Acne care. PART TWO. What are products you should use or avoid?

Posted on November 16, 2016

laurengreenbergacneproductsAgain, I am not a dermatologist. See my prior blog on acne for basic tips. Irritation is bad. You do not want to scrub, use harsh treatments, or poke and pop your skin. This leads to worse acne and can cause the things which bring people into my plastic surgery office – mainly pigment and scarring issues.

Basic first line product for acne is benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. Benzoyl peroxide is found over the counter in different strengths. You want to avoid irritation to the skin, so more is not better. Start with the lowest strength, 2.5%. Use the product for a few weeks to give it time to work before changing the regimen. Benzoyl peroxide works by adding oxygen into the pore, and the bacteria responsible for acne, Propionbacteria acnes, don’t live in an aerobic environment. When the bacteria numbers are lower, the number of breakouts reduces.

IF acne persists after benzoyl peroxide, you can try other medications under the supervision of a dermatologist.  These include:

AVOID harsh cleansers, alcohol based products, alkaline soaps. Also avoid certain ingredients which may clog pores

LOOK FOR “noncomedogenic” and products for “acne prone skin.”

There are treatments which I can do to try to help with issues resulting from acne. These involve topical things like skin bleachers (hydroquinone) or Retin A, to more invasive treatments like skin resurfacing by chemical peels like the Blue Peel, to surgeries like microfat and nanofat fat transfer surgeries, where I release scars and try to encourage the stem cells to improve the skin. But the best treatment by far? PREVENTION. Be kind, consistent, and gentle to your skin.  If that does not work, seek help from a professional dermatologist.