Acne Aftermath: How to Heal and Prevent Future Breakouts

Acne happens to just about everyone. Many of us struggled with acne breakouts as teenagers. Getting acne as an adult feels doubly unfair.

Whether you’re surprised by a breakout or you know you’re prone to them, the immediate goal is—of course—to make acne go away ASAP.

But then what?

Even after you have your breakout under control, you need additional measures to heal your skin. As with so many skincare concerns, the best solution for healing through your acne aftermath is a one-two punch: professional procedures and appropriate products. A combination of aesthetician-performed skincare treatments with the right at-home product regimen can ensure that your skin heals properly and quickly, without scarring. Keep reading to learn more.

And for local southwest Florida acne sufferers, we invite you to bring your breakout issues to one of the best spas in Bradenton, FL: Bellagena Med Spa and Skincare Studio offers skilled, certified, professional aestheticians, the latest skincare procedures, state-of-the-art medical-grade treatment technology, and professional-grade, small-batch skincare products to guide you all the way through your breakout battle and recovery.

What You Need During Your Acne Recovery

As we’ve addressed in an earlier blog, acne breakouts are caused by infections in your pores. Those infections might stem from sebum overproduction, clogged pores from poor cellular turnover, or inflammation. Unfortunately, acne infections also cause trapped sebum, inflammation, and ultimately, exacerbated infections. Having acne can make acne worse.

You do often need a skincare professional to diagnose the root cause of your acne. Only then can you be sure you’re deploying the right treatments.

Then, in order to heal, you need to help your body fight those infections, reduce inflammation, and produce new skin cells all at once—while also keeping pores clean. 

• It doesn’t help to clean your face if your cleanser causes additional inflammation.
• It doesn’t help to reduce inflammation if you still have bacteria in your pores.
• And even if you stop what’s causing the acne, you still have injured skin that needs optimal healing in order to reduce the chance of scar tissue.

The Best Ingredients for Acne Recovery

• Lactic acid: an AHA exfoliant that promotes cellular turnover and also helps to attract moisture.
• Tranexamic acid (TXA): an anti-inflammatory, and specifically an antifibrinolytic agent, meaning it helps blood clot. TXA reduces existing red marks and can prevent future discoloration.
• Vitamin C: After acne, Vitamin C takes down the redness and inflammation that breakout infections can cause, and it also helps to stop inflammation from causing more blocked pores in the future.

Treatment/Product Combos for Acne Recovery

All three of these acne treatment/product combos are on sale at Bellagena through Aug. 31, 2024.

ViPeel Purify and Retinoic Serum

ViPeel has set the standard for medium-depth chemical peels that are both highly effective and safe for all skin types. And when it comes to all the elements our skin battles in Bradenton, ViPeels should be on everyone’s radar.

ViPeel Purify takes that standard and hones it specifically for acne-prone skin. This unique formula is specifically formulated to kill the bacteria that causes acne while increasing cellular turnover for clean pores and fast healing.

Where this combo really treats the acne aftermath is with the addition of retinoic serum, a combination of Vitamin C and retinoids to reduce redness and inflammation, speeding heeling for a smoother outcome.

Glo2Facial and Inflammation-Fighting Serums

The Glo2Facial is a powerful combination all on its own: oxygen-powered exfoliation (“Oxfoliation”) to clear clogged pores; a lymphatic massage to ensure that the body is able to rid itself of dead and damaged cells and provide fresh nutrients to the skin; and the LUX Lite Ultrasound Experience, which makes your skin more receptive to the products you take home with you.

The key to this combo is choosing the right product that addresses the root cause of your acne, as your skin immediately after the Glo2Facial will be especially receptive to whatever you apply. You’ll be laying the foundation for your after-acne renaissance. 

The best Glo2Facial pairings from our Bradenton spa store include Sanitas Cranberry Lactic Mask, Vitamin C Lactic Cleanser, Hydrating Brightening Solution, or Vita C Serum.

Erbium and AnteAge 

Erbium laser resurfacing is a precise ablative measure to remove damaged surface skin cells. Like all laser resurfacing, Erbium creates what’s called a “controlled injury to the skin,” so what you do immediately afterwards is a vital part of the procedure. That being said, Bellagena’s Erbium iPixel uses fractional ablative technology, for a more comfortable resurfacing experience—especially advantageous for people whose skin is already painful from acne.

Erbium pairs perfectly with AnteAge MD products, which have revolutionized growth factor exosomes to supercharge your body’s own healing processes. AnteAge doesn’t just clear the way for the body to heal; AnteAge uses cytokines act on a sub-cellular level, triggering the specific skin cells responsible for wound care.
We recommend AnteAge Brightener or AnteAge Serum/Accelerator to our Erbium acne patients. As one of only two certified AnteAge providers in Manatee County, Bellagena is your Bradenton med spa resource for these remarkable growth factor treatments.