Do you suffer from acne? Have you found that over-the-counter medications haven’t helped reduce your acne? Contact us at the Centre for Dermatology to see if we can help you!
What is acne?
This is a very broad question, as acne appears differently in everybody. For example, for some it’s the appearance of blackheads, and for others its red pimples. Acne can show up in many different forms, and thus there are various different treatments. Some terms you may hear when you research acne includes:
• Acne vulgaris, or the medical term for common acne. Acne vulgaris can range in severity, from mild to very severe, and can appear just on the face, or on your back and trunk.
• Blackheads and whiteheads: acne lesions that appear when a hair follicle gets clogged with oil. These lesions are called comedones. If the comedone is open, it is called a blackhead, and if it is closed it is called a whitehead
• Mild acne:
o Fewer than 20 whiteheads or blackheads
o Fewer than 15 inflamed bumps
o Fewer than 30 total acne lesions
• Moderate acne:
o 20 to 100 whiteheads or blackheads
o 15 to 50 inflamed bumps
o 30 to 125 total lesions
• Severe acne:
o Severe acne is when the number of whiteheads, blackheads, inflamed bumps, and total acne lesions exceeds the numbers listed in moderate acne
o Additionally, if you have a number of pustules and nodules, which look like inflamed and reddened whiteheads and blackheads, you could also suffer from severe acne.
What can you do to help reduce and eliminate your acne?
If you have found that over the counter creams and face washes haven’t worked for you, perhaps it’s time to start a prescription medication to help get rid of your acne for good! Some options we offer here at the Centre for Dermatology include
• Prescription creams and face washes
• Oral pills
• Different laser and chemical peel treatments to help eliminate acne marks and scars
• Clinical research studies for those with facial, back, and truncal acne
Feel free to contact our team at the Centre for Dermatology with any questions you may have regarding acne and any treatments that we offer!
