HAPPIER LIVING
THROUGH CLEAR SKIN
BY: LISA HOWARD
ACNE. WE’VE all been
there. It usually happens
when we hit puberty,
but sometimes acne can
continue into adulthood.
Cystic acne in particular
can be difficult to deal with.
That’s the kind that results
in painful, deep-seated cysts
that cause reddened bumps
and potential scarring.
Terrance, a college student
and Allure patient, is all too
familiar with how cystic
acne can affect a person’s
life. “Before I came to Allure
for treatments, I had low
self-esteem because of the
acne,” he says. “Just talking
to people on a daily basis
was kind of difficult.”
His mother, Amanda,
agrees, adding that it was
tough to see her son have
to go through that. Along
with seeing their family
doctor, they saw several
dermatologists in the
hopes of finding a solution.
Unfortunately, none of the
treatments Terrance tried
worked for more than a
week, and one—a sulfate-
based medication—even
caused an allergic reaction.
“Before we came to Allure,
I went to the pharmacy and
asked them for a printout of
all the medications Terrance
had been on,” says Amanda.
“They gave me a stack of
papers an inch thick.”
Luckily, she was an
Allure patient herself at
the time, and when she
told Chris Whitenight,
the medical aesthetician
who was treating her,
about Terrance’s struggles,
Chris wanted to help.
“When you’re dealing with
severe acne, it’s best to
seek out multiple treatment
options. You’ll get a better
outcome when you combine
treatment methods,” says
Chris. In Terrance’s case,
she recommended laser
treatments including
resurfacing to help
reduce scarring and kill
acne causing bacteria.
“Sometimes people get
scared when they hear
the word ‘laser’ because
they think it’s a drastic
treatment,” says Chris,
“but it’s really not. There’s
no downtime at all.”
She was pleased to see
that Terrance responded
well to the treatment plan,
noting that now that his
skin has cleared up, he’s
smiling more and has a new
sparkle in his eyes. Chris
says, “The most satisfying
thing has been to see him
brighten up. He’s more
active and confident.”
His mom agrees, saying
that she can see that her
son’s confidence has gone
“way up,” as she puts it.
“He’s a very social kid,”
notes Amanda, “so being
able to be confident
makes everything so
much easier for him.”
Given that standard
treatments like antibiotics
and various topical creams
didn’t work for him,
finding a solution wasn’t
MEET TERRANCE
easy. His family doctor
had ultimately wanted
to put Terrance on an
isotretinoin like Accutane,
Amanda says. But she was
aware of the extreme and
dangerous side effects that
kind of medication could
cause. She’s very glad she
brought Terrance to Allure
for treatment instead.
Terrance is thrilled, too.
“Now my confidence is at
an all-time high,” he says.
“The treatments changed
my perspective on life. I’m
no longer in pain and don't
need anymore complicated
skin care routines or drugs. I
also get a lot of compliments
from my friends and family
about my clear skin.”
He’s looking forward to
starting the new semester
with a fresh outlook. In
his own way, he hopes to
one day help people be
more comfortable in their
own skin. He’s currently
studying illustration …
with the goal of becoming
a tattoo artist!
Chris Whitenight
Aesthetician at
Allure Medical Spa
2017 SUMMER
7