서면피부과 Acne is one of the most common skin conditions, affecting millions of people. It’s caused by an overproduction of oil (sebum) and clogged pores.
There are a number of acne treatments available to help alleviate your condition and prevent future breakouts. These include topical medications, antibiotics, and hormonal treatments.
Topical medications
For some 서면피부과 people, over-the-counter (OTC) acne treatments can help clear up their skin. They contain chemicals like benzoyl peroxide that reduce the amount of oil that your body produces and fight bacteria on the surface of the skin.
Your dermatologist may also recommend a topical retinoid, which comes from vitamin A. These retinoids reduce inflammation and can be found in gels or creams that are applied once or twice a day.
Other OTC products, such as azelaic acid or salicylic acid, can also help. They have antibacterial effects and are effective in most patients with mild to moderate acne.
Prescription-strength topical antibiotics, such as erythromycin and clindamycin, are used to treat some types of acne. They are available in solutions, lotions, and gels and work well with oily skin.
Benzoyl peroxide, another OTC medication, is sometimes used to prevent whiteheads or blackheads from forming. It can also remove the dead skin cells that can clog pores.
Retinoids, such as 서면피부과 tretinoin and isotretinoin, can be used to control severe, treatment-resistant acne. But these drugs are classified as category C medications, which means they can be harmful to your baby if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Hormonal therapies, such as spironolactone and certain birth control pills, can also be used to control acne. They can be useful in women who have acne that flares up around their periods or is associated with hormonal conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome.
Your doctor might also prescribe a daily oral antibiotic, such as tetracycline, to control acne that isn’t going away with OTC treatments. These antibiotics can also be used to control more severe cases of acne.
Acne can be caused by a number of factors, including diet, stress, and hormones. Your doctor may also advise you to avoid certain foods that are known to worsen acne.
If you have a history of recurrent severe acne, your doctor may recommend a stronger medication, such as an antibiotic or steroid injection into the skin. These can be very effective, but they can cause side effects such as thinning of the skin and scarring.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are a common treatment for acne, and they may help to reduce inflammation and balance hormone levels. They can be prescribed by a dermatologist for people with moderate to severe acne that has not responded to topical treatments.
There are several types of antibiotics, but the most commonly prescribed are tetracyclines (minocycline and doxycycline), which act to slow down the growth of bacteria and reduce inflammation. They are often used to treat inflammatory acne, including red pimples, pustules, and mild cystic breakouts.
They also inhibit the actions of proteins that can break down tissue around an acne lesion, reducing the chance of scarring. They are often combined with other acne medications, such as benzoyl peroxide, to reduce the likelihood of developing antibiotic resistance.
When you take antibiotics, it is important to use them for the shortest time possible to avoid antibiotic resistance. Taking them for longer than needed can increase the risk of infections, such as SJS or yeast infection.
If you have severe or unusual side effects from your acne antibiotics, stop taking them and see a doctor immediately. This is especially true if you think that you have a yeast infection, and if you are using any other medication or have an allergy to the drug.
A few antibiotics can cause a rare but serious allergic reaction to the skin, which can be life-threatening. Seek emergency medical attention if you experience throat tightness, difficulty breathing, itching, or swelling.
It is also important to be careful when you apply antibiotic gels and lotions to your skin. You should not apply them to your scalp, as this can lead to ringworm or an itchy rash.
You should also be aware that oral antibiotics, such as doxycycline and minocycline, can increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun. So, you should wear sunscreen when you are using these drugs.
Hormonal treatments
Hormonal acne, a common type of acne that occurs most often in women, can be frustrating to deal with. The cause of these breakouts can be a variety of factors, but they usually appear during your menstrual cycle and may be related to fluctuating hormone levels.
While there is no one-size-fits-all treatment for hormonal acne, dermatologists can use a variety of approaches to help you get clear skin. They may recommend an oral medication such as birth control pills or Spironolactone, or they can prescribe a topical treatment.
For example, if you’re dealing with cystic breakouts, your dermatologist might recommend prescription-strength retinoids that work to speed up and regulate the shedding of unwanted dead skin cells. This way, bacteria doesn’t have anything to feed on and create inflammation.
These treatments are usually a good first step to getting rid of hormonal acne, says Dr. Gohara. They also reduce oil production and unclog pores, which helps to prevent new acne breakouts from occurring.
If you want to try a pill, your doctor will perform a thorough exam and take blood tests to see if this option is right for you. They can prescribe birth control pills that contain both estrogen and progesterone, which have been proven to be effective at treating and preventing acne.
They’ll also consider the severity of your acne and any other health issues you may have. For example, if you have diabetes, your dermatologist will want to check your blood sugar levels before prescribing this type of medication.
Other medications your doctor might recommend include spironolactone, which can reduce inflammation and keep pores from clogging. It’s important to note that this drug is a diuretic, which means you’ll likely need to drink more water or increase your potassium intake.
The best treatment for hormonal acne is a combination of active skincare and medication prescribed by your dermatologist. If you follow these tips, you’ll be well on your way to clearing up those pesky breakouts and feeling confident again!
Surgery
Acne surgery is an option for people who want to try to get rid of their acne. It is usually an additional treatment used when a person’s medical therapy with topical and oral medications has been ineffective or doesn’t seem to be working.
There are several types of surgical procedures that can help patients with severe and persistent acne, including blemish extraction, skin peels, and injectables. Depending on the patient’s specific needs, they may also use these treatments in combination with other medical therapies to maximize their results and prevent the risk of flare-ups or recurrence of acne.
One type of acne surgery is blemish extraction, which involves using sterilized tools to squeeze out blackheads and whiteheads. This is often a more effective method than trying to do it yourself, which could cause more damage to the skin.
Another common surgical treatment for acne is the removal of scar tissue. This can be done by removing the top layer of damaged skin with an erbium YAG or carbon dioxide (CO2) laser. The heat from this treatment can stimulate collagen production and encourage new cell growth to replace the old cells that are causing the scars.
A less invasive technique, chemical peels use an acid, such as salicylic or glycolic acid, to exfoliate the skin. This helps to remove the damaged layers of skin that are causing acne scars and promotes new cell growth.
These treatments can be performed on the face and body, and they may be covered by insurance. They are often performed by dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons who are trained in the appropriate techniques.
Dermabrasion, a form of surgical acne removal, uses a rotating instrument to smooth out the surface of the skin. The procedure is typically done in a series of sessions that are spaced a few weeks apart.
Other forms of surgical treatment include acne injections, which are injected into the pores to shrink down large inflamed blemishes and reduce inflammation. These can be used to treat a number of different acne types, including cysts, pustules, and nodules.
In addition to these surgical techniques, a physician can use Botox to relax the surrounding skin, which can improve the appearance of some acne scars. Other types of nonsurgical treatment for acne include microneedling, which uses tiny needles to create punctures in the skin that can trigger its natural healing process.