Acne & Breakouts

Breakouts form inside hair follicles, several layers below the surface, beyond the reach of any cleanser.

Acne is a biological process, not a hygiene failure. Excess sebum, dead skin cells and Cutibacterium acnes bacteria combine inside follicles, triggering an inflammatory response below the surface, where cleansing cannot reach. The impulse to scrub more often is understandable, but it disrupts the skin barrier and frequently worsens the problem rather than resolving it.

The gap between over-the-counter and clinical products comes down to molecular size, pH and percentage strength. Most retail formulations are not built to reach the follicular depth where breakouts form.

Over-the-counter products are formulated for surface application. The active ingredients in most pharmacy products have molecules too large to penetrate to the follicular depth where acne originates. Even where the ingredient is theoretically beneficial, retail formulations are typically produced at a lower pH and a lower percentage strength than is required to be clinically active at that level. At The London Road Clinic, in-clinic Glo Skin Beauty professional products are formulated at the molecular size, pH and concentration needed to reach the follicle and interrupt the conditions that drive breakouts. If you have kept to a consistent routine and still break out, the formulation, not the effort, is likely the limiting factor.

Each course is matched to your acne type, because one protocol rarely works for a condition this variable.

Clinical treatments work at the depth where acne forms. LED light therapy targets bacteria within the follicle. Chemical peels clear congestion at a level retail products cannot reach. Hydra-Facial combines deep-pore cleansing with targeted serum infusion. Each plan is matched to your presentation, whether comedonal, inflammatory or cystic.