How Will a Dermatologist Help with My Acne Problem?
Acne can plague people of all ages, women and men alike. And if you’ve been dealing with acne on your own or chasing down one over the counter treatment after another with little success, you know how tiresome and frustrating things can be. Fortunately, seeing a dermatologist can often help you target the root cause of your acne and treat it much more effectively – sometimes within a matter of weeks.
How Do Dermatologists Diagnose Acne?
Making an appointment with your dermatologist is an excellent first step if you’re looking to put an end to your ongoing acne issue. Within moments, a board-certified dermatologist can examine and diagnose the specific type of acne you have. Then he or she can make the appropriate treatment recommendations tailored to you.
One of the most illuminating parts of the entire appointment is often during the official acne diagnosis. This process is twofold: first, the dermatology specialist can tell you what kind of acne you have – whether it’s manifesting as pimples, pustules, nodules, or cysts.
Next, the doctor will be able to explore with you what might be causing your acne. In some cases, it’s an abundance of sebum from oily skin. In others, the appropriate skin care products are not being used, or the skin could be irritated from certain chemicals. Sometimes acne is genetic; other times it’s stress-related. Whatever the root cause, you and your dermatologist can get to the bottom of it together. This is often deduced through questions about your lifestyle, so be sure to be transparent with your dermatologist during this process.
How Do Dermatologists Treat Acne?
Once your dermatology specialist helps you figure out what type of acne you’re dealing with and what could be causing it, they’ll be equipped to build a treatment plan tailored to you. Depending on your lifestyle, your skin type, and your age, your dermatologist can give you recommendations for handling your acne. This may come in the form of specific over the counter product recommendations (and often, dermatology offices have samples on hand for you to try out before committing to a full-size product). Or they might need to write you a prescription for an antibiotic ointment or cream to zap larger, deeper, or more stubborn breakouts.
Dermatologists can also make other recommendations to be included in your treatment plan – like certain habits to incorporate or avoid, optimal in-office facial treatments that you might consider receiving regularly, and even the choice of getting extractions to help remove some of the dirt, oil, sweat, bacteria, and other debris that might be mixing with the sebum to produce breakouts.
Plus, a dermatologist will be able to see you at follow up appointments to assess what’s working and what isn’t. This way, he or she can adjust your treatment plan based on your exact needs, in real time.
Contact Louisiana Dermatology Associates
Exhausted from battling your acne issues on your own? Don’t wait to reach out to a knowledgeable dermatology provider. If you’re in Baton Rouge or the surrounding areas, contact Louisiana Dermatology Associates today for an appointment with one of our board-certified specialists.