Acne Treatment
Our Board-certified dermatologists provide effective acne treatment, tailored to your skin type and lifestyle. With the latest training, technologies, and products, the team at Coastal Skin and Eye Institute in San Diego helps patients, from teen to mature, enjoy clearer skin.
Our philosophy is to begin with the least aggressive methods that get results. In many cases, patients simply need the correct daily skin care regimen of high-quality products such as SkinResource.MDâ products for troubled skin.
How do you create a personalized treatment plan?
Treatment begins with a thorough examination and analysis of your skin type and problem areas. Your Coastal Skin and Eye Institute clinician will devote time to understand your concerns and goals. Together, we will discuss what might be causing your acne flare-ups.
Treatment will help to clear the skin, prevent new breakouts, and reduce the risk of scarring. Combination therapy has been found to be more effective in treating acne than monotherapy.
What are the treatment options for severe acne?
Advanced treatments are offered when a patient has severe acne and needs to get it under control with customized protocols that may include:
- Extraction or exfoliation for whitehead and blackheads.
- Draining large pimples or cysts.
- Prescription topical medications – antibiotics or retinoids.
- Oral antibiotics or retinoids.
- Laser and light therapies.
- Laser skin resurfacing, dermabrasion, or dermal fillers to improve acne scarring.
Topical treatments
Topical retinoids, such as OTC tretinoin called Differinâ or prescription Retin-A® normalize skin cell turnover and prevent clogged pores. Oral or topical antibiotics kill the bacteria, decrease inflammation, and reduce oil production. Topical benzoyl peroxide or clindamycin, and oral doxycycline are common medications used for this purpose.
For women suffering from hormonal acne, birth control pills or hormonal IUDs may be considered. Accutane® or isotretinoin may be prescribed for patients with severe nodular acne.
Office procedures to treat acne
In addition to prescriptions medications, available office treatments to treat acne include:
- Chemical peels exfoliate dead skin cells and can open pores and reduce acne and acne scarring. Periodic freshening skin peels boost you skin’s condition with minimal downtime.
- Dermabrasion
- Laser skin resurfacing
- Injected steroids can reduce inflammation in painful cystic acne to reduce inflammation and help to prevent scarring.
- Light therapies kill the bacteria known as Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes). P. acnes are found in the oil glands and cause acne. Light therapy effectively treat the causes of acne. The skin absorbs the light energy. Bacteria are killed and the oil glands shrink minimizing the likelihood of future breakouts. No downtime is needed following this treatment
- Microneedling
- Intense Pulsed light (IPL)
- Dermal fillers
- Punch excision
What are the treatments for acne scarring?
Scarring, especially on your face, neck, back and chest can cause embarrassment and distress and affect your self-esteem and confidence. Scarring is a natural part of the healing process. However, scar tissue is thicker and less flexible than the rest of your skin, which can cause tension and puckering of the skin around scar. How you heal depends on your age, genetics, skin color and health. Treatments depend on the type of scar.
Options include:
- laser skin resurfacing
- non-ablative laser can help rebuild collagen and smooth the skin
- chemical peels
- dermabrasion
- microneedling
- injection therapy
- cryotherapy
- acne scar surgery
- dermal fillers
- radiofrequency skin tightening can make scars less noticeable
Coastal Skin & Eye Institute provides a comprehensive range of acne treatment options for patients in Carmel Valley, Encinitas, and Grossmont. Our dermatologists tailor treatment plans to each patient’s needs, using methods such as topical and oral medications, chemical peels, and light therapy. We focus on addressing the root causes of acne, ensuring effective and long-term management. Rely on our medical dermatology team for expert and personalized acne care to achieve clearer, healthier skin.
