Acne is the most common skin disease in the U.S.
That’s because the majority of adolescents have acne and almost half of patients who seek medical help for acne are over the age of 20. Some people don’t experience their first bouts with acne until their 30s or 40s.
Acne begins with blocked of follicles in your skin. Many different types of blemishes are part of the disease: whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, cysts and red bumps on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and upper arms.
Causes of Acne
Acne develops on the skin when the pores become clogged, which may occur as a result of an overproduction of oil, a buildup of bacteria or shedding of dead skin cells that irritate the pores and hair follicles. When these substances build up in the hair follicle, they form a soft plug that forces the follicle wall to bulge and protrude from the skin, causing a lesion to develop.
The cause of excess oil production is unknown, but is believed to be caused by a combination of several factors, including hormones, bacteria, heredity and certain medications. Acne can cause permanent scarring and damaging emotional effects for patients of any age. Patients should seek dermatologic treatment for acne if symptoms do not respond to over-the-counter treatment methods or scarring develops as the acne clears.
Treatment of Acne
There are several effective treatment methods available to help improve the appearance of the skin and prevent future breakouts from occurring. Often treatments reduce oil production and increase the speed of skin cell turnover to prevent new blemishes from developing, and to also reduce inflammation . Dr. Golomb uses her pharmaceutical background to choose the best treatment regimen for you. This can be done through a combination of topical treatment, antibiotics, isotretinoin or oral contraceptives in women or girls.
Dr. Golomb may suggest a chemical peel or blue light therapy to jump start improvement or to improve discoloration. A dilute cortisone injection can be injected directly into cystic or inflammatory lesions to reduce redness and swelling resulting in flattening often in less than 24 hours. Isotretinoin may be prescribed for severe cases of acne that do not respond to other treatment methods. These treatment methods can take up to eight weeks before results are visible, and acne may get worse before getting better.
Blog Categories
- Acne
- BBL light therapy
- Board Certification
- Chemical Peel
- Continuing Education
- Cosmetic Procedures
- COVID-19
- Earlobe Repair
- Exosomes
- Fillers
- Hair Loss Treatment
- In the News
- Injectables
- Keloid (raised scar)
- Lasers
- Microneedling
- Nails
- platelet rich plasma
- PRP
- Rosacea
- Skin Cancer
- Skin Care
- Skin Tag
- Skin Tightening & Body Contouring
- Spider Veins
- Sunscreen
- Supplements
- Telehealth
- Threads
- Toxin (Botox, Daxxify, Dysport, Jeuveau and Xeomin)
Blog Archives
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- July 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- July 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- February 2018
- December 2017
- July 2017
- April 2017
- February 2017
- December 2016
- September 2016
- April 2016
- December 2015
- December 2014