Waking up to a new blemish or pimple is the one thing in life that stays consistently frustrating whether you’re fourteen or forty. While the hormone fluctuation of youth likely isn’t the reason you’re waking up with acne now, there are causes and solutions to help tamper adult acne attacks. Don’t let a rogue blackhead ruin your shine: Here’s the adult way to deal when acne happens.
Chemical Peels
The earliest stage of an acne lesion is caused by clogged pores that turn into bumps on the skin. Treat this type of acne with a chemical peel. They work by rapidly exfoliating the skin, shedding and sloughing away dead skin cells. By reducing dead skin cell buildup and keeping excess oil on the skin’s surface from clogging the follicle, pores are able to stay clean. The result is a reduction in pimples and blemishes.
Chemical peels also have the added benefit of reducing acne scarring, making them the perfect treatment for those who have battled acne their entire lives.
Oral Antibiotics
Not all acne is created equal. More severe forms of acne require more calculated treatments. More severe acne happens when nodules and cysts develop deep underneath the skin. This can be painful and harder to treat, but not impossible.
Oral antibiotics work by decreasing bacteria and reducing inflammation from large red pimples, pustules, and deeper-set painful nodules. Common oral antibiotic acne treatments include minocycline, doxycycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Traditionally, they are taken in tandem with a topical treatment too. While more uncommon for adults, it’s not unheard of, and we’re here to help you treat acne no matter what age you are.
Hormonal Treatments
Hormonal treatments are used as an additional treatment option for women. Combination birth control pills can be used in adult women in conjunction with antibiotics or may serve as an alternative treatment with topical medications to maintain long-term control of acne. These pills are FDA-approved for acne treatment and work by decreasing the hormonal signals to skin receptors.
Spironolactone also works to block hormone receptors and can work well in adult women with hormonal acne.
Injection
If you’ve ever had a lesion or nodule deep in the skin that won’t seem to go away, the option of a cortisol steroid injection could be right for you. Intralesional corticosteroid therapy involves a small injection into a painful deep acne nodule to shrink the inflammation over a period of a few days.
Still, this is more of a temporary spot treatment for a stubborn spot than a permanent solution.
Retinol
If you’re over 30, you likely have looked into retinol for anti-aging, but the powerful ingredient can also be used to treat acne. It works by drying out the skin and exfoliating to remove dirt, dead skin cells, and oil from the pores. Fight acne and the signs of aging all with one product.
Whether you’re dealing with frequent acne or sporadic blemishes, you don’t need to accept it as part of life. Get ahead of your acne and treat it. Give us a call to see what the best solution for your skin is: (208) 888-0660.