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How To Get Rid Of Acne
Ask Dr Winston Lee about:
- Skincare routines for acne
- Accutane for acne
- How effective chemical peels and lasers are for acne
- What to do if your acne is not improving
Dr Winston Lee graduated from National University of Singapore in 2005. As part of his work, he avails time to attend conferences and training to keep up to date with the latest treatments. Dr Lee practices medicine with 2 key tenets: “Less is more” and “Beauty encompasses within and without”.
He has a keen interest in treating acne, having previously suffered from severe acne in his younger days.
Questions 7
How to avoid complications after TCA CROSS treatment such as pigmentation and widening scars? (photo)
Can i advise that you discuss with your doctor about subcision and filler placement first? That would help improve the undulating appearance of your scars. TCA Cross can widen scars if done poorly (technique wise) by having excessive spillage into the normal skin, or if the scar selection was done wrongly. Find an experienced practitioner for this treatment modality. Post TCA pigment wise - sunblock is key! and you can use Q switch laser to reduce it 2-3 weeks after the therapy. Hope all goes well and Merry Christmas!
Can acne scar treatments be combined in the same session?
Subcision can be combined safely with any of the more superficial treatments, be it Co2 fractional laser, Intracel/microneedling rF and TCA Cross. However I would be concerned if you do too many treatments on the surface (TCA + Intracel) as healing may potentially be impaired. Further more, TCA Cross downtime (socially) can be as long as 2 weeks or more. you may find that unacceptable as well.
How effective is subcision without fillers?
If you have described it as deep pitted scars, I would suggest that you speak to your doctor first. It is my experience that many patients have pre-formed notions of the correct treatments for their type of scars. which usually isn't that correct. I would probably consider TCA Cross for the deep pitted scars instead. Any photos would be useful! But that said, pertaining to your question, I echo Dr Boey's idea that subcision with fillers improves the overall appearance by reducing re-attachment rates AND the biostimulatory effects would help plump up the atrophic scarred areas.
How to get rid of whiteheads? (photo)
The whiteheads is quite significant. I would suggest you consider first to use the right products. - Gel based serums or moisturiser - Retinoids to assist in the appropriate keratinolysis - the occasional home based chemical peels AHA/BHA Following it, then consider the use of: - Carbon laser which reduces acne outbreaks/cystic acne - Hydrafacial/machine based facial for gentle exfoliation. Those would be useful to consider. Severe acne outbreaks may warrant medications. Consult your doctor early.
Do doctors have to administer chemical peels in Singapore?
Hi there It really depends on the practice. However basically certain dosages of chemical peels can only be purchased and ordered by clinics/doctors, and these are what we term as prescription only peels. They tend to be of a higher concentration/risk of adverse outcomes if poorly used. I suspect your derma did the first few treatments to ensure that the dose is safe and to ascertain your skin reaction first, and then beyond that the mechanical application is done by the assistant.
Why is my acne worsening in spite of my skincare routine? (photo)
My other colleagues have answered well and indeed, it appears that there is a cystic lesion underneath and the evidence of discharge suggests you need urgent medical attention. Steroid injection and antibiotics should probably be the mainstay of the therapy. In terms of other changes to your skin care, please ensure you are using a light gel based moisturiser in view of the oily skin, and please use the appropriate concentration of rectanyl(and don't be overly generous as what my patients love to do unilaterally).
Is Differin and retinoid creams safe for treating acne in children?
This depends on what the age of the patient (your child) is. Epiduo has been recently approved for the use in children age 9 and above by FDA, as such from the clinical perspective the use of Differin alone can be expected to be safe, albeit off-label. Other options such as mild BHA and AHA can be considered as an acne- treatment. Do consult your doctor early though.