Do you still have acne, even though you've tried every product in the drugstore? Here at the Port Orange and Daytona Beach, FL, offices of your dermatologist, Dr. Jeffrey Heller, we offer treatment that will help clear your skin.
5 Treatments That Can Reduce Acne Flareups
Acne affects as many as 50 million Americans every year, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Although the skin condition is particularly common during the teenage years, plenty of adults struggle with acne too. When over-the-counter acne preparations aren't effective, your Port Orange and Daytona Beach skin doctor may recommend one of these approaches:
- Applying Prescription-Strength Topical Medication to Your Face: Pimples form when natural skin oils and debris clog your pores. Keeping your pores clear offers a simple way to prevent future breakouts. Topical medications like tretinoin, adapalene and tazarotene speed skin cell turnover and prevent your pores from becoming blocked.
- Using Antibiotics: If topical medication isn't working quite as well as you had hoped, your dermatologist may recommend adding a topical or oral antibiotic to your treatment regimen. Antibiotics kill the p. acnes bacteria that play a crucial role in the formation of acne lesions.
- Taking Oral Contraceptives: If you're a woman, you may have noticed that your acne worsens at the same time every month. Taking oral contraceptives not only prevents pregnancy, but it may also help keep your acne under control. The medication reduces the production of sebum, an oily substance that keeps your skin moist and subtle. An excessive amount of sebum can clog your pores, causing acne.
- Trying a Chemical Peel or Microdermabrasion: These treatments remove the outer layers of the skin where acne lesions form. They can also minimize the appearance of shallow acne scars.
- Using Light Therapy: Blue light therapy offers an innovative way to reduce acne. During the treatment, your dermatologist uses a small, handheld device to deliver short pulses of blue light to your face. The light kills p. acne bacteria and shrinks your oil glands. Blue light therapy may be combined with red light therapy. Exposure to red light promotes healing and decreases acne scars.
Do you need help managing your acne? Call your dermatologist in Port Orange and Daytona Beach, FL, Dr. Heller, at (386) 239-8700 to schedule an appointment.