A growing number of women have acne in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond so the information below is equally relevant to adults as it is in teenagers. Dermatologists are not sure why this is happening. But dermatologists understand that adult acne can be particularly frustrating. Some people chose to let acne run its course, and for the person who has an occasional pimple every now and again this may suffice. However, if you are dealing with mild to severe acne you may want to seek help from one of our board certified dermatologists. Letting moderate to severe, and even mild, acne run its course is not always the best advice. Without treatment dark spots and permanent acne scars can form, which can be detrimental to a person’s self-esteem. We often see this being the case in dermatology. Acne, Rosacea, warts, psoriasis, eczema, and hair loss all tend to damage a person’s self-image. I’ve listed below seven reasons for treating acne earlier rather than later:

1. Faster results with treatment:
1. Regardless of how severe the acne, treatment of the condition always takes time. That said, it does take less time and effort to clear a few pimples than a breakout that could include blackheads, whiteheads, and deep-seated acne cysts. A Pine Belt Dermatology provider can help you find a solution that is optimal for you.
2. Reduce the scars:
1. Acne is bad enough, but when you have to deal with acne scars after dealing with the condition it can be infuriating, even discouraging. Treatment will help reduce the scarring that occurs, especially when the acne condition is severe. Typically, the more severe the acne the worse the scarring. However, even mild acne can result in scarring. This is often the result of the acne being picked at. If the acne is treated early on, it can reduce the chances of forming a habit of picking at the acne.
3. Stop lingering spots from continuing to breakout
1. Anyone who has medium-to-dark colored skin may see a dark spot appear when an acne pimple, cyst, or nodule clears. Dermatologists call this post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. In light skin ethnicities, this can appear in the form of red pigmented spots where the acne once was. These spots can linger for months and some patients have stated they hate the spots worse than the acne itself.
4. Prevent mild acne from becoming severe
1. Preventing mild acne can keep it from spreading and becoming much more of a hassle. Mild acne can progress to severe acne cases. A few untreated pimples can spread to widespread blackheads, whiteheads, and deep, painful acne.
5. Decrease the likelihood of needing stronger treatment
1. When acne becomes severe, strong medicine is needed to see clearing. These medicines have more possible side effects and require close monitoring by a dermatologist. That means more office visits, which also means more time away from your busy schedule.Acne starts at a young age and seems to follow you for well into your early adult years. Dermatologists have actually seen an increase in the number of kids ages 7-to-12 who have moderate to severe acne. Treating acne early and keeping it under control can prevent future breakouts. Today, that can add up to a substantial number of years without acne. Many people have acne into ones 20s. For some adults, acne persists well into their 30s, 40s, and even 50s or 60s. Treat it early if you can. Healthy skin is beautiful skin
6. Boost self-esteem
1. It may sound arbitrary, but studies have shown that there are numerous individuals who say their acne conditions take a toll on their psyche. It can even cause some individuals to withdraw socially. Something interesting to note is that the studies done found that the level of acne severity did not seem to be a factor in whether or not self-esteem was affected.

   Acne is not defined by one type of skin blemish. A person who has acne can have any of the following blemishes: blackheads, whiteheads, cysts, nodules, pustules, and papules. Acne is also not limited to one spot on the body, it can appear on the head, face, neck, back, shoulders, chest, upper arms, and buttocks. So if you struggle with any of the above listed blemishes on any of the listed areas of the body and you can’t seem to get rid of them, I would encourage you to seek help from a PBD provider. We will thoroughly examine your skin, and then grade the severity of your acne. From there we will assess a treatment plan tailored to your acne condition. Despite myths out there, acne treatments do not work overnight and do take time to become effective. So if you, or a loved one, have a lot of acne, cysts, or nodules over the counter medication may not work. If you want to see clearer skin, you should seek help. Pine Belt Dermatology providers offer a few different treatment methods for acne:

• Topical treatments: most acne treatments that are available are topical medications that are applied directly to the skin. There are many topical acne treatments. Some topicals help kill the bacteria. Others work on reducing the oil. The topical medicine may contain a retinoid, prescription-strength benzoyl peroxide, antibiotic, or even salicylic acid. While you may be able to find over the counter medications that claim to work, we can help tailor a treatment plan to the best solution for your severity. Personalized care is our subspecialty!
• Treatments that work throughout the body: Medicine that works throughout the body may be necessary when you have red, swollen types of acne. This type of treatment is usually necessary to treat acne cysts and nodules, and is only available through prescription from a board certified dermatologist. In some instances, more than one of these may be necessary to relieve your acne.
• Antibiotics – these help to reduce inflammation and kill the bacteria involved in the condition.
• Birth control – this can help with acne caused by hormonal changes in women.
• Isotretinoin – this drug is also known as “Accutane” and it is the only treatment that treats all causes of acne. It is only available through a provider’s prescription. Patients using this treatment are closely monitored and have routine check-ups with our providers.
• There are treatments available that are alternatives to medication that Pine Belt Dermatology providers can use as well.
• Lasers – lasers and other light therapies can be used to treat acne by reducing the acnes bacteria causing the condition. To determine if this therapy is appropriate for you, come see myself or one of my associates.
• Chemical peels – these are not available over the counter, and are often used as a cosmetic procedure. However, chemical peels can be very effective against acne. The 2 types that they are most useful for are blackheads and papules.
• Acne surgery – depending on the case, we will perform a procedure called “drainage and extraction” to remove a large acne cyst. This procedure helps when the cyst does not respond to medicine. It also helps ease the pain and reduce the chance that the cyst will leave a scar.

   Waiting for acne to clear on its own can be frustrating. Without treatment, acne can become more severe and cause permanent scars, low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety. Don’t make the struggle with acne harder than it has to be.

   To avoid these possible outcomes, let us help you treat your acne. Dr. Roy’s time is monopolized with skin cancer surgeries. However, all of our other providers are experts at treating mild to severe acne cases (myself, Dr. Conte, Dr. Duff, and Kristen Richardson). When the skin clears, treatment should continue. Treatment prevents new breakouts. A provider at Pine Belt Dermatology can tell you when you no longer need to treat acne to prevent breakouts. We are available at five different locations in Hattiesburg, Petal, Ellisville, Columbia, and Collins, Mississippi. In the event you need our services after hours, while you are out of town, or over the weekend we have Online Dermatology Visits available through our website and mobile app. Kristen Richardson, Dr. Roy, and myself are available on our virtual visitation services. Let us join you on your journey to healthy skin, because healthy skin is beautiful skin! Also, look for upcoming blogs that further discuss the treatment of acne scars!