| Dr. Lawrence J. Green is a Board Certified Dermatologist by the American Board of Dermatology. Here the doctor has answered some common questions that Bizymoms visitors have about Acne.
Q. Is it only young adults who get acne?
A. No, acne can occur anytime once you become a teenager. But, it is common in young adults because acne is triggered by hormones, and hormone levels are naturally most volatile during teenage years.
Q. How can acne be treated?
A. Acne is usually treated by
1) exfoliating the skin to help unclog pores-usually with retinoid creams
2) reducing small inflamed red bumps with topical benzoyl peroxides and/or topical antibiotics
3) if larger red bumps and nodules are present, using oral antibiotics which can reduce these larger lesions because topical medications can’t penetrate that deeply into the skin.
All of these treatment control acne and the creams are used all over the face to help prevent acne from occurring elsewhere. Since acne is caused by hormones, and we do not really want to interfere with our naturally produced hormes, (even though the hormones are causing acne as a "side effect") these medications just control the acne when they are used on a daily basis.
Q. How long does it take to cure acne?
A. We cannot cure acne, although there is a medication called Accutane that shrinks the oil pores so that they do not respond so well to the hormones that trigger acne production in the pores, and someone’s acne may never come back after taking it.
Q. What is Nodular or Cystic acne?
A. Cystic or nodular acne represents a clogged pore that has a large amount of immune cells in and surrounding it. The pore is sort of like a dilated balloon filled up with all of these inflammatory immune cells in and around it.
Q. What kind of treatment is recommended for nodular or cystic acne?
A. A single acne cyst can be treated with a cortisone injection right into it. This helps shrink that spot down within a few days. If someone has many large acne cysts, oral medications ie. antibiotics or even Accutane are the best way to treat and control them.
Q. Are there any treatments other than drug therapy for acne?
A. Some people believe that light therapy combined with some of the above mentioned medications can help acne. I don’t think there is great evidence for this however at this time.
Q. How should people with acne protect their skin?
A. Use the acne products prescribed on a regular basis.
Q. How can we contact Dr. Green if we have further questions?
A. I would refer readers to my website www.looking-younger.com to find me to ask questions. My contact no is 301-610-0663. |
