At Vanguard Medica Clinic in Calgary, we understand that your health extends beyond just physical wellness—it includes your comfort, confidence, and peace of mind. Our team of experienced medical professionals, including female physicians, is here to provide compassionate, patient-centred care in a supportive environment. As a trusted walk-in clinic, we’re committed to helping individuals and families navigate their health concerns with clarity, offering evidence-based solutions and personalized attention for a wide range of medical needs.

For those struggling with persistent acne, we offer customized treatment options designed to address your specific skin concerns. Rather than relying on over-the-counter products that may not be right for your skin, Dr. Folake Pepple and her team take the time to assess your condition and recommend an approach that fits your needs. Whether you’re dealing with hormonal breakouts, adult acne, or long-term flareups, we’ll help you find the most effective path toward clearer, healthier skin. Reach out today to learn how we can support your skincare journey.

The link between stress and acne

When dealing with acne, it’s not only important to get the correct treatment but to also understand what could be triggering a flareup. We all know oily skin and dirt can cause acne, but did you know that stress is also a leading factor with acne breakouts? A leading trigger for acne development is chronic stress. Research has provided evidence that internal stress levels are closely linked with acne development and can cause existing breakouts to become even worse.

When you experience chronic stress, it increases the levels of stress-related hormones (i.e. cortisol) and the oil glands in your skin begin to go into overdrive. This extra oil mixes with dead skin cells resulting in an acne breakout. Adults, due to natural cell turnover, are more prone to this.

When stressed, skin can begin to lose the ability to self-protect and this leads to further complications including inflammation or premature ageing. Other complications can include

  • Collagen damage, leading to wrinkles
  • Heightened cortisol production, which lowers the production of hyaluronic acid. This can lead to skin that is dehydrated and increase the likelihood of fine lines appearing.
  • This dehydration of the skin can then lead to an excess level of sebum production which results in the perfect playground for breakout-causing bacteria.

A vicious cycle

 When many of us first notice a nasty acne breakout, we immediately become embarrassed and have feelings of anxiety about people seeing it. This internal stress can potentially make our breakout even worse. This can lead to a condition called acne excoriate, which occurs when, due to stress and embarrassment of a breakout, a person begins to compulsively pick at their blemishes causing scabs and eventually scarring. Acne excoriate can take a mild acne flareup and really turn it into something much worse.

Treatments

 At Vanguard Medical Clinic in Calgary, AB, Dr. Pepple and staff are considered one of the premier private dermatology practices in the Calgary, AB area and through a personalized approach to acne treatment, they have been helping their patients eliminate acne issues for years. Treatments offered may include:

  •  Proper skincare
  • Topical treatments including benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid or retinol
  • Antibiotic treatment to help address infection or inflammation
  • Oral retinoids when a more severe treatment may be necessary
  • Hormone therapy to re-balance the endocrine system

They also can treat scarring caused by acne through treatments including Fractora, microneedling. Through these treatments, most scarring can be improved or resolved completely.

We all want to enjoy healthy, beautiful skin at all stages of our life. If you are unhappy with your skin or are dealing with a nasty acne flare-up, give Vanguard Medical Clinic a call today to set up an appointment or consultation.