ACNE TREATMENT IN CALGARY
Clearer, Smoother Skin With a Plan Built Around Your Acne
Persistent acne and the scarring it leaves behind need more than a skincare routine: they need a clinical plan built around what’s causing them. At Juvea, we identify what’s driving your breakouts, then build a targeted plan to treat active acne, revise scarring and improve skin texture.
What Is Acne, and Why Does It Keep Coming Back?
Acne is an inflammatory condition of the hair follicles and oil glands. It develops when excess oil (sebum) and dead skin cells block the pores, bacteria multiply inside them, and the skin responds with inflammation. That inflammation is what turns a blocked pore into a red, swollen breakout and, when it reaches deep enough, into a scar.
What drives that process differs from person to person. Hormonal shifts, excess sebum, inflammation and a weakened skin barrier can all play a role, and most people with persistent acne are dealing with several at once. That’s why acne often returns when only one factor is treated.
Acne responds well to a clinical approach once its type and triggers have been identified. At Juvea, we assess the full picture before building your plan: treating active breakouts, helping prevent new ones, and revising the scarring and texture changes acne leaves behind.
What Causes Acne & Acne Scarring?
Acne rarely has a single cause. Most persistent cases involve several of these four factors at once, which is why a plan that addresses only one of them often falls short.
Hormones are one of the most common drivers of persistent acne, particularly androgens, which stimulate the oil glands to produce more sebum. When sebum production rises, pores become congested, creating the conditions for breakouts to develop and recur. Hormonal acne is especially common around the menstrual cycle, during pregnancy and perimenopause, and during periods of prolonged stress.
When sebum builds up inside the follicle, it creates an environment where acne bacteria thrive. The immune system responds with inflammation, producing the redness, swelling and tenderness of active breakouts. Unless both sebum production and inflammation are addressed, new breakouts keep forming even as existing ones heal.
Calgary’s dry climate and sharp temperature swings put the skin barrier under constant stress. When the barrier is weakened by the environment, harsh products or chronic dehydration, the skin becomes more vulnerable to the bacterial activity and inflammation that drive breakouts. A weakened barrier also slows recovery between flares, which prolongs inflammation and raises the risk of scarring.
When acne inflammation reaches deep into the dermis, it damages the skin’s structural tissue.¹ As the skin repairs itself, the collagen response is often uneven. Too little collagen leaves atrophic (depressed) scars such as ice pick, boxcar and rolling scars; too much produces raised, hypertrophic scars. That’s why acne scars need treatments that remodel the deeper tissue, not only the surface.
RESULTS
Acne Before & After in Calgary
These are real Juvea clients treated for acne and acne scarring.
How We Treat Acne & Acne Scarring at Juvea Aesthetics
Our Aerolase Neo Elite® laser treats both active acne and acne scarring. For active breakouts, it treats inflamed acne and reduces oil (sebum) production. For scarring, its energy reaches the deeper layers of the skin to stimulate collagen and elastin, improving scar texture over a series of treatments. It’s safe for all skin tones.
Aerolase Laser
Our Aerolase Neo Elite® laser is one of the most effective tools we have for treating both active acne and acne scarring. For active breakouts, it delivers precise laser energy that targets the bacteria driving inflammation and suppresses sebaceous gland activity. For acne scarring, that same energy penetrates the deeper layers of the skin, stimulating collagen and elastin production to remodel scar tissue, while visibly improving skin texture over a series of treatments.
Microneedling
Microneedling creates controlled micro-channels in the skin that trigger its natural repair response and a surge of collagen and elastin production. This breaks down scar tissue and rebuilds the structural layers acne has damaged, improving texture and the depth of scarring over a series of treatments. It’s often combined with PDRN to strengthen the skin’s healing response. We perform microneedling once active breakouts are under control.
Medical-Grade Skincare
The right skincare at home is what makes your in-clinic results last. We carry professional-grade products that help regulate sebum, calm inflammation and support the skin barrier between treatments. The wrong products can aggravate acne and slow the healing of scarring, so we’ll make sure yours suit your skin.
Polynucleotides (PDRN)
Polynucleotides are a regenerative injectable made from purified DNA fragments. They stimulate fibroblast activity and tissue repair, which helps improve the depth and texture of acne scarring over time. They can be used on their own or alongside microneedling and laser as part of a broader scar revision plan.
Chemical Peels
A chemical peel chosen for acne-prone skin works on two levels: it clears the congestion and excess sebum that lead to breakouts, and it speeds up the shedding of damaged, pigmented skin cells behind post-acne marks and uneven texture. The result is fresher skin with fewer active breakouts and less visible marks.
Medical-Grade Facials
Our medical-grade facials, including the Bela MD+, can be adapted for acne-prone skin. They deep-clean the pores, help regulate sebum and deliver anti-inflammatory actives without aggravating active breakouts. An acne facial is a good way to reduce congestion and calm inflammation between clinical treatments.
Which Acne & Acne Scarring Treatment Is Right for Me?
he right treatment depends on whether you’re dealing with active breakouts, existing scarring or both, and on what’s driving each. A consultation is designed to answer exactly that. As a starting point, here’s how we approach acne treatment at Juvea:
If you have active breakouts driven by inflammation, bacteria or excess sebum | Aerolase laser is typically our first-line treatment, treating active acne and reducing oil production. |
If your main concern is acne scarring | Microneedling with PDRN is one of our core treatments for scar revision, stimulating collagen production and cellular repair to improve the skin’s surface over a series of treatments. |
If your scarring is deep or your skin needs rebuilding from within | Polynucleotides work at a cellular level to improve skin density and integrity, and are often combined with microneedling in a broader scar revision plan. |
If you have surface congestion, post-acne marks or uneven tone alongside your breakouts | A chemical peel clears congestion, speeds up cellular turnover and improves the marks and uneven texture active acne leaves behind. |
If you want to prevent future breakouts and maintain your results | Medical-grade skincare for acne-prone skin is the foundation of any long-term plan. |
Not sure where to start? The Juvea Journey is a 45-minute in-depth assessment of your skin with EVE Muse Skin Analysis, so we can map a treatment plan built for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can acne scars be permanently removed?
Most acne scars can’t be erased completely, but they can be significantly improved. Treatments such as microneedling with PDRN and Aerolase laser break down damaged scar tissue and stimulate the skin to rebuild with healthier collagen. Improvement is long-lasting, and how much is achievable depends on the type and depth of your scarring, which we’ll assess at your consultation.
What is the difference between hormonal acne and regular acne?
Hormonal acne is driven by androgen fluctuations that trigger excess sebum production. It typically appears as deep, tender breakouts along the chin, jawline and neck, and flares around the menstrual cycle or during stress. Other types, such as comedonal or inflammatory acne, have different drivers and look different. Identifying your acne type is where every treatment plan at Juvea begins.
Can microneedling remove acne scars?
Microneedling can’t remove acne scars entirely, but it’s one of the most established treatments for improving them. The controlled micro-channels trigger the skin’s collagen and elastin response, rebuilding the skin’s surface from within. Combined with PDRN, that repair response is strengthened. A series of treatments is typically recommended, and results continue to improve in the weeks after each session.
Does adult acne go away on its own?
Often not. Adult acne driven by hormonal shifts, chronic inflammation or bacterial activity rarely resolves without treating its cause, and each flare increases the risk of lasting scarring. The earlier acne is treated, the easier it is to control and the less long-term damage it does to the skin.
Does laser treatment work for acne scars?
Yes. Laser is an established treatment for acne scarring because it stimulates collagen and elastin in the deeper layers of the skin, gradually improving scar texture. At Juvea, we use the Aerolase Neo Elite®, which treats both active acne and acne scarring and is safe for all skin tones. Most people need a series of sessions, often combined with microneedling for deeper scars.
Should I see a doctor about my acne?
See a physician or dermatologist if your acne is severe, cystic or painful, is leaving new scars, or hasn’t improved with treatment. Prescription medications can work well alongside in-clinic treatments, and some in-clinic treatments need adjusting while you’re on them. If anything we see at your consultation needs medical review, we’ll tell you.
1 Moon J, et al. Atrophic acne scar: a process from altered metabolism of elastic fibres and collagen fibres based on transforming growth factor-β1 signalling. British Journal of Dermatology. 2019;181(6):1226–1237. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30822364
Take the Next Step Toward
a Look You Love.
At Juvea, we’ll take the time to understand what’s really happening with your skin, build a plan tailored to you, and guide you through every step.