Feeling confident in your appearance is very difficult when you’re plagued by acne breakouts. Not only is your facial skin marred by blemishes and scars, but the condition has a heavy impact on your self-esteem.
Acne is one of the most commonly treated skin conditions, but many patients have tried a range of treatments with little success. At Piedmont Plastic Surgery & Dermatology we offer clinical solutions for acne that will help your skin heal.
What Is Acne?
The word “acne” is a blanket term that encompasses a variety of blemishes. These spots come to the surface when pores become clogged with oil and dead skin cells, causing whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, pustules, and cysts to form. It most frequently appears on the face, neck, chest, upper shoulders, and back. While it is more common in teenagers, acne is a common problem for men and women of all ages.
There are four main factors that contribute to the formation of acne:
Excess sebum (oil) production
Hair follicles clogged with oil or dead skin cells
Bacteria
Increased hormonal activity
When these factors come into play in your skin, it triggers redness and inflammation. You can feel the formation of the blemishes before they ever make it to the surface of the skin, then leading to a bump that is painful to the touch. Just like it does with all forms of infection, this is your body’s way of attempting to shed the infection, so it can leave your body.
How Is Acne Treated?
There are many treatments available for acne. When looking for over-the-counter acne medications, you should look for products that contain Benzoyl peroxide, retinol, or salicylic acid. If those methods don’t produce the results you want, it is time to visit the dermatologist.
While there are great products in the market that may successfully treat mild forms of acne, our board-certified dermatologist at Piedmont Plastic Surgery & Dermatology can prescribe treatment to address the underlying cause of active acne to help your skin recover and heal from the inside out.
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