How Will a Dermatologist Help with My Acne Problem?
Triggered by genetic and environmental factors, acne is among the most pervasive skin conditions out there. While most cases of acne aren’t a major cause for concern, they can harm one’s mental health and social life. Moreover, when not treated properly, severe acne can result in long-lasting, sometimes permanent scars. Fortunately, acne is highly treatable, and dermatologists are equipped with many ways to help patients prevent, mitigate, and perhaps eliminate acne.
Here are some key ways a reliable dermatologist can help you overcome your acne problem.
How Dermatologists Help Acne
Provide Lifestyle Advice for Minimizing Acne
There is no single factor that triggers an acne outbreak, but certain factors increase most people’s propensity to break out. High levels of stress, junk food, hormonal changes, bacteria, and certain medications can all trigger or worsen acne. Knowing this, dermatologists will ask patients a number of questions to get a sense of their lifestyle. If a patient is going through puberty or pregnancy, there’s a good chance their acne has something to do with these hormonal imbalances. Likewise, patients who aren’t getting enough sleep or eating a balanced diet may find that adjusting these things helps reduce their breakouts over time. While these changes aren’t treatments, they can help provide long-term solutions to acne and other health concerns. The more a dermatologist knows about a given patient, the better advice they can deliver.
Help You Find the Right Acne Treatment for Your Skin
Of course, even severe lifestyle changes can’t always keep acne at bay. Those with moderate to severe acne often need a more immediate and potent intervention to ease their acne and prevent scarring. There is no shortage of acne treatments out there, both over-the-counter and prescription-strength – this is good news in one sense, but it can also become overwhelming. It’s a dermatologist’s job to help their patients find the treatment(s) best suited for their skin type and other needs. Once again, asking questions and getting to know patients allows dermatologists to compare treatment options and come up with the optimal regimen. Some trial and error is to be expected here, but if you work closely with a trusted dermatologist, you can discover what works and what doesn’t. Some patients might benefit from topical medications (e.g., benzoyl peroxide, retinoids, dapsone, etc.) while others might require oral medications such as antibiotics, anti-androgen agents, and more. Others might require some combination of topical and oral treatments.
Recommend Cosmetic Procedures for Acne and Scar Reduction
An acne dermatologist might also tell patients about cosmetic therapies that can combat acne and reduce the appearance of existing acne scars. These procedures include light therapy, chemical peels, dermaplaning, microdermabrasion, and more. In some cases, these procedures are enough to help patients get a handle on their acne. That said, many patients seek these types of therapies in conjunction with topical and/or oral treatments. Your dermatologist can help you determine which cosmetic therapies are a good and safe fit for you and whether any of them might interfere with your current treatments.
If you’ve ever wondered, “how do dermatologists treat acne?” the information provided here may be of use. The experts at Premier Dermatology Partners are also happy to provide more detailed information regarding our services so you can show your acne who’s boss this year and beyond. To learn more about our providers and all the services we offer, contact us today.