Acne is a condition where a person’s hair follicles accumulate dead skin cells and oil, causing blackheads, whiteheads, and pimples that are visible on the skin. Acne is most common in young adults and teenagers, although it can affect a person of any age. It most commonly appears on the face, forehead, shoulders, upper back, or chest.
Acne can be severe if not treated and can cause emotional distress for a person. There are several effective acne treatments; let’s take a look at some common ones.
Treatments for Acne
If none of the over-the-counter products have helped your acne, a dermatologist can prescribe medication for it. Usually, the medication starts working after 4 to 8 weeks, so you have to be patient and follow your dermatologist’s prescription.
1. Topical Medication
Retinoids
Retinoids come in the form of gels and creams applied to the skin where acne has shown up. These medicinal gels have retinoic acids that prevent hair follicles from plugging oil and dead skin cells.
Retinoids, however, can make your skin dry and increase its sensitivity to sunlight.
Topical Antibiotics
Topical antibiotics reduce the skin’s inflammation and kill bad bacteria on the skin and inside the hair follicles. Doctors usually recommend topical antibiotics along with retinoids.
2. Oral Medication
Oral Antibiotics
If your acne is severe, your dermatologist will recommend oral antibiotics to you, along with gels and creams. However, the course of oral antibiotics will be short, just enough to kill the excess bacteria on your skin.
Side effects due to oral antibiotics are not common, although your skin might get more sensitive to sunlight.
Anti-Androgen Agents
If oral antibiotics don’t work, your dermatologist may prescribe anti-androgen agents for women, both adults and teenagers. Anti-androgen agents block the androgen hormones found in glands that produce oil. This controls excess oil that’s being produced by the skin and helps with containing acne.
Anti-androgen agents may cause painful periods and breast tenderness
3. Therapies
Chemical Peel
Chemical peel therapy is performed on patients with mild acne. Retinoic acid, salicylic acid, or glycolic acid is applied to the patient’s skin to make it glow and hide acne scars. This therapy treatment requires multiple applications before producing substantial results.
Drainage and Extraction
Your dermatologist will use certain tools to gently extract blackheads and whiteheads from your skin. Any cyst that hasn’t cleared up will also be removed. This therapy technique improves the appearance of the patient’s skin but might cause small scars that take a long to disappear.
You should consult a dermatologist if you’ve developed acne and over-the-counter products aren’t working. If you don’t want to wait in long queues and spend time in waiting rooms, you can consult a virtual doctor!
FastDocNow provides telehealth services in New York. We have a panel of dermatologists that can help you with acne treatment plans. We also have specialists that provide online consultation about STDs, like syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, etc. We also provide in-home lab testing services for our patients’ ease. Call us now to know all about our services, or book your appointment today!