Winning the War Against Acne

If you’re waging war against acne, you’re certainly not alone — acne is the most common skin condition in the United States, affecting up to 50 million people annually. And, like 49,999,999 million others, you appreciate how stubborn acne can be, often ignoring your every effort to regain clear skin.

Instead of spinning your wheels with weak, over-the-counter products, it might be time to enlist the big guns in your war against acne, which you can find here at Z-Roc Dermatology. As skin care experts, Dr. Matthew Zarraga,  Dr. Khongruk Wongkittiroch, and the rest of our team have considerable experience helping clients to stand up to stubborn acne.

Here’s a look at how we can clear your skin of acne.

Acne-fighting medications

One of our frontline treatments for acne is prescription-strength, topical retinoids that stimulate faster skin cell turnover. With topical retinoids, our goal is to clear away damaged skin cells, encourage healthier growth, and decrease the oil content in your skin. This approach is great for blackheads and whiteheads.

If you have active pimples, we may combine the topical retinoid treatment with benzoyl peroxide or azelaic acid, which decrease inflammation in your skin.

For severe acne, we may also place you on an oral antibiotic.

Photodynamic therapy

We’ve had great success clearing away stubborn acne with a cutting-edge treatment called photodynamic therapy (PDT), which uses the power of light to destroy the bacteria that cause acne.

To get started, we apply a photosensitizing agent called aminolevulinic acid to your skin. We leave this agent on your skin overnight to penetrate deep into the tissues.

The next day, you return to our office, and we activate the agent with our intense pulsed light laser. Once activated, the agent destroys unhealthy skin cells and bacteria associated with acne, leaving healthy cells unharmed.

PDT is strong and effective, so we often use it to eliminate precancerous skin cancer lesions. If it’s strong enough for that purpose, imagine what it can do against acne.

Chemical peels

Another great way to address acne is with one of our chemical peels. Using mild to medium acids, we can help strip away the outermost layer of your skin to allow healthier growth underneath to emerge.

This deep exfoliation of your skin also clears your pores, ground zero for acne.

Outside of medications, PDT, and chemical peels, we also offer specialized facials and cleansers that can help you prevent and manage acne.

To determine which approach is best for your acne, we first need to evaluate the extent of the problem to devise a plan of attack. To get started, please contact our office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to set up an appointment.