You don’t have to be a teenager to suffer from acne. And, as any acne sufferer will tell you, there is nothing more crippling to self-confidence than acne and acne scarring.

There is a plethora of acne treatments available now, but let’s back up a little and find out what really causes acne and what treatments for acne and acne scarring actually work.

Acne vulgaris is a common skin disease characterised by the appearance of inflamed pimples, cysts and pustules on the skin, usually on the face, back and chest.

Some skin care professionals and dermatologists try and make a distinction between hormonal acne or cystic acne, but in truth, all acne is caused by a number factors, including hormones, bacteria and blocked pores.

Acne affects areas of the skin with the most sebum-producing pores. Generally, acne sufferers produce excess oil and rapidly shed skin cells, and as the upper layers of the skin shed, the skin cells get trapped by the excess sebum, blocking the pore and causing an infection, which then spreads.

The reason acne affects mostly adolescents is because of hormonal changes and because the skin cells shed more rapidly during this time.

So is there anything acne sufferers can do to get clear skin, and do all those acne creams and acne cures actually do anything?

There are a number of new acne treatments available now, and also a number of new treatments to get rid of acne scars.

Light therapy, available at good skin clinics, is a great acne treatment and also treats mild acne scarring, such as surface marks or pigmentation left behind by acne. Wavelengths of light treat acne by increasing circulation and the supply of oxygen in the skin, speeding up the natural regeneration and healing process right down to the dermis.

Blue light is actually used to treat acne, as it kills bacteria in the deep layers of the skin, where a pustule originates. Other light wavelengths are then used to increase collagen synthesis, cellular growth and connective tissue, helping to naturally heal mild surface acne hyperpigmentation marks/scars.

Acne sufferers should also know - microdermabrasion should never be used as an acne treatment. Microdermabrasion is terrible for acne, as it bursts a pustule and then spreads the infection around your face.

The best way to treat block pores is by using ultrasonic. This pimple treatment uses sonic vibrations, which oscillate thousands of times per second, to lift dead skin cells, excess sebum and blackheads, and improve circulation, for faster healing.

It also helps acne skin care to penetrate more deeply into the skin, so it is more effective.

And what about all that acne and pimple cream advertised today – does any of it work?

Unfortunately, most of these mass consumer skin care companies try and treat acne by drying out the skin.

Latest research shows this approach is all wrong. By trying to dry out the oil, you are just prompting the skin to produce more oil to compensate.

And by using acne treatments that are choc-full of chemicals, you are damaging the skin’s epidermal barrier, which is crucial to the healthy functioning of our skin.

A damaged epidermal barrier causes more skin inflammation, which makes acne worse. A good acne treatment will contain only natural, chemical-free ingredients and will restore and protect the epidermal barrier - for normalised oil production and a reduction in inflammation and irritation.

That’s the acne taken care of, so how do we get rid of acne scars?

For mild surface pimple scars or marks – that is, scars that have not reached the dermis – a treatment to stimulate collagen and elastin production in the skin will improve the appearance of these marks quite quickly. Light therapy, natural peels and medical-grade skin care will do this.

But despite claims to the contrary, nothing can heal deep, pitted scars that have reached the dermis. This is because the dermis can never be healed once it is torn, not even with acne laser treatments. For these very deep scars, injectable fillers will temporarily improve their appearance, and a good collagen cream will reduce redness.