If you're still struggling with acne as an adult, consider seeing a dermatologist to get your condition under control. You might need an acne treatment for a current outbreak, to prevent future outbreaks, or to treat scars from old lesions. Here's why treating acne is important and some options for treatment and scar removal.

Why You Should Treat Your Acne

Acne can take a long time to clear up. When you use over-the-counter products, or even products supplied by a dermatologist, it could take a few months for your acne to improve. During that time, you may feel anxious about your appearance, and that can affect your self-esteem. For that reason, getting proper treatment from a dermatologist is important so you can get acne under control and reduce the number and severity of outbreaks in the future. Plus, when acne goes untreated, or if you squeeze your skin or do other harsh treatments at home, you increase the risk of scars that affect your appearance after the acne clears up.

How A Dermatologist Might Treat Your Acne

You might be given prescription skin treatments that help your acne heal and that prevent further eruptions. The doctor might even prescribe medication that you take by mouth to treat your acne. Sometimes, office procedures might be needed such as light therapy, laser treatments, chemical peels, or even removal of large cysts. Every treatment isn't suitable for all types of acne, so your doctor will examine your skin and decide what should work best for you.

How Acne Scars Might Be Treated

Once your acne is under control, you may want to get rid of old scars. One way to do that is with a dermal filler that plumps up the depression of the acne scar so the scar isn't as visible. Laser resurfacing could be another option that smooths the surface of your skin to erase scars. Severe acne scarring might be treated with dermabrasion, which removes the top layer of skin and takes off surface scars. Less severe acne might be treated with microneedling that stimulates the production of collagen that fills in scar depressions.

Just like acne itself, each acne scar is different when it comes to its depth and appearance, so your dermatologist will consider your unique skin condition when deciding on the best way to make your skin clearer and smoother when you have acne and the scars it leaves behind. Your dermatologist may even need to combine different types of treatments to get the best results.

Visit websites like http://www.greaterdesmoinesdermatology.com/ to learn more about how to deal with acne.

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