A dermatologist is a doctor, and treatment for acne may not be covered by medical insurance. So it’s always a better idea to try and manage your symptoms on your own first. But if your acne is severe enough that you feel overwhelmed and over the counter treatment is not strong enough, you may want to consider visiting a dermatologist.
Dermatology is a more specialized, personalized, and in-depth approach to treating your acne. A dermatologist will test your skin to determine the type and behavior of your acne. There are several approaches to treatment that your dermatologist might then take.
Prescription Ointments and Pills
The most common form of treatment is to prescribe topical ointments and/or prescription pills to help your body control both hormones and the oils those hormones cause. The site acne.org discusses more than a dozen different common acne prescriptions. They include topical creams, lotions, and gels (such as benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, “Accutane,” azelaic acid, and others) as well as oral antibiotics (such as tetracycline) and oral contraceptives (such as ortho tri-cyclen).
The topical ointments generally help control the oil, the oral contraceptives help control the hormones, and the oral antibiotics help prevent infection (which can both spread and worsen the appearance of acne).
Chemical Peels
Chemical peels (and, similarly, a process called microdermabrasion) help the skin stay healthy by removing dead skin cells from the outermost layer of the skin. This procedure is often done in a series (one every certain amount of time). Chemical peels are often administered gently with a sponge and left on for a few minutes. Microdermabrasion carefully uses a rough covering on a special device to sort of “scrape” the dead skin away.
Removing dead skin cells can help the skin by significantly reducing clog-potential for pores, as well as providing room for your skin to “breathe” better (which helps healing), and to stimulate lower layers of skin to be more active in maintaining your skin’s balance.
Laser Therapy
Laser treatment for acne is a process that uses light or lasers to improve the condition of the skin. This treatment is treated, usually on a monthly basis, for several months (3-4) until the process is deemed effective. The point is to use the light (not radiation) to target specific areas of the skin (especially with cystic acne) and stop blood vessels in the cysts from being able to “feed” and spread the acne.
