sebaceous filaments but they will return by the next day.

Now blackheads on the other hand can be removed with extractions and continuous product usage.  Blackheads fit into the category of non inflammatory acne.  Products that keep the pore cleaned out and reduce the excessive shedding of dead skin cells within the pore are best suited to keep blackheads at bay and treat non inflammatory acne. Getting rid of blackheads takes time and usually calls for the use of scrub type cleansers, benzoyl peroxide and exfoliating serums.

Skin Therapy Acne Clinic in Salt Lake City, Utah can successfully treat your acne and blackheads.  For more information on how to get rid of blackheads read this article

Picking, popping, scratching or doing at home extractions often becomes a bad habit for those people suffering from acne. You see picking your acne can cause damage to the pore and actually drive the pimple or pustule deeper back into the skin. Hence causing more inflammation and even scarring. Picking can also spread bacteria.

A great alternative to picking is actually icing the acne lesion as soon as you feel it coming up.

I recommend taking a small paper cup ( like a dixie cup) filling it with water and placing it in the freezer.  Once it's frozen it's ready to be used.  Remove from the freezer and gently roll it around the entire face, in circular motions for about two minutes.  You can also focus the ice filled cup on single acne lesions using circular motions as well.  Just make sure you don't hold the ice in one place too long. It is possible to get an "ice burn" if not careful.  Icing your acne will help take down inflammation and also help the penetration of the acne products and skincare you are using.

So when in doubt, pull the ice out and leave the extractions to a professional! For more information on acne treatments click here.

Acne is Hereditary. Plain and simple!  But what goes on in the pore of a person with acne vs a person without acne is very interesting.  A normal pore (hair follicle) has a lining, which sloughs off naturally once a day.  A pore of someone with acne sloughs off up to five times a day. The body doesn't know how to handle all this debris and so it gets trapped in the pore, mixes with oil and dirt and ultimately forms an acne lesion.  One might see a blackhead emerge, whitehead (the white is the white blood cells trying to fight off the bacteria) pustule, papule or cyst.  If something isn't done to "clean" out this pore and keep it "clean"  it continues to become inflammed, irritated, full of bacteria and debris.

Did you know that a pimple or acne lesion starts forming in the pore,and can take up to 3 months to hit the surface of your skin?  There is no cure for Acne, however it can be controlled.  I suggest using a regimen of Benzoyl Peroxide (BPO) and exfoliating serums that suit your type of acne (Combination, inflammatory or non-inflammatory)such as mandelic, salicylic or glycolic. Get regular cleansing, exfoliating and extraction treatments from an esthetician and you'll find success.   For more information or to ask a question.  Email me at [email protected] or visit my site at  www.skintherapslc.com

I am continually asked on a daily basis for home skincare recommendation--which is what I am trained for as an Master Esthetician and I love helping people out.

First off I want to tell you that there is a lot of "marketing hype and fluff" if you haven't already noticed around skincare lines, coupled with an enormous amount of products to choose from. With this in mind most people have absolutely no idea which products are good for them nor do they have the wallet to support buying every brand out there to try each and every product that suggests it can "clear acne, reduce oil, prevent hyper-pigmentation, lighten fine lines and wrinkles."

So here is my personal suggestion-

1. Find an Esthetician not a dermatologist. The dermatologist is good for writing prescriptions but they wouldn't spend the time with you to talk about products other than suggesting that you use Cetaphil, Neutragen or an oral or topical antibiotic.

2. Call and talk to the esthetician before you make an appointment for a facial- tell she or he your concerns, and ask if she or he sells home care products. You want to find an esthetician who sells product but also has had success with the products. If the esthetician does not sell product then your going to this person for more of a pampering experience--period. Find somebody who can give you knowledge not just massage your face!

3. Schedule your facial with the esthetician - should take about an hour. The esthetician should then spend some extra time to discuss what products would be good for your skincare concerns. Purchase the products and use them for at least 4 to 8 weeks and be diligent in using them. The esthetician should send you home with a paper that outlines how you use each product and when to use it. His or her cell phone number is also nice to get- so if you have any questions.

4.Schedule a follow up in 4 to 8 weeks to see the esthetician again. This appointment should be another facial with emphasis on how the products have been working. Some tweaking may be done by the esthetician to your regimen if needed. Other in house treatments may be added or suggested also.

5. A good skincare regimen consists of; cleanser, toner, treatment product for your concern, moisturizer, sunscreen, mechanical and or chemical exfoliant to be used 1 to 3 times a week. Eye cream.

A chemical peel is an acid form of exfoliation. Different from a Microdermabrasion, which is a mechanical form of exfoliation, a chemical peel utilizes an acid to cause the exfoliation of skin cells. Chemical peels are very popular and according to American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, chemical peels were amongst the top five nonsurgical cosmetic procedures undertaken in 2008.
There are several types of chemical peels ranging from light, medium to deep peels. As a master esthetician, our licensing allows us to do light to medium depth peels strictly working on the epidermis. The deep peels which can penetrate into the dermis are performed by a doctor.

Light chemical peels include alpha hydroxy acids, glycolic, lactic and enzymes. These peels offer a light flaking with slight stinging up to 10 minutes when applied. These chemical peels can help improve sun damage, light pigmentation, finelines and wrinkles.

Medium chemical peels include Beta Hydroxy acids - Salacylic acid, Jessners, 7-12% TCA's.

Salacylic and Jessner peels are good for oily, acne prone skin. Helping clean out congested pores and breakouts. TCA is appropriate for more intense sun damage, pigmentation and deeper line and wrinkles. TCA also can be beneficial for those who have very thick, congested skin. All these peels will definately have a sting like a bad sunburn lasting up to 15-20 minutes and exfoliation that is more aggressive and lasts at least up to 9 to 12 days.

Deep chemical peels include TCA's 20% + and Phenol peels. As mentioned before these should only be performed by a licensed physician. Preferably a cosmetic dermatologist or plastic surgeon. These peels are usually performed with some type of pain medication or anesthesia.

Should you get a chemical peel?

I view chemical peels as a great way to refresh your skin and help remove the damage that's been done during the summer months. I also believe it's a great way to combat breakouts and add an overall glow to your complexion. If and when you decide to do a chemical peel make sure you go to an esthetician that has experience in giving peels as well as determining which peel is best for your skin type and your goals.

Should I Try Microdermabrasion?

Q: What is microdermabrasion and how can it benefit my skin?

A: The act of exfoliating the skin is excellent for facial rejuvenation, and microdermabrasion, which removes the uppermost layer of dead skin, can improve your skins texture, provide better penetration of products (moisturizers, vitamin C etc) and even out skin tone.

During my 11 years in skincare, one of my favorite tools has been my microdermabrasion machine. By utilitzing aluminum oxide crystals which flow threw a vacuum type wand the dead skin of the epidermis is exfoliated. It is considered a mechanical exfoliator and can be used on almost all skin types, except for hypersensitive skin. Unlike chemical peels, which can cause hypo-pigmentation on darker skin colors, any ethnicity can benefit from receiving microdermabrasion treatments.

Usually done in a series of 6 to10 treatments, microdermabrasion significantly improves the tone and texture of the skin, while reducing lines, brown pigmentation, and enlarged pores. Having it done every other week in a series of treatments allows for a deeper exfoliation of the skin. I recommend doing a series in the fall to boost the radiance of the skin and repair any sun damage caused by too much summer sun exposure. Monthly microdermabrasion/facials are also a great option for general anti-aging purposes.

Additionally, people with acne will benefit from regular treatments in combination with extractions to control breakouts and prevent acne-related scarring. Beware though that the acne needs to be controlled with homecare products before a microdermabrasion should be performed so that bacteria is not spread to other areas of the face during treatment. Your esthetician should be able to tell when it's a good time to add in the Microdermabrasion treatments.

Jil Goorman, Spa Magazine and Gunilla Eisenberg-Facialist