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Acne is primarily due to the blockage of a pore or oil gland that subsequently becomes inflamed either because of the blockage itself or invasion of skin bacteria. While prominent in the teenage years due to hormonal changes, acne is also seen in all ages as a result of stress or application of acne-forming compounds.

The treatment of acne centers on preventing pore occlusion and reduction of inflammation. Basic acne-fighting ingredients include salicylic acid and glycolic acid to reduce pore occlusion, and benzoyl peroxide to decrease inflammation. Additional acne prevention can be obtained with retinoids and topical/oral antibiotics. Treatment should begin with a basic or advanced skin care regimen. In addition, your physician may prescribe several of the following prescription treatments:

One of the most common questions confronted in dermatology offices amongst patients with acne is how to get rid of acne scarring. This is such an important question because, as acne has its own problems, occasionally the resulting acne scarring can be as cosmetically disturbing as the original acne. Many advances have been made to alleviate the appearance of acne scarring, but no over-the-counter remedies are currently available. The following discussion and suggestions must be carefully reviewed with your experienced dermatologist.

The first step in the treatment of acne scarring is treating the underlying acne. Without an effective anti-acne regimen, treating acne scarring will be futile as more scars will occur despite treatments.
Your regimen may include simple over-the-counter acne care or prescription topicals such as Retin-A or Tazorac. Other treatment options include antibiotics, Blu-Light Photodynamic therapy, and oral isotretinoin therapy. These choices are made between you and your experienced dermatologist.

Acne scarring can be divided into two primary groups: rolling acne scars and ice-pick scars. Rolling scars are best described as hills and valley that are truly accentuated with tangential lighting. Ice-pick scarring is the sharp, deep pitting holes made as if an ice-pick was poked into the skin. The treatment of these two different types of scarring differs in both the methods used and the rate of success.

For rolling scars, there are surgical, ablative, and non-ablative methods to reduce scarring. Surgical methods include subcision treatment where a needle/blade is placed underneath the scar and moved side to side to loosen up the underlying scarred tissue. Another treatment option is using a filler such as Restylane