Acne

What is Acne?

Acne is a skin condition most common among teenagers but can also occur well into adulthood. Acne appears when the pores in the areas of skin that produce the most oil become clogged with sebum and dead skin cells, causing inflammation around the clogged pore. The areas most affected are the face, neck, chest, back, and shoulders.

What Causes Acne?

Once a plug has formed in a pore, bacteria infect it and causes inflammation which results in a pimple. Hormones, certain medications, or stress can trigger acne or aggravate an existing condition. While it is a myth that factors such as greasy food or chocolate adversely affect the skin, studies have shown that dairy and carbohydrate-rich foods may trigger acne.

What Types of Treatment Are Available?

There are many effective acne treatments. It is categorized by topical treatment (which is applied to the skin), systemic treatments (which works throughout the body), and procedures.

Topical treatments consist of medication that helps reduce the oil, helps kill/reduce the bacteria in the pores, and unplug the blocked-up material in the pores. Some of the common topical acne medication consists of tretinoin, benzoyl peroxide, and antibiotics. In addition, incorporating a sound skin care regimen is also essential to the treatment of acne.

Systemic treatments consist of medication that works throughout the body. This type of oral medication may be helpful for inflammatory types of acne. Some common oral medications are antibiotics, spironolactone, oral contraceptives, and isotretinoin (Accutane).

Procedures that can be helpful to treat acne consists of extractions, injections, chemical peels, and light treatments. Extractions remove the plugged up pore and empties out an acne blackhead. Injections with medicine can be helpful to treat large acne cysts to ease the pain and reduce the chance of leaving a scar. Chemical peels are medical grade peels performed in the office to treat acne as well as hyperpigmentation. Light therapies like Blue U therapies reduce the oil and helps reduce the bacteria that cause the acne.

Our board certified dermatologists and providers at Integrated Dermatology of Tidewater will be able to determine which types of treatment will be helpful to you

How do you treat acne scars and hyperpigmentation?

There are many safe and effective treatments available for acne scars. Treatments can treat hyperpigmentation as well as true acne scars that cause “depression” in the skin. Treatments include procedures such as microneedling and chemical peels, amongst other treatments. In addition, incorporating a sound skin care regimen is also essential to the treatment of acne scars and hyperpigmentation.

It is also imperative to work with a dermatologist to clear your acne. Since new acne breakouts can lead to new acne scars and hyperpigmentation, it is imperative to treat the current breakouts.

Our board certified dermatologists and providers at Integrated Dermatology perform these treatments in our medical office.

If you have questions or concerns about acne, call our office at (757) 461-1033 Opt. 1 to schedule an appointment.