The process that will end in a spot begins deep inside your skin, inside the sebaceous hair follicle. This is where sebum is produced, which is the oil that prevents your skin from drying out.
Skin cells are regularly renewed, and old skin cells are shed in order to make way for new ones. If your skin sheds cells unevenly, there is a risk that these dead skin cells will block follicles and trap sebum inside.
Your skin will continue to produce sebum, causing the follicle to swell. Bacteria present on your skin will then proliferate, possibly causing infection. Your body’s immune system will eventually kick in, reacting to the infection and inflammation by producing white blood cells.
The whole process from the formation of the skin cell plug to the spot appearing can take a couple of weeks, and if your skin is prone to uneven shedding, multiple spots can appear even on a small area of skin.
Active acne tends to affect the face, back and chest, and can prove difficult to control. Laser treatment used an Intense Pulsed Light system to heat up the skin, eliminating the bacteria that can cause the infection and inflammation that can be so damaging. The light also stimulates collagen production and skin renewal, producing healthy new skin cells.
