Sebacia is a newly approved treatment for acne. It is done in a series of 3 weekly treatments. There is mild redness and swelling that should subside in an hour or 2. Studies have shown that there is prolonged control of acne. At 2 years, there was 92% improvement in acne severity scores and 77% were off all acne medications.
Acne is caused by a combination of 3 factors. Most importantly, there is excessive oil (sebum) production from the sebaceous gland. The oil gets trapped in the pores by keratinaceous debris (dead skin cells). The trapped oil becomes infected with p. acne bacteria as well. The combination of these events leads to swelling, redness, pustules, and breakouts.
The Sebacia procedure involves the following steps:
- The skin is cleaned, and extractions are performed.
- The Sebacia particles (gold microparticles) are applied to the skin.
- Using ultrasonic massage, the microparticles are pushed deeply into the pores.
- A gentle cleansing is performed to remove any surface microparticles.
- A 1064nm laser is used to heat the gold microparticles.
- The skin is fully cleansed and topical creams are applied.
- The process is repeated in weekly intervals for a total of 3 treatments.
Over time, the procedure will partially destroy the sebaceous glands and lead to less oil production. Less oil equates to improvement in acne severity.
The procedure can be performed on all skin types. From start to finish, the procedure takes about 30-45 minutes per visit.