We talked to a doctor about treating acne: Here’s what they told us
While it may feel like acne only affects teenagers who get a zit before the big dance, the problem is actually much worse. According to the Canadian Dermatology Association, acne affects around 5.6 million Canadians — nearly 20% of the country’s population.
People often associate acne with lifestyle, be it eating too much junk food or having poor hygiene — but this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, there’s no scientific proof to show that those factors contribute to a person’s problems with acne, and these perceptions can worsen the already significant psychological impact of acne that causes embarrassment and low self-esteem.
If you’re experiencing mild, moderate, or severe acne, the best way to treat it is by booking an appointment with medical aesthetics and skin care clinic, like Shine MD.
Founded by Dr. Mona Khurana, MD, a board-certified family and emergency medicine physician with a post-graduate diploma in Practical Dermatology, Shine MD focuses on addressing aesthetic concerns and treating medical skin conditions — with a special focus on the medical management of acne and treatment of acne scarring.
Shine MD is one of the first and only clinics in Vancouver to offer AviClearTM — a unique laser treatment for acne and acne scarring.
To help us understand a bit more about acne, we talked with Dr. Khurana about why she founded Shine MD, common misconceptions about acne treatment, and how AviClear can help improve or decrease acne without the need for prescription medication.
Starting Shine MD
Dr. Khurana says she founded Shine MD as part of her healing journey of personal growth and self-discovery.
“After working as an ER physician for 10 years I developed chronic migraines,” Dr. Khurana tells Daily Hive. “I was juggling shift work, high-intensity environments, and the needs of my children and family. I discovered neuromodulators as a potential treatment for my migraines, and became increasingly curious about the aesthetics industry.”
Coinciding with her personal growth journey, she also made the leap to do some physical self-improvement by treating her acne and acne scars in a place where she felt safe. Though, to her surprise, she couldn’t find anyone confident enough to improve her skin.
“The care providers I sought help from were not sure what would be safe for my skin colour,” says Dr. Khurana. “I am South Asian and was surprised that there was not a determined path for improving my skin. So, I started Shine MD, determined to offer patients a safe place they could get medical care for their skin condition and have a committed, determined approach to addressing, improving, and even fixing their skin concerns.”
This is why AviClearfor acne is so revolutionary, it’s actually safe for all skin types and tones.
Clearing up acne misconceptions
There are a lot of common misconceptions about acne, along with how and when to treat it. Whether you believe that acne is a phase, won’t leave scarring, or acne is the result of personal choices, Dr. Khurana tells us a lot of these misconceptions are false.
Dr. Khurana says that teen acne can affect their social and emotional development, and shouldn’t wait until they’ve “grown out of it” to get treatment — as it has a likely chance to follow them into adulthood. Acne of any severity can impact a person’s self-esteem and happiness, and all acne, regardless of how severe it may seem, has the potential to leave scarring.
“I often see patients who feel they are doing something to cause the acne,” says Dr. Khurana. “Acne is a complex process that includes physiology and hormones. I always try to take the guilt away from my patients and advise that sometimes, people get acne and it has nothing to do with their diet, lifestyle, or stress levels.”
She explains that acne is formed when an oily substance on the skin, known as sebum, combines with dead skin cells and clogs pores. The overproduction of sebum by the sebaceous glands is one of the main mechanisms of acne — as it creates an ideal environment for bacteria to grow, causing inflammation which leads to painful and cystic acne.
AviClear treats acne at the source by selectively targeting and suppressing the sebaceous glands. After an AviClear treatment, patients will produce less oil, and acne will get better and stay better. In clinical studies, 92% of patients saw clearance in their acne after their last AviClear treatment after 12 months, based on data collected by Cutera.
Common acne treatments
Typically, patients who suffered from chronic, recurring, or mild, moderate, to severe acne used the medication isotretinoin as their main treatment — found in brand names like Accutane, Epuris, and Clarus.
While effective, this medication can come with a wide range of side effects and require routine lab work to monitor cholesterol and liver enzymes. Patients may need to take the medication for six to 12 months, and women can’t become pregnant during this time.
That’s where AviClear treatments can offer an improved solution with no harmful side effects and no downtime. This is why Dr. Khurana chose to partner with them to launch this new technology in BC. “Shine MD already has a robust acne clinic,” says Dr. Khurana. “Naturally, it was the perfect place to offer the AviClear laser.”
Involving a series of three 30-minute treatments one month apart, AviClear treatments are convenient for busy lifestyles and those seeking a long-term, chemical-free solution to their acne.
What makes AviClear different
While the idea of laser treatments might seem overwhelming, Dr. Khurana stresses that all acne care and laser treatments at Shine MD are overseen by physicians and performed by experienced care providers. AviClear also utilizes AviCoolTM technology which allows a safe and comfortable treatment experience.
“The AviClear laser enables patients to have another option that potentially bypasses the need for medication use,” says Dr. Khurana.
To learn more about AviClear or how you can book yourself an appointment, visit Shine MD’s website. Shine MD is currently offering a special promotion for three treatments of AviClear.
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