Whatever the diet and however thorough you are with your beauty regime, anybody and anyone can get acne.

They say it’s merely hormones. Then some traditionalists say that it is caused by eating too much “heaty food” like chocolates and chillies. Beauticians said it’s the way a face is cleansed at the end of the day. With acne comes the scars, those stubborn and ugly spots that can appear if it is left untreated or not treated well.

Get to the root of the problem

Acne occurs when too much sebum (an oily or waxy matter) forms a plug with dead skin cells in follicles of the skin. The follicle of a sebaceous gland then becomes blocked and pimple forms. Although it is not dangerous, it may have a significant impact on self-esteem especially if it covers most of a person’s face. Furthermore, scars that are left behind may become a source of unhappiness in the future.

There are many methods of treating this problem but it is best to get to the root of the problem by seeking the help of the doctor. At Halley, Dr. Terence Tan will prescribe a combination of synergistic treatments—medication and creams/gels, laser therapy by doctor, pampering facials, and his Brilliance line of skincare products—to treat the problem and remove any scars and pigmentation left behind:

Oral medication

Acne medication work by reducing oil production, speeding up cell turnover, fighting bacterial infection or reducing inflammation.

Topical creams and gels

There are many different kinds of topical (rub-on) creams and gels available for spot treatment of acne.

Laser treatments

Depending on the skin problem, the recommended laser treatments include:

• Laser carbon peel:  The overflow of oil causes pores to become clogged. If there are also dead skin cells trapped in the oil, the result is the creation of bacteria that causes an acne pustule. Halley’s laser carbon peel addresses the issue of clogged pores. During treatment, a thin layer of carbon is applied to the face. The laser will be used to create a peeling effect to remove the carbon. This process will help to purge and minimise skin pores, exfoliate the skin, and stimulate the production of collagen and new skin cells.
• Pigment laser: Pigmentation is the nasty farewell gift left behind when pimples go away. Although it is not harmful, having many patches of pigmentation will cause the skin to look uneven. A pigment laser emits very short and rapid pulses of light on pigmented areas, leaving the skin fairer and more even-coloured.
• Vascular laser: This lasers treatment is used to rid the face of unwanted redness left by acne scar. It uses a high intensity, single wavelength beam, which is able to effectively target and treat small areas of the face.
• Fractional laser resurfacing: Fractional laser resurfacing or carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers target the water within the skin cells, removing the old layer of skin to reveal new, fresh skin. This replacement of skin and subsequent collagen production helps to lighten acne scars over time.

Conventional CO2 lasers have a downtime of two weeks or more due to the peeling off of skin. However, Halley uses a new and improved version known as the fractional CO2 laser. The fractional CO2 laser uses computer-generated, pixelated, and electronically-generated grids to target small microscopic areas over the face (20%-40% of surface area). The unaffected areas help to heal the affected areas, reducing the downtime from two weeks to five days.

Treatment facials

Pampering facials Halley’s treatment regime may also include a series of relaxing, pampering facials to aid the skin back to good skin health. This includes the Acne Buster Facial, Deep Pore Cleansing Facial, Gently Does It Peel, and no downtime glycolic acid peels.  

Dr. Tan’s Brilliance skincare line is a skincare system for clear, beautiful, and glowing skin. Each step builds upon the last, containing products that form a well-balanced skincare regime to ensures that our skin absorbs the nutrition it needs for optimal results. He has a set of products and treatment protocol dedicated to treat acne prone skin which includes Brilliance’s Acne Buster, Renewal Essence, Hydrating Ceramide Toner, Diamond Serum (C + B + HA), and Antioxidant Peptide Cream.