At some point in our lives, we all get outbreaks of acne.
There are many myths about the cause of acne. Some people think that the incidence of acne is higher if you eat foods like chocolate or French fries. Others think that the presence of acne is due to poor hygiene. Neither is true.
Acne is caused by the body’s increased production of the hormone androgen (produced by both men and women), which stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce more oil. The increased production of oils causes the pores to become blocked, so that the oil cannot come up to the skin surface. The acne itself is an infection caused by skin bacteria that feed on and break down this oil.
As the bacteria multiply, waste products and sebacic acid are created, and the sebaceous gland becomes inflamed – causing what is known as a blackhead, a whitehead or a pimple.
But now – with the clinically tested and safe Ellipse treatment – help is at hand.
How does Ellipse laser acne removal treatment work?
The Ellipse operator guides the light from the flash-lamp to the treatment area. The unique Ellipse I2PL system carefully filters this light in two ways to ensure that only light with the correct characteristics (wavelengths) is allowed to reach your skin.
The light that is allowed through is absorbed by haemoglobin, which is the red pigment in blood. The light from the flash-lamp heats up the haemoglobin in the fine blood vessels that supply the sebaceous glands. This causes a minor injury to the sebaceous glands and slows down the overproduction of oil that leads to acne.
Can I be treated?
If you have permanent acne you will benefit from a treatment. The best results are achieved on inflammatory acne – best known as those red, aching, raised pimples. It is important your skin is relatively pale at the time of the treatment, as too much light will be absorbed by a dark complexion.
Does it hurt?
Many patients describe it as a warming sensation similar to the feeling one has after a day on the beach.
Do I need to take special precautions before and after treatment?
The light used is completely safe, visible light, so no special precautions are necessary. The unique Ellipse Dual Mode Filtering system removes unwanted wavelengths.
The Ellipse laser acne removal treatment is a combination therapy. In the clinic you will be given a glycolic cream or serum to apply every day in the acne-affected area. IT works by reducing the inflammation caused by acne, and by reducing (normalising) the thickness of the skin in the treated area.
Generally no post-treatment care is immediately necessary, but people with sensitive skin may benefit from applying an ice pack to the face immediately after treatment or applying the soothing gel.
What can I expect?
You may notice some general redness on the face following the treatment. If you have sun-damaged skin, some of the pigmented spots may turn darker and eventually disappear.
Because the bacteria are difficult to eradicate completely it is recommended that you continue using glycolic cream or serum for some months after the Ellipse acne treatment had ended. Should you suffer from a future acne outbreaks, the treatment with Ellipse can be repeated.
Although results vary from person to person, initial results from a recent clinical study show that 58% of acne lesions disappeared with the Ellipse treatment, compared to 33% improvement with topical cream alone. The technician will explain what results you can expect.
How can I be sure Ellipse is safe and effective?
Clinical trials documenting Ellipse’s safety and effectiveness are carried out by leading doctors prior to the release of the product. The results of these tests are then published in respected, refereed medical journals. You are welcome to view these scientific papers on the Ellipse website at www.ellipse.org. The settings used for your treatment will be based on the settings recommended by the clinicians who carried out the clinical trials.