It’s that time of year again, when students head back to school. Unfortunately, this season often brings with it acne flares for high school and college students, pimples and blackheads that accompany books and laptops! Acne is a chronic skin condition that involves the face, neck, chest and back. The sebaceous glands in these areas become overactive, often stimulated by the hormonal changes of puberty. Acne cannot be cured, but there are many treatments available. It can be discouraging for students who might have had their acne under excellent control during the summer months to suddenly find that their acne … Continue reading »
Acne is the most common skin condition affecting as many as 80% of Americans during their lifetime. It’s most often thought of as a condition of adolescence, but it’s remarkable just how many women and some men in their 20s, 30s and beyond suffer from continued outbreaks. While our dermatologists have seen improvements in the treatment of acne over the last decades, with the development of topical tretinoin, benzoyl peroxide, topical antibiotics, oral antibiotics, hormonal therapy, and Accutane, many of our patients are still not happy with the options available. They desire effective natural treatments with no side effects. With … Continue reading »
Acne is one of the most common skin conditions that affect our patients. Actually 40-50 million people suffer from acne annually in the US. As dermatologists, we evaluate and treat patients with acne in the Boston area multiple times a day. Fortunately, we have many effective acne treatments at our disposal, including three recently-launched topical ones. Dr. Prasanthi Kandula, who has used these innovative acne treatments with good results, shares how they differ from existing ones. A quick overview of acne and common treatments Acne is commonly thought of as a problem in adolescence, but we often see acne persist … Continue reading »
Many of our patients at SkinCare Physicians ask if they should change their diet to help improve their acne. Fortunately, there have been many studies looking at possible links between diet and acne. SkinCare Physicians’ Dr. Tania Phillips sheds some light on which foods to avoid and which foods can help. Foods to avoid High glycemic foods – sugar, white bread, white pasta, and other simple carbohydrates: A study published in July 2018 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that diets containing a lot of foods with a high glycemic foods were strongly linked to acne. … Continue reading »
Pregnancy comes with a lot of changes including in the medications you can take. Here is what you should know about acne treatments while pregnant. The forbidden acne medications during pregnancy Some medications should not be taken during pregnancy. These include: Isotretinoin Spironolactone Tazarotene Antibiotics such as doxycycline, minocycline, and tetracycline Not recommended acne treatments during pregnancy Most experts recommend stopping the following treatments: Topical retinoids including adapalene and tretinoin creams. Topical dapsone, brand-name aczone. While dapsone has not caused birth defects in animal studies, physicians would not recommend it during pregnancy as research data is limited (researchers tend not … Continue reading »
Acne … there are different varieties of it, but even the smallest breakouts can affect how we view ourselves and interact with others. Many of us have been dealing with acne since we were teenagers, but I do see patients who experience sudden breakouts in their late 20’s and early 30’s. It seems that we go into a panic when we breakout: we buy the latest breakthrough product or spend hundreds of dollars on prescriptions and treatments that we hope will be the answer. The trick to it all is using the RIGHT products and treatments that work for you. … Continue reading »
As children enter adolescence, the majority of them will develop some degree of acne. It can be quite a burden, often affecting young peoples’ self-esteem and their ability to interact with others. In the most severe cases, acne causes permanent scarring. Dr. Laurel Morton of SkinCare Physicians is pleased to share some good news: acne is a very treatable condition! But first, let’s dispel two really important myths. Teen acne myth #1: Acne is caused by dirt and results when the skin is not washed frequently enough. It’s unclear where this myth originated, but the fact is that acne is … Continue reading »
You’ve gotten your acne under control and now you are ready to get rid of the acne scars. What are your options? Depending on the type and severity of acne scar, there is a variety of treatments that can help. Skin discoloration from acne Brown discoloration from acne usually goes away on its own, but sometimes it can take a while. To speed things up, these brown spots can be lightened with daily topical application of bleaching agents such as hydroquinone or kojic acid. It’s important not to forget to apply sunscreen with an SPF 30 regularly to avoid these … Continue reading »
It seems so unfair, but it is true. Many people I see for BOTOX and fillers at SkinCare Physicians also complain about acne. Don’t despair, solutions exist to treat adult acne. Adult acne affects 25% of men and 50% of women at some time in their adult lives. Just last week, I saw a woman who had clear skin as a teenager, and now at the age of 32 started to have painful blemishes on her chin and upper back. Later in the day, I saw a 41 year old man who started to break out at age 12, and … Continue reading »
