A great amount of my patients suffer from acne, where they often feel helpless about their skin condition and lack everyday confidence because of it. As a dermatologist, it’s my job to understand the skin’s behavior and treat it effectively. It is also my job to reassure you that this problem is not only treatable but also preventable!
The latest advances in technology and sophisticated treatments available mean that there is a solution for all acne issues: ranging from aggressive adult acne to cystic, as well as those caused by stress on both the face and body and past scarring. Acne is one of the most common skin conditions, yet it is important to treat each patient as an individual, designing a consistent and customized treatment plan that works. My approach to treating acne has always been understanding the cause first and ensuring the end goal is beautiful and scar-free future skin. Listed below are my recommended treatments for acne, they include:
Topical Treatments:
To treat acne most effectively yet gently, start at home with topical treatments such as chemical peels or other serums/masks that contain Salicylic Acid and Colloidal Sulfur. Products with these ingredients help to purge the pores of oil or help normalize oil chemistry.
Chemical Peels:
Chemical peels are excellent for exfoliating dead skin cells – allowing for new healthy skin to show through, reducing oil, killing bacteria and help with acne scarring. They also help build collagen, reduce pore size, and prevent as well treat active breakouts. Chemical peels are designed to work on all forms of acne, providing deep penetration, treatment and repair.
Medical Facial:
If acne persists, visiting a dermatologist for regular facials has huge pay offs. Medical facials help overall clarity and immediately improve and reduce inflammation. This professional treatment will keep your skin radiant, clear, and smooth. Typically, this type of in-office treatment will start off with a gentle cleansings steam, this opens up the pores and softens oils. Steaming also makes extractions less painful. In order to close up the pores and kill any bacteria I recommend following up with a professional grade chemical peel and a delivery of acne targeted serums.
LED/Blue Light Therapy:
LED Light Therapy also helps kill acne-causing bacteria and reduces future breakouts. If redness is the issue, LED is a great option to reduce inflammation with no downtime. LED works by triggering the body to convert light energy into cell energy without the use of heat. This treatment is non-irritating and can be done as often as once a week, where you will see immediate improvement in the skin’s condition.
Cortisone Treatment:
For those patients with cystic acne, I often suggest in-office cortisone treatments which are quick and highly effective. We can inject controlled cortisone doses to reduce inflammation fast and drain large cysts to prevent the possibility of scarring.
Smoothbeam® Laser:
For stubborn acne and acne scars I recommend laser therapy. The Smoothbeam laser is an FDA approved skin resurfacing laser for treatment of acne on the face and body. It works by altering the function of the oil-producing sebaceous glands, slowing down oil production. It can be used to smooth out the skin’s texture, especially acne scarred skin. This in-office treatment has no pain, little redness and no downtime.
As I mentioned earlier, there are many non-aggressive and modern options to treat persisting acne. I make it my problem to help patients treat their skin concerns, it’s my duty to help you achieve clear and radiant skin.
Speak soon,
Dr. Dennis Gross
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