Understanding Acne: Types, Causes and Our Holistic Approach to Clearer Skin
Acne is one of the most common skin concerns we see at Rejuved — and also one of the most misunderstood. It affects people of all ages, all skin types and all backgrounds, and yet it's still frequently dismissed as something you'll simply grow out of, or treated with a one-size-fits-all approach that doesn't address what's actually driving it.
At Rejuved, we believe that truly effective acne treatment starts with understanding. Not just what you can see on the surface — but what's happening beneath it.
How Many Types of Acne Are There?
There are technically seven recognised types of acne, ranging from mild comedonal congestion through to severe nodular and cystic presentations. The most common types we see in clinic are:
Comedonal Acne The most common and often the mildest form. Comedones are blocked pores — open comedones present as blackheads (the dark appearance is oxidised sebum, not dirt), while closed comedones present as whiteheads. Comedonal acne is non-inflammatory, meaning there's no redness or swelling, but it can be persistent and frustrating to manage without the right approach.
Inflammatory Acne When bacteria become involved in a blocked pore, the body mounts an immune response — resulting in the red, swollen papules and pustules most people associate with acne. Inflammatory acne can range from mild to moderate and responds well to a combination of in-clinic treatments and targeted homecare.
Hormonal and Cystic Acne Deep, painful, often cystic breakouts — typically appearing along the jawline, chin and lower face — are a hallmark of hormonal acne. Driven by fluctuations in androgens, this type is particularly common in women experiencing perimenopause, PCOS, irregular cycles or high levels of chronic stress. Hormonal acne rarely responds to topical treatment alone — which is exactly where a naturopathic approach becomes essential.
Adult Acne Increasingly common in women in their 30s and 40s, adult acne is often a combination of hormonal drivers, stress, disrupted gut health and a compromised skin barrier. Many of our patients come to us having tried multiple over-the-counter products without lasting results — because the root cause has never been properly addressed.
Teen Acne Driven largely by surging sebum production during puberty, teen acne typically presents as a mix of comedonal and inflammatory breakouts across the forehead, nose and chin. Early, appropriate intervention makes an enormous difference — both for the skin and for the confidence of a young person navigating it.
Fungal Acne — The Commonly Misdiagnosed Type Fungal acne — clinically known as Malassezia folliculitis — is worth understanding because it is frequently mistaken for regular inflammatory acne and treated incorrectly as a result. Unlike bacterial acne, fungal acne is caused by an overgrowth of yeast in the hair follicles. It typically presents as small, uniform, itchy pustules — often across the forehead, chest or back — and crucially, it does not respond to traditional acne treatments. If anything, certain products and antibiotics can worsen it by disrupting the skin's microbial balance. Correct identification is essential, which is why a thorough skin assessment before commencing any treatment protocol is non-negotiable at Rejuved.
Why a Holistic Approach Matters
Most acne treatments focus exclusively on the surface of the skin. And while topical treatments and in-clinic therapies are genuinely effective — and form an important part of our protocols at Rejuved — they are only one piece of a much bigger picture.
Acne is an inflammatory condition. And inflammation rarely exists in isolation. The gut, the hormones, the nervous system, the microbiome and the skin are all deeply interconnected — and what happens in one system almost always affects the others.
This is why our approach at Rejuved goes beyond the treatment room. We work collaboratively across our clinical team — including our in-house naturopath — to address acne from every angle.
The Naturopathic Approach — Working From the Inside Out
Our in-house naturopath works with patients whose acne has a clear internal driver — hormonal imbalance, gut dysbiosis, nutritional deficiency, chronic inflammation or stress. A naturopathic consultation begins with a thorough case history, and where appropriate, may include functional pathology — blood tests to assess hormone levels, inflammatory markers, nutrient status and gut health indicators.
From there, a personalised protocol is developed. This might include:
Targeted supplementation We stock a carefully selected range of practitioner-grade supplements to support acne from the inside. These include:
Orthoplex — clinical-grade formulations targeting inflammation, hormonal balance and gut support
BioCeuticals — evidence-based supplementation for skin health, zinc, vitamin A and essential fatty acids
Synergie Internals — specifically formulated skin supplements including their Collagen Clinical and probiotics designed to support the gut-skin axis
The Beauty Chef — inner beauty powders and elixirs focused on gut health and skin radiance, particularly their Glow Inner Beauty Essential
Imbibe — beauty-from-within formulations including their Miracle Collagen and Luminous Skin range
Dietary guidance Certain foods are known to exacerbate inflammation and hormonal fluctuations — refined sugars, dairy and high-glycaemic foods being among the most well documented. Our naturopath provides practical, realistic dietary guidance tailored to your lifestyle — not a prescription that's impossible to follow.
Gut health support The gut-skin axis is one of the most exciting areas of modern dermatological research. A disrupted gut microbiome contributes to systemic inflammation, impaired detoxification and hormonal imbalance — all of which can manifest on the skin as acne. Targeted probiotic and prebiotic support can make a meaningful difference, particularly in cases of adult and hormonal acne.
Topical Skincare — Getting the Homecare Right
The right homecare routine is fundamental — and the wrong one can make acne significantly worse. We see many patients who have been using products that are too stripping, too occlusive or simply not appropriate for their skin type, inadvertently worsening their breakouts.
At Rejuved, our team prescribes homecare regimes tailored specifically to your skin — drawing from our range of cosmeceutical brands including Synergie Skin, which offers an exceptional range of acne-focused formulations. Key ingredients we look for in acne-prone skincare include:
Niacinamide — anti-inflammatory, pore-minimising and sebum-regulating
Salicylic acid — a beta hydroxy acid that penetrates into pores to dissolve blockages
Retinol or Vitamin A — accelerates cellular turnover and prevents pore blockage
Zinc — antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory, particularly effective for inflammatory acne
Probiotic and barrier-supporting ingredients — to restore the skin's natural microbiome and strengthen its defence against environmental triggers
Importantly, we always consider the skin barrier. Aggressively stripping acne-prone skin of its natural oils creates a cycle of overproduction and inflammation. Our protocols are designed to treat the acne while actively supporting and protecting the skin's integrity.
In-Clinic Treatments for Acne at Rejuved
Alongside naturopathic support and a personalised homecare regime, targeted in-clinic treatments form an important part of our approach.
Professional Peels Medical-grade chemical peels — including our Synergie range — work to dissolve the bonds between congested surface cells, clear blocked pores and reduce the bacterial load on the skin's surface. Regular peels, combined with appropriate homecare, can produce significant improvements in both active breakouts and post-inflammatory pigmentation. Our skin therapists customise every peel to your skin on the day.
LED Light Therapy Blue LED light targets the Propionibacterium acnes bacteria responsible for inflammatory breakouts, reducing active acne without any downtime. Red LED light addresses inflammation and supports healing — making it a powerful complement to other acne treatments or as a standalone session in our LED Lounge. We frequently recommend LED as an add-on to other treatments to accelerate results.
Extractions Performed carefully and correctly by our trained skin therapists, professional extractions clear blocked comedones that skincare alone cannot shift. When performed hygienically and in the right conditions — never on actively inflamed skin — extractions can provide immediate relief and prevent blackheads from progressing to inflammatory lesions.
Skin Needling While not a primary treatment for active acne, skin needling with our SkinPen device is one of the most effective treatments available for acne scarring — the textural changes, pitted scars and post-inflammatory marks that active acne often leaves behind. By stimulating collagen remodelling in the skin, a course of needling treatments can significantly improve the appearance of scarring over time.
Secret Pro — RF Needling and CO2 Laser for Acne Scarring For more significant acne scarring — including deeper pitted scars, rolling scars and textural irregularities that have not responded adequately to skin needling alone — the Secret Pro by Cutera offers a more advanced solution.
The Secret Pro combines two clinically powerful modalities in one device: radiofrequency needling and fractional CO2 laser. RF needling delivers controlled thermal energy deep into the dermis, triggering an intensive collagen remodelling response that targets the structural changes beneath established scars. The fractional CO2 laser component addresses surface texture, pigmentation and skin resurfacing — working simultaneously to improve what the RF needling is remodelling from below.
The result is a dual-action treatment that addresses acne scarring at multiple levels of the skin simultaneously — delivering more comprehensive improvement than either technology could achieve alone.
The Secret Pro is performed by our Registered Nurses and dermal clinician at Rejuved and is available as a standalone treatment or as part of a broader acne scarring programme. A thorough skin consultation is always conducted prior to treatment to assess suitability and design the most appropriate protocol for your skin.
Learn more about the Secret Pro at Rejuved
Our Approach in Practice
At Rejuved, no two acne patients receive the same protocol. We begin with a comprehensive skin consultation — assessing the type, severity and likely drivers of your acne — before making any recommendations. Where we identify internal factors that require naturopathic support, we refer internally to our in-house naturopath for a dedicated consultation.
This collaborative, whole-person approach is what sets Rejuved apart from a standard skin clinic. We treat the person, not just the condition.
Book a Skin Consultation at Rejuved
If acne or congested skin has been affecting your confidence and you're ready for an approach that actually addresses the root cause, we'd love to see you. Our team at Rejuved in Bateau Bay takes the time to understand your skin, your lifestyle and your health history — because lasting results require more than a topical treatment. They require a plan.
How Rejuved Can Help
Understanding which ingredients you need is one thing — knowing how to layer them, in what order, at what concentration, and alongside which in-clinic treatments is another. At Rejuved, our dermal therapists and dermal clinician take a comprehensive approach to skin health, beginning with a thorough skin consultation to assess your concerns, analyse your current routine and recommend a plan that makes sense for your skin.
For patients dealing with sun damage on the Central Coast, a combination of the right cosmeceutical homecare and targeted in-clinic treatments — including skin needling, Laser Genesis and professional peels — can produce genuinely meaningful results over time.
If you'd like to understand more about what's happening in your skin and what can be done about it, we'd love to see you in clinic.
Learn more about our approach to acne and congested skin at Rejuved. Book your skin consultation online at rejuved.com.au or call our Bateau Bay team today.
Book a consultation with our team and start your Rejuved journey today.
