For as many as 50 million Americans, acne feels like the battle that never ends. You’re using the same prescription cream and examining the latest damage in the same mirror, feeling the same way about your current acne treatment. It can seem like a cycle without innovation or cause for optimism.
But acne treatments are always advancing, even if we’re not plugged into the newest developments or dermatology news. At Skin MD in Chicago, IL, our world-class dermatologists are using newer, more effective treatments to curb acne outbreaks and revise acne scars.
Let’s break the cycle of acne together with one of these treatments today.
Newer & More Effective Treatments for Acne & Acne Scars in Chicago, IL
Here’s something you may not hear often—there are numerous types and severities of acne. Even in two people with the same kind of acne, no two treatments are guaranteed to be as effective.
The most common types of acne include:
- Hormonal Acne: Hormonal changes cause your skin to overproduce sebum—a natural skin oil that can contribute to acne outbreaks.
- Cystic Acne: This form of acne is typified by extreme inflammation, whiteheads, blackheads, and painful cysts.
- Nodular Acne: This form of acne causes nodules to form beneath the skin and can lead to lifelong and sometimes severe scarring.
- Fungal Acne: Clusters of papules (itchy red bumps) are most often caused by a yeast infection in the hair follicle.
Regardless of which form of acne you have, there’s a new treatment at Skin MD for you. To learn more, or to determine which kind of acne you have, call us today at (708) 636-3767 or contact us online.
New Treatments, New Results – The Latest Word on Fighting Acne
If you’ve thrown everything and the kitchen sink at your acne without seeing the results you need, now is the perfect time to find a new treatment. Here are a few our dermatologists suggest.
Chemical Peels for Acne
In healthy, youthful skin, cellular turnover of the epidermis (topmost layer) takes roughly 28 days. In other words, your skin grows, dies, and sheds on a near-monthly basis. Unfortunately, this cycle slows as we age, and chronic skin conditions (such as acne) can complicate the process.
In those with acne, an overproduction of sebum can trap dead skin cells in pores. Here, oils, toxins, and bacteria increase the frequency and intensity of acne outbreaks. Thankfully, the right cleanse and peel can exfoliate your pores and even encourage collagen production for tighter, faster-healing skin.
Chemical peels are customizable formulas of skin-safe acids (glycolic, salicylic, and retinoic). These acids break the bonds that hold dead skin together, causing it to fall or “peel” away. Growing skin is nourished throughout the process, and collagen—a structural protein responsible for skin health and healing—increases in the treatment area.
For combating both acne outbreaks and acne scars, chemical peels are a powerful option. To learn if you’re a good candidate for chemical peels, contact Skin MD today.
Microneedling for Acne
On its own, your skin is a self-repairing suit of armor, capable of reversing years of damage with the right inspiration. But as we age, our production of collagen and elastin slows. These structural proteins are potent, natural healing agents, but without enough of both, skin damage and scarring can stack up and stick in place.
Microneedling “fools” or “hacks” your skin into producing more collagen and elastin. Incredibly fine needles create microchannels in the treatment area. These microchannels are so small that they’re seldom visible to the naked eye. But your skin senses “damage” and responds by supercharging the production of structural proteins.
After the microneedling treatment, collagen and elastin flood the area to repair new and old skin damage—including acne scars. But microneedling doesn’t stop there. It offers other benefits, including:
- Reduces or eliminates age spots
- Tightens and smooths aging skin
- Softens common wrinkles (Crow’s feet, smile lines, frown lines, etc.)
- Reverses or eliminates small discolorations
- More
Because microneedling relies on your skin’s self-healing properties, the results can last for months or even years on end.
Medical Treatments for Acne
If you have acne, you likely know the name tretinoin: a topical medication frequently prescribed for acne. Tretinoin also goes by brand names like Refissa or Retin-A. For many, this treatment is the gold standard, but as we mentioned earlier, some treatments aren’t as effective for everyone. At Skin MD, tretinoin is only one option among many others.
Depending on which type of acne you have, the severity of your symptoms, and which treatments you’ve used before, our dermatologists can suggest another course of action that may truly make a difference.
Other common and effective acne medications include:
- Topical medications to drastically reduce inflammation
- Topical and oral antibiotics to kill acne-causing bacteria
- Hormonal medications to reduce sebum production
- Medications that both reduce skin oil and exfoliate pores
Together with chemical peels, microneedling, or other advanced facials and cosmetic treatments, these acne medications can finally reveal a more promising way forward.
At Skin MD, we won’t stop until we find the treatment or treatments that work best for you. By combining and recombining treatment methods, we’re bound to land on a course of action that truly makes a difference.
Fight Back Against Acne with Skin MD in Chicago, IL
In the 21st century, newer, better acne treatments are emerging rapidly. We know more about skin than ever before. Promising cosmetic and aesthetic treatments are reversing years of skin damage and acne scarring while prescription-strength topical and oral medications limit outbreaks. The future is bright for the 50 million Americans suffering from acne!
To find an acne treatment that finally works for you, schedule your appointment at Skin MD today. With several locations throughout Chicago, we’re treating acne in a neighborhood near you!
Let’s Find an Acne Treatment That Works – Together
You don’t have to go on with the same ineffective acne treatment, the same painful outbreaks, and the same acne scars. At Skin MD, we’re using newer, more powerful acne treatments to create brighter futures and clearer skin. Schedule your appointment today by giving us a call at (708) 636-3767 or by contacting us online. Let’s unlock your skin’s healing power and put an end to the frustrating cycle of skin damage.
