Acne Treatment Seattle & Tacoma | Professional Acne Treatment Seattle

Acne is most often associated with teenagers. However, people of any age can experience acne flare-ups worse than the occasional pimple. Treating chronic acne sometimes requires a professional because determining the cause and adequate treatment is not the same for everyone. Unfortunately, there is not one cleanser or treatment that will clear everyone’s acne. The master estheticians at Seattle Plastic Surgery provide the best acne treatment Seattle and Tacoma offer.

What Is Acne?

Acne—in a basic sense—is the clogging of hair follicles with oil, dead skin cells, and sometimes environmental debris. This causes bumps on the skin that are often inflamed and red, but also can appear just as skin-colored bumps. It is normal to occasionally get a pimple or small breakout. However, some people may find it difficult to get rid of acne or experience pain from their acne.

When acne cases become severe, it may be a type of acne known as cystic acne. This involves pustules deep within the skin. Though, severe forms of acne can take on several forms and recurrent, painful acne may be a sign you require professional intervention to see your acne improve.

Causes Of Acne

The causes of acne vulgaris range from hormones to stress. For most patients, there is not only one factor contributing to their acne. Some causes or contributors to acne formation include:

  • Stress
  • Pollution
  • Hormones (puberty, menopause, or prescribed hormones)
  • Hyperandrogenism
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome
  • Pregnancy
  • Genetics
  • Menstruation
  • Menopause
  • Oil-based makeup or products
  • Certain dietary choices
  • Lack of sleep
  • Excess sebum production
  • Bacterial infection
  • Steroids

Of course, other factors may contribute to acne. During your free skin consultation, your master esthetician will review your medical history, lifestyle, and skin to help determine possible causes.

Teenage vs. Adult Acne

As mentioned earlier, acne in adolescence is common and expected. Therefore, when an adult experiences major breakouts or never see their acne improve as they reach adulthood, there are usually multiple contributing factors. Beyond this, adult acne does tend to differ in cause and presentation when compared to teenage acne. The table below details some of the differences.

Teenage Acne Adult Acne
  • Appears around the start of puberty
  • Tends to be worse in people assigned male at birth
  • More likely to be hormone influenced
  • Individual breakouts resolve quicker
  • More likely to see whiteheads and blackheads with occasional inflammatory acne
  • May see more body acne
  • Stronger or more invasive methods usually not recommended unless severe acne
  • Can occur any time
  • Common before period
  • Tends to affect more adults assigned female at birth
  • More likely to involve several factors
  • Can be a sign of certain medical conditions such as PCOS
  • May see more inflammatory acne with occasional whiteheads and blackheads
  • Less likely to see body acne
  • May undergo more invasive methods since they are largely elective, cosmetic procedures

The treatment for teenage and adult acne are similar. Though, adults do have more options due to the availability of certain procedures and medications. These treatments may not be suitable or warranted for treating teen acne. At Seattle Plastic Surgery, we only administer treatments to acne patients 18 or over.

Before & After

A Before and After photo of a Chemical Peel by Master Estheticians in Seattle and Tacoma

Before & After

A Before and After photo of Microneedling by Master Estheticians at Seattle Plastic Surgery in Seattle and Tacoma

Acne Treatment Options

Within both the medical and cosmetic fields, there are multiple acne treatment options. At Seattle Plastic Surgery, our master estheticians pull from the best treatments in both industries. Thus, they create customized acne care that will help you see improvements in acne. They take a holistic approach to promote the best and longest lasting results.

Professional Skincare Procedures

Professionally administered skincare procedures offer a wealth of benefits and options to patients suffering from acne. These treatments address the acne itself as well as many of the causes of acne. During your free skin consultation, your master esthetician may recommend procedures such as:

  • Chemical Peels: Chemical peels use acidic substances to resurface acne prone skin. This helps remove dead skin and promote collagen production. Thus, this prevents dead skin from clogging the hair follicles and can help clear it from hair follicles. Chemical peels also offer several other benefits such as improving the look of acne scars, treating fine lines and wrinkles, and generally promoting healthier skin.


  • Oxygen Facial: Using a stream of highly pressurized oxygen, an oxygen facial is gentle. Yet, it still helps lift impurities and dead skin from your pores. While it is largely a superficial facial, it prevents the clogging of hair follicles and can help nourish the skin.


  • Microneedling: Microneedling is one of the gold standard treatments in all of medical esthetics. Not only is it a fantastic anti-aging procedure, but microneedling can help address acne and acne scars. It can help promote the growth of new skin cells and reduce sebum production. Our master estheticians often combine microneedling and chemical peels to treat acne with the Glow Up Package.


  • IPL: Intense pulsed light targets redness and pigmentation on the skin. Therefore, it can help reduce the appearance of acne by targeting redness. This is also true for people experiencing red acne scars. It can also help treat rosacea and melasma which sometimes occur with acne.


  • VI Peel: A medium-depth chemical peel, the VI Peel, was specifically designed by the creator to address his daughter’s hormonal acne. This resulted in the VI Peel which is great for treating acne and aging concerns. Unlike other chemical peels, it is also safe for most skin tones and comes with less discomfort and peeling.

 

  • Zombie Carbon Laser Peel: A zombie carbon laser peel draws impurities and dead skin from the hair follicles and pores. To do this, it uses a dark-colored carbon lotion. This lotion is then removed using a laser that targets the dark color of the lotion. Thus, since the laser is not addressing the melanocytes in the skin, it is safe for all skin tones.

Medical Grade Skincare

The master estheticians at Seattle Plastic Surgery work under the supervision of plastic surgeons. The surgeons can prescribe skincare products if they see fit. When it comes to acne, Seattle Plastic Surgery offers prescription skincare products such as:

  • Acne cleanser and gel
  • Ferulic acid serum
  • Salicylic acid wash
  • Tretinoin

We do not prescribe isotretinoin. However, if your master esthetician believes this is your best option, they will tell you and help you determine where to go from there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do You Do Extractions?

Yes, our master estheticians can perform extractions. Some of our procedures involve extractions such as the rain facial. However, they can also manually perform them before your procedure or in isolation. It should be noted that our master estheticians do not perform surgical extractions. They only address acne and not cysts or similar structures.

Can Makeup Cause Acne?

Yes, but it is not quite as common as many think. Wearing makeup daily, on its own, does not cause acne. Makeup causes acne in two ways: through inadequate removal of makeup and the use of oil-based products. To prevent getting acne, use non-comedogenic products that do not clog your pores. Also, make sure to fully remove your makeup at the end of the day.

What Are Acne Treatment Options For Hormonal Acne?

Hormonal acne is among some of the most difficult to treat. While treatments and products can absolutely make a difference, they often cannot completely get rid of hormonal acne. This is because the cause of acne is not something that can be addressed topically. Generally, if the acne is due to hormonal factors it is caused by puberty, PCOS, the menstrual cycle, or menopause. Outside of the previously discussed treatments, some of the possible treatments for hormonal acne include:

  • Time
  • Improving your skin routine
  • Oral contraceptives (PCOS)
  • Diet changes

Does Acne Mean Your Skin Is Unhealthy?

No, not always. Acne—to some extent—is normal. It is impossible to never experience a pimple or acne at some point. However, if your acne is deep within the skin, not responding to basic treatment, painful, or constant, then it could mean there is a larger problem. 

Though this does not necessarily mean your skin is unhealthy, it may have to do another medical condition, a medication you take, or potentially a skin condition. Without other symptoms or evidence, acne alone does not mean your skin is unhealthy.

How Much Is Acne Treatment In Seattle?

The master estheticians at Seattle Plastic Surgery customize each acne treatment regimen to the patient. Therefore, the prices can vary widely based on the recommendations of procedures and products. Following your free skin consultation, you will receive a personalized price quote for all of your procedures. 

You can see starting prices for our procedures on our price list. You can then also add up the cost of various procedures using Price Simulator.

“

Very easy and convenient to book an appointment with. Very professional and competent staff and doctor. I felt very taken care of and at ease thru out my entire procedure. Now Iv been back for my second time and I will be coming back in the future. I am extremely happy with the results. 5 STARS!! Thank you

A.G.
“

Heather is a great esthetician. She is very knowledgeable and professional. Heather takes time to explain the procedure and suggests what else can be done for better results. Good overall experience and would recommend

V.P.
“

I've only gone in for a consultation, so this is purely a review of that process. But I was welcomed with a hot beverage, a soft cookie, and a polite atmosphere - before finding out the lazer procedure I'm interested in was both cheaper AND less painful than I'd anticipated. So definitely a five star experience, though admittedly I've only experienced the sales pitch. Staff was kind throughout.

M.C.
“

I have always had great service and results at Seattle Plastic Surgery! I need to visit more often!

L.N.

The Best Seattle Acne Treatment With Top Master Estheticians

The master estheticians at Seattle Plastic Surgery offer their decades of experience and expertise to patients looking for acne treatment in Seattle. A master esthetician’s education and training go beyond that of a traditional esthetician and include medically-based procedures. They make the beautification and treatment of the skin more accessible and pull from both industries instead of relying on one. The master estheticians at Seattle Plastic Surgery offer the best acne treatment Seattle provides.

Seattle Plastic Surgery is located in Seattle’s medical hub of First Hill. It has served the Seattle area for over two decades with high quality, luxury plastic surgery, cosmetic injections, and medical esthetics. To learn more and schedule a consultation, call us at 206-324-1120. You can also reach out online using chat, contact form, or Price Simulator.