Acne, commonly known as pimples, blackheads, or teenage acne, primarily appears on areas with large sebaceous glands and high sebum production—such as the face, neck, chest, back, and buttocks. It is a multifactorial condition primarily linked to hormonal levels, excessive sebum secretion, proliferation of Propionibacterium acnes, abnormal keratinization of the follicular sebaceous duct, and inflammation.
It is generally classified into three types:
Non-inflammatory acne——
Also known as comedones, it begins as millet-grain-sized bumps. After maturing over several days, they form whiteheads or blackheads. Squeezing them may expel a yellowish-white, powdery sebum plug. This is mild acne, and appropriate treatment with cosmeceuticals can resolve it at this stage.
Inflammatory acne —
When comedones become infected by microorganisms such as Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus aureus, Malassezia furfur, or mites, inflammation occurs. This leads to redness, swelling, and pus formation, resulting in more severe pustular acne.
Conglobate acne —
If inflammatory acne remains untreated, internal damp-heat toxins cannot be expelled promptly. Combined with unclean skin and the habit of squeezing or picking at lesions, bacteria proliferate like ants in the deeper skin layers. This leads to recurring breakouts,persisting for extended periods. The skin develops hardened nodules, cysts, sinus tracts, erythema, and scarring, progressing to severe conglobate acne.
Nodular acne——
When pustular acne is left untreated or mismanaged, it can progress into thick-walled nodules of varying sizes. These nodules may lie beneath the skin or protrude above the surface, appearing pale red or dark red with a firm texture. This condition is known as nodular acne, also called indurated acne.Different types of acne require tailored treatment approaches for optimal results.
Fractional Laser Acne Treatment — Targeting Non-Inflammatory and Inflammatory Acne
Each fractional laser application delivers thermal energy to micro-zones within the skin, preserving surrounding tissue unaffected by the treatment;The treated skin tissue removes pigmentation while stimulating collagen regeneration. Untreated areas act as thermal diffusion zones, preventing potential side effects like thermal damage and promoting skin healing.
Indications:
Acne removal, acne scar treatment, traumatic scar removal; treatment of telangiectasia, pore reduction, enlarged pore improvement, skin texture enhancement, skin brightening; fine forehead lines, periorbital wrinkles, neck wrinkles, stretch marks
Advantages:
Focused micro-beam pulses ensure more uniform irradiation and stable energy delivery. The precise energy segmentation expands the treatment scope. It effectively removes pigmentation and melasma, stimulates collagen regeneration, treats acne scars, smooths wrinkles, repairs photodamage and hyperpigmentation, and enhances skin elasticity and radiance.Fractional laser is termed non-invasive skin rejuvenation because each laser pulse comprises hundreds of micro-pulses, delivering gentler penetration and more uniform, stable energy. Consequently, the treatment is entirely comfortable with no skin damage. This novel approach addresses skin concerns with greater precision and delivers more pronounced results.
Contraindications:
Tumors, especially skin cancer; pregnancy; use of photosensitizing medications; photosensitive disorders; active herpes simplex; diabetes; keloid-prone skin.