An App That Can Actually Fight Acne

While it is typically thought of as a younger person problem, acne can affect people at any age, even as adults. Many acne treatment clinics offer services to middle-aged and even older adults who struggle with acne and other skin-related issues. No matter what your issue is, these medical experts can offer the treatment and care you are looking for.

Whether you are dealing with a bunch of pimples in one spot, a bunch of tiny whiteheads on your chin or nose, or any other bad acne type of breakout, the right cleaning, medication, and care routine can make all the difference. Working with skincare experts and medical professionals can help you get clearer and healthier skin. If you have a face with pimples, blackheads, oily skin, or other issues, you need to get in touch with your local acne care team.

So if you are looking in the mirror wondering how to deal with a hard bump on your face from acne or any other acne and skin-related question, your answers lie with these acne experts.

Updated 4/5/2022

Are you battling acne? You can agree that acne is stubborn and may take months or years of treatment before you recover. Random body acne occurs anywhere on the body. However, most times, acne appears on the face. Reasons for acne on different parts of the face differ from one person to another. Stress and skin fats may contribute to acne in the body. Severe breakout of acne needs proper medical attention because it may result from hormonal imbalance or increased stress levels. In cases where acne is due to dead skin accumulation, professional facials may help get rid of acne. Acne may occur on a few parts of the face or the whole face.

The persistency of the pimples will help you determine if you are having a severe breakout or need small acne treatment. If you suspect acne, let a professional look at your skin for advice. Hair follicles folding or sticking under the skin is the main reason for acne. Your specialist determines the cause of clogging and offers a solution for itchiness and pain. Acne is treated differently depending on the triggers and causes. It’s therefore advisable to avoid homemade products as they may worsen the situation and corrode the skin.

Launched on September 25th, a new app called Spruce is pioneering the forefront of telemedicine, allowing patients to fight their acne with their smartphones.

Telemedicine is an innovative idea that’s had a bit of a rocky start. Innovators believe that technology can and will change the way patients interact with doctors. Using new apps, patients can cut down on commutes, wait times, and the potential cost of in-person visits.

The trouble is that most telemedicine apps can only either set up appointments, or allow patients to video conference with their doctors. Telemedicine apps, up until now, have only been able to do a bunch of different things awkwardly.

Spruce, however, is taking a new approach, aiming to just excellently treat one condition — acne.

The way it works is fairly simple. Users create their accounts and fill out the forms, just as they’d typically do at the doctor’s office. They then take a picture of their skin to send to a board-certified dermatologist for assessment. Each assessment costs $40. Within 24 hours, the doctor will send them a personalized treatment plan, with the appropriate prescriptions filed digitally to the pharmacy of their choice.

Of course, some patients might be wary of having healthcare in their pockets. After all, what if their phone gets lost, stolen, or hacked? Wouldn’t their private medical information get lost or stolen, too?

Spruce’s creator, former Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers partner Ray Bradford, explains “Naturally, there’s a lot of anxiety here. Is it safe? Is it high-quality?” he says. “Because it’s a new model, it can’t feel janky. It’s gotta feel like, ‘Wow, there’s a lot of attention to detail here.'”

Thus, the idea behind Spruce wasn’t to replicate the experience of going to a doctor’s office, but to create something even better — to create a new way to receive health care.

Such an innovative approach to treatment can not only go a long way towards healing a person’s skin, but healing a person’s psyche. Several studies have shown that acne can leave deep scars on both a person’s skin and psychology. According to an article in the journal Dermatol Ther, between 30% to 50% of adolescents face psychological difficulties as a result of their acne, causing developmental issues with socialization, sexuality, and body image.

“It is important to pursue a remedy because while most cases can be self-managed, acne can become so severe it may require medical attention. Quality products, such as Hylunia’s Blemish Control, help manage acne with natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients to help keep your skin adequately hydrated without being oily,” says Amanda Wolfe-Elampooranar, VP of Marketing for Hylunia.

With Spruce’s new approach to health care, patients will no longer have to anxiously wait for an appointment, and stress until they can pick up their prescription. They can quickly take care of each in about one day’s time.

Bradford and his team hope to make such an option available to more than just acne patients in the future. They’ve raised $2 million in funding from Baseline Ventures, Cowboy Ventures, and Bradford’s former employer, Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers. They hope to use the money to expand Spruce’s usage, allowing it to potentially diagnose more medical conditions in the future.

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