When you look in the mirror, do you notice the inflamed skin or scars associated with acne? From their teenage years on, many people struggle with pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, and acne rosacea. Some are left with scarring even after the breakouts subside.

You may try at-home cleansers or lotions to gain control over the condition of your skin without much progress. Fortunately, there are other acne treatments you can try under the care of a cosmetic dermatologist.

Learn more about how acne forms and the types of treatment that can make an impact on your acne here.

How Does Acne Form?

Before learning about the best acne treatment, it’s important to take a quick look at how this condition forms. Acne is a common problem, impacting the majority of people at some point in their lives.

It usually pops up around the time of puberty but can easily extend into the adult years. What causes pimples and other problems with the complexion?

If your acne started during your teenage years, it was because your hormones told your skin glands to produce more oil. Also known as sebum, this oil is charged with keeping the skin in good condition.

Unfortunately, sebum sometimes clogs the pores instead of exiting them as it should. These small clogs can cause the walls surrounding pores to rupture, which results in the telltale pus and swelling that accompany pimples. Even if their walls don’t rupture, clogged pores can cause blackheads or whiteheads.

Too many people squeeze or pick at their acne, leaving behind scars on the face. This is why it’s important to access acne treatment that can get your pores back to a healthy state without scarring.

Types of Acne Treatments

At Gold Skin Care Center, our acne treatment dermatologist, Dr. Gold, has several tools at his disposal to combat this skin condition at its source. Laser and light-based treatments are the gold standards of acne treatment. Take a closer look at how they work on the skin.

Aerolase Neo

Aerolase Neo is a prime example of how medical lasers can help patients of all ages with their acne. This acne treatment uses 650-microsecond technology to target the underlying factors contributing to your acne, including:

• Excess sebum production
• Inflammation
• Acne-causing bacteria (p. acnes)

The laser stops these issues at their source, but it also does even more work behind the scenes. It prevents future breakouts, clears current breakouts, and even boosts the skin’s production of collagen.

As your body produces more collagen in the treatment areas, it can minimize the effect of scarring from previous acne breakouts and give you healthier skin.

Most people who have acne can benefit from the heat applied by this laser, regardless of their skin type or tone.

IPL Photo Rejuvenation

This acne treatment is designed primarily for those who may have scarring from breakouts in the past. IPL Photo Rejuvenation uses intense pulsed light to minimize the appearance of redness on the skin from concerns ranging from rosacea to sun damage. It can also improve acne scars and reduce the size of large pores.

How does IPL Photo Rejuvenation work? A gel is applied to the skin and then an intense light is pulsed over the areas we decide to target.

As the vessels and pigmentation absorb the light, IPL Photo Rejuvenation stimulates the healing response. This serves to reduce skin hyperpigmentation and helps reduce the appearance of acne rosacea.

Each treatment session takes 45 minutes or less, and we typically recommend that you receive about six treatments. Follow-ups may be necessary every six months to one year.

Blue Light

Perhaps the best acne treatment, blue light is designed for acne that does not resolve, no matter what cleansers or creams you have applied to it at home. In this treatment, the skin is exposed to certain wavelengths of blue light, which has been proven to destroy the p. acnes bacteria that lead to breakouts.

The good news with this acne treatment is that one session is sufficient for the blue light to eliminate the acne-causing bacteria at their source. As a result, it can limit inflammation and prevent future breakouts.

We customize your blue light treatment to your skin’s needs, including the number of sessions you may require. You may receive several treatments during the first few weeks, followed by less frequent sessions to maintain your clear skin.

PhotoDynamic Therapy (PDT)

This multi-step acne treatment is great for those who have extremely stubborn acne or rosacea, as well as those with prominent acne scars. It begins with the application of a topical agent known as ALA, which becomes activated with wavelengths of light, including blue light. This gives you the benefit of two acne treatments in one.

PDT is FDA-approved to treat moderate acne breakouts. These acne treatments require follow-up appointments spread out over several weeks. Our cosmetic dermatologists typically recommend three sessions spaced two to four weeks apart.

Contact the Best Acne Treatment Dermatologist in Nashville

Are you ready to improve the health of your skin and minimize the effects of acne? You need the help of an expert dermatologist who is experienced with these skin issues.

Allow Dr. Gold and his staff at our Gold Skin Care Center to customize a treatment plan unique to your skin’s needs. We may use several of these acne treatments to target your breakouts at their source.

For a consultation to discuss your options for treatment, contact us at our Nashville, TN, office to receive a custom treatment plan today.