Acne Treatment at Pearl Medispa Brisbane

Acne Extraction Facial

Our Acne Extraction Facial is a targeted acne treatment that deeply cleanses the skin and clears impurities to reduce congestion. This treatment uses gentle manual extraction techniques to remove blackheads, whiteheads, and clogged pores that can cause acne. A soothing mask is then applied to calm the skin and reduce inflammation, leaving your complexion clearer and refreshed. For those dealing with pore blockages, this facial is highly effective and can be combined with peel and LED light therapy for a comprehensive approach to treating pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads. A full skin analysis and extraction facial is available for $110.

Deep Cleansing Facial for Acne Treatment

Our Deep Cleansing Facial is an acne treatment designed for oily and combination skin prone to breakouts. Using our potent Mean Clean cleanser, this facial penetrates deeply into pores, removing excess oil, dirt, and impurities. With a tailored exfoliation and cleansing process, this facial helps prevent future breakouts and keeps skin balanced and clear.

LED Light Therapy for Acne Treatment

LED Light Therapy is a non-invasive acne treatment that uses targeted wavelengths to reduce acne-causing bacteria and inflammation. Blue light therapy eliminates bacteria on the skin’s surface, while red light promotes healing, reduces redness, and soothes irritation. LED light therapy supports skin repair, making it an effective add-on to other acne treatments for enhanced results. For optimal outcomes, we recommend twice-weekly LED treatments for 8–12 sessions. Individual sessions are $66, with package pricing at $50 per session.

Chemical Peels for Acne

Our Chemical Peels are tailored for acne-prone skin, working by exfoliating the outer skin layers and unclogging pores. Peels containing salicylic, glycolic, or lactic acids help reduce active acne, prevent future breakouts, and refine skin texture. Over a series of treatments, chemical peels also improve acne scars. We offer various peel options, including:

• Vitamin A Peels to promote cell turnover and clear clogged pores.
• Jessner Peels for deep exfoliation and significant acne improvement.
• Combination Peels with salicylic acid and AHAs for balanced, gentle acne clearing.

Chemical peels are a cost-effective and impactful acne treatment and are included in our comprehensive acne care options.

Personalised Skincare Regimen for Acne Treatment

An effective skincare regimen is essential in treating acne, helping to reduce inflammation, restore the skin barrier, and address the underlying causes of breakouts.

• Topical Retinoids (Vitamin A): These powerful acne treatments target the root causes of acne by reducing cell turnover, unclogging pores, regulating oil production, and promoting healing.
• Niacinamide (Vitamin B): Known for its anti-inflammatory and skin-repairing properties, niacinamide is well-suited to acne-prone skin, helping to balance the skin microbiome.
• Salicylic Acid and Exfoliants: These ingredients are excellent for clearing pore congestion and preventing new breakouts.
• Benzoyl Peroxide: Commonly used for acne, benzoyl peroxide can effectively treat pimples but may disrupt beneficial bacteria, so we generally don’t include it in our recommended regimen.

Prescription Acne Treatments and Doctor Consultations

For more persistent acne cases, prescription acne treatments may be required. Our doctors will create a customised plan, which may include:

• Prescription Retinoids: These potent vitamin A derivatives promote cell turnover, reduce inflammation, and prevent pore clogging.
• Topical Azelaic Acid: An effective treatment for reducing bacteria, controlling inflammation, and normalising skin cell production.
• Niacinamide-Containing Products: Vitamin B3 products that reduce oil production, strengthen the skin barrier, and reduce redness.

Our personalised acne treatment approach combines in-clinic procedures and prescription guidance from our doctors to help achieve clear skin.

The Western diet, which impacts metabolic pathways and the skin microbiome, significantly influences acne, a common inflammatory skin condition. While acne often begins in puberty, it now frequently extends into the mid-30s for both men and women, correlating with dietary habits prevalent in Western lifestyles. Notably, acne is rarely observed in populations outside this dietary influence, highlighting its metabolic roots.

Acne affects the hair follicles and skin pores connected to sebaceous (oil) glands. The primary causes of acne are accelerated skin cell turnover, clogged pores, excess oil production, and bacterial overgrowth. This process begins as cells and oil build up in the hair follicles, creating comedones (blackheads and whiteheads) obstructions. As sebum accumulates, it makes an ideal environment for Cutibacterium acnes (formerly Propionibacterium acnes), a bacteria that flourishes in oily, obstructed follicles, leading to inflammation and papules or pustules.

When the blockage deepens, it can result in painful nodules or cysts as inflamed material escapes into surrounding skin tissue, causing deeper damage, slow healing, and potential scarring.

C. acnes bacteria can live on healthy skin without doing any harm because they feed on natural oils and dead skin cells. However, when metabolic stimulation (like activation of the mTORC1 pathway) throws the skin’s balance out, it leads to bacterial overgrowth and changes the skin microbiome, called dysbiosis. This imbalance favours certain strains of C. acnes that contribute to inflammation, tissue damage, and scarring. As the skin’s natural acid environment shifts, the byproducts from the usually beneficial bacteria increase, further driving the inflammation and damage in cystic acne.

A Western diet rich in high-GI carbohydrates (sugar, refined grains), dairy, and animal protein drives up insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) levels, which in turn overstimulate the mTORC1 pathway—a key regulator of cell growth and proliferation. While mTORC1 activation naturally occurs during puberty as part of developmental changes, a diet loaded with sugars and processed foods can send this pathway into overdrive.

Excessive mTORC1 activity increases cell turnover in the hair follicles and oil glands, resulting in clogged pores and heightened oil production that initiates comedo formation. mTORC1 also causes early inflammation in the follicles, shown by the buildup of immune cells and cytokines, even before the skin bacteria Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) grows too much. In this environment, C. acnes can flourish, leading to an imbalance in the skin microbiome known as dysbiosis.

It’s important to note that acne should not be viewed as an infection; C. acnes is a natural part of the skin’s microbiome. However, the persistence of acne in many people explains why the Western diet is its primary cause. While acne is not physically harmful, it often causes significant emotional and psychological distress, including low self-esteem, depression, and social withdrawal. Additionally, the stress associated with acne can further aggravate breakouts through the gut-brain-skin axis.