4 In-Office Dermatology Treatments That May Help With Acne

When you visit your dermatologist for acne treatment, you typically expect to be prescribed a cream, wash, or pill and sent home. Indeed, remedies of this sort can be very effective for acne. But in some cases, you may also benefit from having a certain in-office treatment or two. Here is a look at four different in-office treatments that dermatologists often offer that may help ease your acne.

Extractions

If you have a lot of active pimples, your dermatologist may recommend sitting down for an extraction session. This is basically a high-tech pimple-popping session. Your dermatologist will use clean tools and just enough pressure to extract the pus from your comedones without causing any extra damage to your skin. This can help speed up your healing since once your pores are clear, certain medications you've been prescribed may work more effectively.

Microdermabrasion

Acne is sometimes caused, in part, by the buildup of dead skin cells in your pores. Microdermabrasion is an extensive exfoliation procedure that will remove these dead skin cells to help prevent clogged pores and future breakouts. The process basically involves abrading the very top layer of your skin, usually with a special tool that shoots sand or a similarly abrasive material. Your skin will be a bit red and irritated for a few days after treatment, but when the redness subsides, you should notice a clearer complexion.

Laser Therapy

Another approach your dermatologist might recommend is laser therapy. In this procedure, a very low-powered laser is aimed at your face, focusing on the areas where you are most likely to break out. The laser has a few different effects. It helps kill the bacteria that contribute to acne, and it also helps stimulate your skin to speed healing. You won't feel anything during laser therapy, but the effects will slowly develop over the course of a few days.

Laser Hair Removal

If your acne seems to be appearing in areas where you have facial hair, which is most common in men, your dermatologist may actually recommend some laser hair removal. This will help decrease the incidence of ingrown hairs, which can often lead to acne. It will also decrease your need to shave, which can also perpetuate acne. The laser used for this process is more powerful than ones used for the direct laser treatment of acne. You will feel a burning sensation after the procedure, but this should fade away quickly.

Share