Medical Care For Acne – 3 Reasons To See A Doctor
February 24th, 2010 | 
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For both adolescents and adults, acne can be an aggravating problem. There are many variations of acne and differing degrees of severity. The physical, emotional and psychological effects can be devastating, affecting an individual ’s confidence, self-image and self-esteem for many years. Although several of the milder types of acne respond well to over-the-counter treatment products, more severe forms require medical attention. Acne care is vitally important regardless of the type, but it is just as vital to know when a case of acne requires a dermatologist to treat it.
Three Reasons To Consult A Physician
The decision to see a physician or dermatologist about your acne should take into account several things:
1. Is your acne causing you emotional difficulties?
2. How severe your outbreaks are.
3. If your skin seems to be scarring when the lesions heal.
There are several more reasons why it may be wise to seek professional help with your acne but these three comprise most of them. Severe acne may leave permanent scars; seeking medical help early on may help to reduce the effects of scarring. The best way to prevent scarring is, of course, to prevent acne from occurring in the first place. The right skin care regimen and possible dietary changes, are needed to control acne breakouts.
Recent studies have shown that food sensitivities may contribute to the formation of acne, such as allergies to wheat, dairy and certain fruits. One such study has shown that women consuming three or more glasses of milk per day were 22% more likely to have acne breakouts than women consuming only one glass of milk per day. This may be due to the hormones present in fresh dairy products, but some dermatologists are recommending that their patients with cystic acne avoid mild products and use alternative sources of calcium intake. The type of acne and skin type plays an important role in how acne is best treated.
If you have cystic acne, also known as nodulocystic acne, it must be treated by a physician. Do not try to treat it yourself because it can cause very painful lesions and scarring of the face, neck, back and shoulders. Cystic acne resembles small bumps or tumors, blackheads may not be present with it, sometimes the lesions fill with a combination of blood and pus, cystic pimples may involve more than one pore, and they are very deep within the skin layers. This type of acne should be treated by a dermatologist as quickly as possible, in addition, some dietary changes may be needed to decrease the outbreaks of this type of acne.
Emotional distress, such as severe anxiety, depression or social reclusiveness, are also good reasons to seek professional assistance. Severe acne sufferers feel helpless to control the situation particulary for adultsdue to the notion that acne should clear up once a person becomes an adult. Acne scarring has long term effects, often affecting a person’s choice of occupation, social interactions and dress. A medical professional can help to restore a person’s self confidence as well as helping clear up the acne.
For men, sever acne can shaving difficult. Shaving irritates pimples and lesions, may irritate existing scars and lead to further outbreaks of acne. A good razor, shaving creams and other products help to reduce the irritation and inflammation of acne, but a medical professional can also prescribe creams and medications to eliminate it.
It may be a good idea to visit a dermatologist at the outset of acne, even if you aren’t sure that it is a severe form of acne. Medical advice can help in the choice of skin care products, provide assistance regarding acne care and daily routines even if prescription medications aren’t required. In severe cases of acne, a physician is indispensable to help reduce the effects, treat the cause and prevent future outbreaks.
Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/acne-articles/medical-care-for-acne-3-reasons-to-see-a-doctor-708969.html
Posted in treat acne
7 Responses to “Medical Care For Acne – 3 Reasons To See A Doctor”
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what should I do about my frustrating acne problem?
I’ve recently finished a 3 month treatment of both Tretinion .5 mg and Doxycylcline and my acne is just as bad, if not worse.
It’s beyond frustrating when I’ve had acne since I was ten years old (I’m turning 19 in september). I’ve stressed it to every Dermatologist I’ve seen that I’ve been on every treatment minus birth control and accutane since then but it seems like they think it’s just a superficial problem. My physicians who I’ve been with since I was born have prescribed me everything they can and have told me it’s more than just a bacterial problem but it seems that these dermatologist think otherwise.
I’ve tried;
Benzoyl peroxide cream (twice)
tretinion .5 mg
tretinion 1.5 mg
Doxycylcline 125 mg (4 3 month treatments that only worked the first time but for some odd reason they keep giving it to me anyway)
benzoyl peroxide washes
I’ve had it with all of these treatments that don’t work and yet I’m supposed to "have faith in them".
I’ve done my research and I’ve heard that birth control is an affective solution because I break out the most when I’m menstruating and my doctors said that they refuse to negotiate with my medical insurance to cover them.
Today they gave me ANOTHER treatment of tretinion cream with doxycycline with a benzoyl gel and I almost blew a gasket.
Would you agree with me when I say that I should find another dermatologist, even if my medical insurance doesn’t cover it? I honestly don’t care anymore, I don’t wanna spend another year with the same treatments and the same acne anymore.
yeah let’s all use an exacto cutter and create infectious wounds on our face. nice loser
my physician and the other dermatologist said accutane is good too but I am against using it due to it’s side affects. but today for some odd reason another showed up rather than the one I had when I was first referred to the office.
I’ve also tried almost all over the counter treatments out of curiosity and it was just like splashing water on my face, it was pointless.
Kirsh; I know it’s an internal issue and I have changed my diet, wash with gentle washes, change clothes various times a day to prevent bacteria to saturate my skin. I know my solution is birth control, but my doctors don’t want to ask the insurance company to cover it even though in this case, they would.
Well, I don’t ever pay someone for this kind of stuff because many products that are sold in stores are almost the same as the ones they use in offices. I use proactiv and it works very well for me. If that doesn’t work or you don’t want to try it, you can try skin id, neutrogena products, or clean and clear. It’s really up to you but I would not pay for those types of acne treatments, whether I had the money or not.
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To be honest, I know it can cause other problems.. but when my derm couldn’t help me out with my acne problems I started tanning. I’m not sure exactly why but it cleared me up quickly.
Be warned, as soon as I stopped it all came back, so it might be worth it to check out other derms to see what they reccomend that might be more long term.
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try using clearasil ultra pads, it helped me a lot
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i use it
theres a skin line caled mario badescu. they have tons of stuff. i had REALLY bad acne on my face chest sholders and back. i used the drying mask and within 3 days it was almost clear. it is a bit pricey but its the only thing that touches my skin. proactive, stridex, neutregena, and all that crap never worked for me, and if anything made it worse. there is a bottle thats called drying solution i think, it had a liquid and then a pink sediment on the bottom. get that the drying mask, and a toner. those are the three i always use. good luck, and i hope this works for you!
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you could take a break from all the chemicals!
all that stuff brings up a reaction that’s probably why its not working its like immune to all that stuff
im 14 but i got acne at 10 too and i didn’t use chemicals because i didn’t believe in them until i got in 7th grade and i went to my pediatrician actually lol now im going into 9th grade and my face is practically clear except for a few black marks from popping pimples but people think they’re freckles lol
i use
benzoyl peroxide and erythrocymin (twice daily night and day)
when i wash my face i use Dove Pink Bar with Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser mixed in without a washcloth ( that irritates your face)
for about 2 months and my face cleared up in a snap
hope i helped =)
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I’m studying to be a dermatologist. First, I’ll tell you what some of the main causes of acne are: Hormones, Stress, Heavy or Oily Make-Up, Diets, Genes, Sweat, Dirt, Oil, Picking, Plucking, and Squeezing, Oil from when Your Hair gets on Your Face, Clogged Pores, Irritation, and Certain Face Washes. What you always need in your acne wash is Salicylic Acid. Not very many acne washes have this (surprisingly) except for Clearasil and and Neutrogena. I use Clearasil and it has definitely worked for me and I noticed a difference in just one week. When you start using a new acne wash, it’s a good idea to only use it once a day and gradually increase to two or three times a day. You should wash your face before you go to bed and when you wake up in the morning and of course whenever you get sweaty (after sports, work, etc.). After you wash your face, wait 5-15 min. before you put anything on your face. The water could still be on your face or in your pores even if it’s not visible, so you have to wait for it to dry. Once you’ve waited, put Benzoyl Peroxide on your face (can be found in Clearasil Creams). The Benzoyl Peroxide will reduce zit size and redness and prevent acne from coming back. Be careful when you use Benzoyl Peroxide because if it gets in your hair, it could bleach the part it touched. The only good part about it, is that it will bleach facial hairs and make them not as visible. You also should not put on Benzoyl Peroxide if you are going out in the sun. If the sun has contact with the Benzoyl peroxide it could bleach your skin and leave a mark. Do not put on Benzoyl Peroxide if you have a sunburn on your face because it will dry out the sunburn and cause pealing. It’s best if you use the same brand of products. I do not recommend using toners, astringents, or pads. Exfoliaters are not good for your face unless you have really dry skin. If you don’t have a lot of dry skin, don’t use exfoliaters because it can irritate your acne and cause more acne to appear. Do not pick or pop acne because it will only irritate it and create more acne. Also be sure to stay on a healthy diet and drink plenty of water. Good Luck!!
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