It’s one of the most common skin concerns and one that doesn’t just go away after your teen years, is acne. While acne treatments have changed over the years there are some tried and true methods that can help to clear up your skin. We’ll discuss some at-home options as well as what to do if your acne still isn’t getting better.
Acne Treatment Tips
First things first, you should be washing your face. What product you use to wash your face also makes a difference. If you’re not sure where to start, try a cleanser that’s gentle and suited for your skin type. We also recommend avoiding touching your face as much as possible. Make sure you’re washing your sheets, pillows, towels, and anything else you repeatedly put on your face. If you wear makeup, it’s also important to be removing your makeup completely every night. If you’re keeping up with all of those basic tips and are still suffering from breakouts, keep reading to see other options you can try.
Why You Should See a Dermatologist
At this point, it’s probably time to see a dermatologist, which is where we come in. If you’ve been trying over-the-counter acne products for several weeks and haven’t noticed an improvement, we can prescribe something stronger. A dermatologist can help you to:
- Control your acne
- Avoid scarring or other damage to your skin
- Make scars less noticeable
We can do this in a variety of ways with topical or oral medications and other forms of therapy. Some common topical medications we could prescribe are retinoids and retinoid-like drugs, antibiotics, Salicylic acid, azelaic acid, and Dapsone. Some oral medications that we prescribe are antibiotics, combined oral contraceptives, and Accutane.
Depending on your age, the type and severity of your acne, and what you’re comfortable committing to, we’ll tailor a skincare routine for you. One key thing to getting clearer skin is consistency. It’s important that you are diligent about applying medication at the right time for several weeks, for example. Many times we’ll prescribe a combination of oral or topical medications and it’s important that you keep up with both.
If you have acne and are interested in possible treatment options, give our office a call today at (480) 610-6366 to schedule a consultation.
