Acne

What is acne?

Acne is an inflammatory skin condition that originates in the pores of your skin. Your sebaceous glands, the glands in your skin that produce sweat, become clogged with excess oil and dead skin cells that they normally bring to the surface. Soon, bacteria can flock to the clogged pores, leading to the redness and inflammation you see with many acne breakouts. 

Whether you develop a single pimple or many, getting rid of acne can present a challenge. While pimples tend to go away on their own eventually, severe and cystic acne can last for years with no clearance in sight. 

The team at Allan Mineroff, MD, PC dedicates themselves to finding an effective strategy for each of their patients struggling to clear away acne. Mild, over-the-counter treatments are sometimes enough to resolve a breakout, but more intensive care is often necessary. 

Why do I have acne?

You may be wondering why you couldn’t leave acne behind in your teenage years. Acne is most common among teenagers because of the intense hormone fluctuations that come with puberty, but anyone of any age can get acne too.

There may be dozens of contributing factors, but the main factors causing acne are excessive oil production, hair follicles clogged by oil and dead skin cells, bacteria, and inflammation. t Your skin might be particularly acne-prone because of:

• Hormone fluctuations in pregnancy
• Hormone changes during your menstrual cycle
• An unhealthy diet
• Birth control pills
• Certain oily cosmetics and skin products
• Certain medications
• Stress
• Genetics
• Endocrine disorders

The Allan Mineroff, MD, PC team helps you explore why you experience recurrent or long-term acne. They develop a personalized acne care plan to help clear your skin. 

Which treatments can I get for acne?

The dermatology team at Allan Mineroff, MD, PC recommends acne treatments based on the severity of your acne and your personal needs. There are numerous options, and you might need to try more than one before finding an effective acne treatment. 

Your options include:

Topical products

Many topical medicines for the skin contain acne-fighting ingredients, with benzoyl peroxide, retinoic acids, and salicylic acid being among the most common. 

Oral medications

The team at Allan Mineroff, MD, PC also routinely prescribes oral medications to assist with controlling acne, like combined oral contraceptives, spironolactone, or oral antibiotics. Isotretinoin therapy involves an oral medication too and is reserved for severe acne. 

Find out about the acne medications you can use to treat acne by scheduling an appointment over the phone or online at Allan Mineroff, MD, PC today.