What Can I Do For Acne and Acne Scarring?
Tiffany Pickup, MD - April 2024
Dermatology Specialists of Greater Cincinnati are experts at diagnosing, managing and treating all forms of acne. Acne is one of the most common conditions we treat, and we use a multimodal approach to treating it.
Anyone at any age can be affected by acne. While most people believe it is only a childhood or teenage condition, we diagnose and manage just as many adults. Acne can have many causes including genetics, hormones, infections with bacteria or yeast, environmental triggers, habits, and sometimes just bad luck. In addition, acne can also affect other areas of the body besides the face including the neck, chest, back, shoulders, buttocks and thighs. Acne occurs when pores become clogged with oil, dead skin cells, and other debris. This causes an inflammatory response in the skin and may also trigger bacteria. Acne can range from non-inflammatory blackheads and whiteheads to deep, painful red cysts with permanent scarring.
There are numerous ways to treat acne and its associated scarring and dyspigmentation. Topical prescriptions and washes are often used as a first line defense but can take six to eight weeks to see improvement. There are numerous oral medications that are regularly used such as antibiotics, isotretinoin (Accutane), and spironolactone and oral contraceptive pills for female hormonal acne.
At Dermatology Specialists we also routinely use chemical peels to treat active acne over all parts of the body and can utilize lasers such as vascular laser or Intense Pulse Light to treat active acne and it’s associated pink or dark color changes. The chemical peels can vary from very light treatments such as a Salicylic Acid Peel or Jessner’s Peel as they can penetrate pores to more aggressive peels such as TCA Cross or Medium Depth Peels to treat scarring.
Acne scarring is devastating to patients and continues into adulthood often affecting how someone feels about themselves, their confidence and their quality of life. We take scarring very seriously and are passionate about offering options to improve scarring whether it is early on or very late in the process. Various treatments include chemical peels, microneedling (SKINPEN), Vbeam and IPL lasers, and Fraxel laser.
Our board-certified team at Dermatology Specialists of Greater Cincinnati understand that dealing with acne and acne scarring can be frustrating and even embarrassing. We are experts at recommending what you can do to improve your acne and acne scarring!