Teen & Adolescent Acne

Teenage acne — driven by the hormonal surge of puberty that dramatically increases sebum production, promotes comedone formation, and creates the inflammatory environment that allows Cutibacterium acnes (formerly P. acnes) to proliferate within hair follicles — is one of the most socially and emotionally impactful conditions of adolescence. The Santa Monica school community, with its emphasis on outdoor activities, beach culture, and social media visibility, makes teen skin confidence particularly important for the families in the Montana Avenue and North of Montana neighborhoods who bring their children to Kare for skin care.

HydraFacial is ideally suited for teen acne management because it addresses the two primary mechanical contributors to acne formation — comedone accumulation and sebaceous follicle congestion — without the harsh physical manipulation or drying chemical treatments that worsen inflammation and damage the skin barrier. The Beta-HD booster selected by Dr. Sierro for teen acne sessions contains salicylic acid (a keratolytic that dissolves the sebum plug within the follicle), niacinamide (which reduces sebum production and calms inflammation), and tea tree oil (a natural antimicrobial) — delivering a targeted acne treatment through the Vortex-Fusion system that is more effective and less irritating than typical over-the-counter acne products.

Monthly HydraFacials, combined with the physician-supervised topical regimen and, when appropriate, prescription oral or topical medication that Dr. Sierro directs, produce consistent, progressive improvement in teen acne that is visibly meaningful to the teenagers in our care.

Adult Fine Lines, Wrinkles & Anti-Aging

For the adult patients of the Montana Avenue and Brentwood community — professionals, parents, and active Westside residents who want to maintain the skin quality of their youth without the downtime of more intensive treatments — the monthly HydraFacial with the CTGF (Connective Tissue Growth Factor) booster is the cornerstone of a sustainable, zero-downtime anti-aging maintenance program. CTGF is a protein that stimulates fibroblast activity and new collagen synthesis — the same biological process that more intensive treatments like Morpheus8 and fractional CO2 laser produce at greater depth and with more downtime. At the HydraFacial level, CTGF delivers a monthly collagen stimulus at the epidermal surface that, with consistent monthly use, produces cumulative improvement in skin firmness, fine line depth, and overall skin quality over time.

The DermaBuilder booster — a peptide complex that mimics growth factor signaling to stimulate collagen and elastin synthesis — is an alternative booster for patients with more advanced fine lines and loss of skin density. Combined with the hyaluronic acid infusion of the base Antiox+ serum, HydraFacial with DermaBuilder produces immediate plumping of fine lines from the hyaluronic acid hydration, followed by longer-term improvement from the peptide-stimulated collagen synthesis over the weeks following the session.

Hyperpigmentation & Skin Discoloration

Chronic sun exposure from the Santa Monica coastal lifestyle produces solar lentigines (sunspots), diffuse dyspigmentation, and melasma in a significant proportion of the adult patients in the Montana Avenue and surrounding neighborhoods. The HydraFacial Brightening booster — containing alpha-arbutin (a tyrosinase inhibitor that reduces melanin synthesis), vitamin C (a melanin production inhibitor and antioxidant), and kojic acid (a natural melanogenesis suppressor) — is infused directly into the freshly exfoliated skin during the HydraFacial session, delivering depigmenting actives at significantly higher concentrations and deeper penetration than topical application alone.

Monthly HydraFacials with the Brightening booster, combined with Dr. Sierro’s physician-prescribed topical brightening program (hydroquinone 4%, azelaic acid, or tranexamic acid), produce progressive improvement in hyperpigmentation that is both faster and more consistent than topical treatment alone. For patients with more significant or resistant hyperpigmentation, Dr. Sierro may recommend escalation to the Lutronic Thulium laser or chemical peel options available at Kare.

Dry, Dehydrated & Dull Skin

The combination of Santa Monica’s dry coastal breeze, year-round UV exposure, and the active outdoor lifestyle of the Westside community creates chronic transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and epidermal dehydration in many patients — producing the dull, tired, rough-textured skin that patients describe as “not looking like myself” despite eating well and exercising regularly. The hyaluronic acid-based Antiox+ serum infused in every HydraFacial session binds water molecules within the superficial dermis and epidermis, instantly plumping the skin and restoring the refractive quality that produces luminous, glowing skin.

For patients with ongoing skin dehydration, Dr. Sierro may recommend the Growth Factor serum booster — a preparation of epidermal growth factors and cytokines that stimulates epidermal barrier repair, reducing the chronic transepidermal water loss at the root of long-term dehydration rather than simply replacing lost surface moisture. With monthly HydraFacial maintenance, most patients with chronically dehydrated skin achieve a durable improvement in moisture retention that is maintained between sessions.