Acne Treatment for Teens & Adults

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, acne is the most common skin condition in the United States, with up to 50 million Americans affected yearly. Acne starts for many in early adolescence, caused by hormone changes during puberty. Although many associate breakouts with their teenage years, acne can persist or develop in adulthood. Luckily, a host of different acne treatment options are available for patients of every age at Dr. Michele Green’s private dermatology office in NYC. Whether you struggle with persistent blackheads or severe breakouts of pimples, Dr. Green can help you achieve and maintain a healthy, smooth, clear complexion.

Acne is a medical skin condition that occurs when excess oil and dead skin cells cause blockage and inflammation of oil glands at the base of hair follicles. Breakouts may occur anywhere on the body where there are oil glands but can be most commonly found in the face, chest, and back. The fastest way to get rid of adult and teenage acne is by consulting an experienced dermatologist who can recommend a personalized combination of over-the-counter skincare products, topical creams and oral prescription medications, and in-office acne treatment options. Skincare products for treating pimples should contain active ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, retinoids, and salicylic acid. Depending on the patient’s needs and the type of acne they have, acne treatments with a dermatologist like Dr. Green may include chemical peels, laser treatments, HydraFacials, and acne surgery.

Dr. Michele Green is an internationally renowned board-certified dermatologist with over two and a half decades of experience providing her patients worldwide with the best non-invasive treatment options available, including acne scar and acne treatment. Castle Connolly, Super Doctors, and New York Magazine consistently identify Dr. Green as one of NYC’s best dermatologists for her dedication to her patients and expertise. When you consult with Dr. Green regarding your acne treatment, she will work with you to create a customized treatment plan that best suits your specific needs and goals.

What is the best acne treatment for teens?

A board-certified dermatologist, such as Dr. Michele Green in NYC, can develop a carefully curated acne treatment plan to help your teenager achieve and maintain smooth, clear, healthy skin. Dr. Green often recommends a unique combination of topical treatment options, prescription medications, and in-office procedures, depending on the needs of each patient and the type of acne present. During an initial consultation with Dr. Green regarding acne treatment, she will collect a thorough medical history, evaluate the current skin condition, and review your skincare routine. A blood sample may be collected and sent to the laboratory to evaluate for hormone changes that may be contributing to the breakouts. Dr. Green will then recommend the acne treatments best suited to your skin condition. Teenage patients that primarily struggle with a type of acne called comedones, including blackheads and whiteheads, may be able to successfully clear their acne through the use of the right over-the-counter skincare products and topical creams. However, patients with more severe acne breakouts typically require prescription medications, such as oral antibiotics or isotretinoin, to achieve long-lasting clear skin.

What are the best acne products for teenage boys and girls?

Acne products can help teenagers manage breakouts and develop a proper skincare routine. Using the right active ingredients can make all the difference in eliminating teenage acne. Dr. Michele Green in NYC is a board-certified dermatologist with over 25 years of experience treating acne and has carefully developed the MGSKINLABS, Inc. Acne Kit for teenage and adult patients struggling with breakouts. The Acne Kit from MGSKINLABs, Inc. consists of a carefully formulated three-step system designed to eliminate pimples and minimize the appearance of pores. The first step is the Pore Minimizing cleanser, which contains the active ingredients glycolic and salicylic acid, perfect for eliminating breakouts. These two active ingredients work by gently exfoliating the skin’s surface, reducing redness and inflammation associated with acne breakouts, and breaking down excess oil to clear up pimples. The Retexturizing Pads provide at-home peel benefits, exfoliating away dead skin cells and keeping the pores from becoming clogged to prevent acne breakouts. Finally, the Acne Spot Treatment containing benzoyl peroxide should be applied to any active acne lesions. Benzoyl peroxide works by killing acne-causing bacteria, and it also unclogs pores. This targeted skincare regimen has benefited countless individuals looking to clear their adult or teenage acne. In addition to these acne products, Differin is a highly effective over-the-counter topical treatment that is great for teens and adults. Differin is a retinoid skincare product. It is a vitamin A derivative that treats pimples by increasing the skin cell turnover rate and exfoliating dead skin cells from the skin’s surface. It is important to consult with Dr. Green before adding a retinoid acne product into your skincare routine, as it can irritate those with sensitive skin.

Of course, during your acne treatment consultation with Dr. Green at her private dermatology office in Manhattan’s Upper East Side neighborhood, you will have the opportunity to discuss your medical history and skin concerns thoroughly. She will then work with you to create a customized skincare protocol incorporating the right topical treatments and acne products to provide you with a healthy, clear, smooth complexion that lasts.

How to find the right dermatologist for teenage acne

For many teenagers, pimples and breakouts lead to feelings of self-consciousness and low self-esteem. In some cases, pimples can lead to acne scarring, which can be even more difficult to treat than the acne itself. If you have a family history of acne, have inflammatory types of acne that have started to lead to the development of acne scars, or have acne that is persistent or unresponsive to over-the-counter treatments, you should consult with an experienced board-certified dermatologist, such as Dr. Michele Green in NYC. Dr. Green has over two and a half decades of experience treating acne scars and breakouts and will work with you to eliminate your teenage acne once and for all, preventing acne scarring and restoring self-confidence. Consult with Dr. Green anytime to learn more about how to keep your skin healthy and radiant.

How to treat teenage blackheads

A blackhead is an acne lesion with an opening at the skin’s surface. The exposure to the air gives blackheads their dark color, as the buildup of sebum and dead skin cells is oxidized. Blackheads can often be successfully treated through the use of the right topical creams and skincare products. Using a retinoid acne product, such as Differin, is an effective way to keep excess oil and dead skin cells from clogging the skin’s pores and forming blackheads. Differin is a vitamin A derivative that increases the rate of skin cell turnover, exfoliating the skin’s surface layers to keep it healthy, smooth, and clear. In addition to acne products such as Differin, HydraFacial is an ideal acne treatment option for blackheads.

HydraFacial is a medical-grade hydradermabrasion treatment that deeply cleanses, gently exfoliates and intensely nourishes the skin. Hydrafacial is an excellent acne treatment for blackheads because it is equipped with innovative vortex fusion technology that is exceptional for extracting sebum and debris in the pores and exfoliating away dead skin cells. The infusion of antioxidants, vitamins, and peptides that follows the cleansing and exfoliating steps helps enhance the skin’s natural protective barrier, promoting clean, healthy, smooth skin that lasts. Patients with blackheads typically benefit from a short series of three initial Hydrafacial treatments; each spaced one month apart.

How to treat adult and teen acne

The most effective acne treatment for any patient varies depending on the type of acne the patient presents with and the underlying factors contributing to the breakouts. Depending on what causes their acne and the type of acne present, recommended treatment options may include oral antibiotics (such as doxycycline, minocycline, and tetracycline), topical creams, oral contraceptives (birth control pills), chemical peels, laser treatments, and HydraFacials. During your acne treatment consultation with Dr. Green, you will determine which combination of in-office treatments, acne medications, and skin care products is best suited to clearing your skin.

• Acne surgery is an in-office acne treatment performed by an experienced dermatologist, such as Dr. Michele Green in NYC. The procedure involves opening active pimples, extracting the excess oil and debris, and injecting intralesional cortisone to reduce inflammation.
• Chemical peels are an excellent acne treatment because they work by exfoliating away dead skin cells, which keeps pores clear. Dr. Green often uses trichloroacetic acid to perform chemical peel acne treatments. TCA peels stimulate increased skin cell turnover, resulting in a clear, healthy, smooth complexion.
• Dapsone is a topical acne treatment that your dermatologist may prescribe for mild or moderate acne breakouts. Dapsone, known by its brand name Aczone, reduces the amount of acne-causing bacteria on the skin. This helps to eliminate acne lesions and clear up the complexion.
• Winlevi is a topical acne treatment for men and women that reduces breakouts by regulating sebum production. Winlevi contains the medicine clascoterone, an androgen receptor inhibitor, which blocks hormones in the skin from producing excess oil. By preventing excess oil production, Winlevi helps prevent and treat acne breakouts and keeps the pores unclogged.
• Clindamycin and erythromycin are topical antibiotic creams that treat acne by killing acne-causing bacteria and reducing inflammation associated with breakouts.
• Retinoids and retinoid-like products, such as adapalene, tretinoin, and retin-a, are a class of skincare products derived from vitamin A. Retinoids work as an acne product by exfoliating dead skin cells from the top layers of the skin. Dead skin cells, sebum, and debris are sloughed away at an increased rate, preventing the material from becoming trapped within the pores and causing acne breakouts. Retinoids are available over-the-counter or in prescription strength.
• Oral antibiotics like doxycycline, minocycline, and tetracycline may be prescribed to help clear persistent breakouts or more severe acne. The medication works by preventing the growth of acne-causing bacteria to eliminate existing breakouts.
• Isotretinoin, more commonly known by its brand name Accutane, is an oral vitamin A that regulates oil production in the skin’s sebaceous glands. This acne treatment option used to be reserved for cases of severe acne, such as nodules and cystic acne. However, it has since been expanded to treat all types of acne.
• Birth control pills may be recommended for female patients experiencing acne due to fluctuations in hormone levels. Birth control pills are used to manage hormonal acne breakouts by regulating your hormonal cycle. The FDA has approved oral contraceptives to treat women with hormonal acne. Two popular brands of birth control pills to treat acne are Yaz and Ortho Tri-Cyclen, which combine estrogen and progestin. Some potential side effects of birth control pills are weight gain, nausea, mood swings, and an increased risk of blood clots.
• Spironolactone is a prescription medication that treats acne by regulating androgen hormone levels. Androgens are male sex hormones in males and females closely linked to oil production. When there are increased levels of androgen hormones, or hormone levels fluctuate, oil production can increase, and breakouts can occur. Spironolactone is an oral prescription medication reserved for females, as it can cause unwanted side effects in males. Spironolactone is often prescribed to treat hormonal acne in patients with an underlying hormonal imbalance, such as patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

What are ways to avoid teenage pimples?

Washing your skin with a cleanser suited to your skin type and the type of acne you have is one of the best ways to prevent teenage pimples. Other important considerations for avoiding teenage acne include showering promptly after exercise, keeping hair clean and away from the face, and avoiding popping or picking at any pimples. During puberty and adolescence, androgen hormones fluctuate, and some breakouts may unfortunately be inevitable. Consulting with a board-certified dermatologist like Dr. Green is the best way to determine what is causing your breakouts and how to manage them properly. Dr. Green has over two and a half decades of experience treating patients from around the world for adult and teenage acne, as well as acne scarring. When you consult with Dr. Green, she will work with you to develop a personalized acne treatment plan that best suits your skin condition so that you can achieve and maintain healthy, smooth, clear skin that lasts.

Can you use a benzoyl peroxide cleanser for teenage acne?

Yes, benzoyl peroxide is an effective active ingredient that can be found in many different skincare products to target acne, including cleansers and spot treatments. Benzoyl peroxide is an excellent skincare ingredient for treating inflammatory types of acne, such as pustules and papules. This ingredient works by killing acne-causing bacteria and drying up the excess oil within the pores, clearing breakouts and preventing new pimples from forming.

Should you use retinol for teenage acne?

Retinol, retinoids, and retin-a are topical derivatives of vitamin A that exfoliate dead skin cells from the skin’s surface, inhibiting the growth of the skin bacteria that causes acne breakouts. Teenage acne can often be treated using various topicals, and a retinoid product can be very beneficial for certain types of acne, like blackheads and whiteheads. Retinol can be a strong product for teenage skin, and Dr. Green recommends using adapalene for teenage acne instead. Adapalene is available over the counter as a skincare product called Differin. Differin is a retinoid product that is effective yet gentle enough not to cause skin irritation with regular use. It is important to consult with an experienced board-certified dermatologist, such as Dr. Michele Green in NYC, before adding skincare products to your daily regimen to ensure their safety and efficacy for your skin type. Teenage patients with severe acne, such as nodules and cystic acne, may not benefit as much from incorporating additional topical creams into their skincare routine. These severe types of acne form deep below the skin’s surface, where topical treatments may not penetrate them. Instead, other interventions are often recommended, such as oral antibiotics or isotretinoin.

Should I take my teen to the dermatologist for acne?

Yes! Not only can acne breakouts significantly impact one’s self-esteem, especially during teenage years, but they can also leave behind acne scars. Acne scars can often be even more challenging to treat than the initial breakouts themselves. While it is possible to reduce the appearance of existing acne scars, the underlying skin tissue is permanently damaged when scarring occurs. It is best to receive prompt and appropriate acne treatment to prevent acne scarring in the first place. An experienced board-certified dermatologist, such as Dr. Michele Green in NYC, can work with you to eliminate teenage acne and provide a smooth, healthy, clear complexion that lasts.

What skincare should a teenager use?

A proper skincare routine can help promote skin health and prevent breakouts, which is important for teenagers and adults. Individuals of any age should utilize skincare products suited to their skin type, containing active ingredients for their skin concerns.

Face washes for teenage acne should include active ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) that is a powerful ingredient against comedonal acne, such as whiteheads and blackheads. Salicylic acid is oil-soluble and works against acne by gently chemically exfoliating the skin. Since it is oil-soluble, salicylic acid can penetrate deep within the pores and break up clogged sebum and debris. Benzoyl peroxide is an excellent skincare ingredient for treating inflamed types of acne, such as pustules and papules. This ingredient kills bacteria on the skin that contributes to the development of acne and drying up the excess sebum within the pores. Exfoliating once to twice a week with a chemical exfoliant will help remove dead skin cells from the skin’s surface, which can later clog pores and create pimples.

Non-comedogenic, oil-free moisturizers and sunscreens are recommended for patients with acne-prone skin and will help prevent blemishes. Patients with oily skin types may prefer moisturizers and sunscreens in a lotion formula, whereas those with dry skin may prefer to use richer cream formulas.

When you consult with board-certified dermatologist Dr. Michele Green at her private office in Manhattan’s Upper East Side neighborhood, you will have the opportunity to discuss your specific skin concerns and medical history. Dr. Green will then evaluate your skin condition and work with you to create a personalized skincare routine that incorporates acne products best suited to your needs.

How to prevent teen acne

A consistent skincare routine, including non-comedogenic acne products, can help teens take control of their breakouts. Remember to shower immediately after exercising and keep your hair clean and away from your face. Additionally, do not pick at any breakouts- especially cysts! Attempting to pop pimples can exacerbate inflammation and lead to acne scarring. Instead, consult with an experienced board-certified dermatologist like Dr. Michele Green in NYC. Dr. Green is an expert in acne treatment and can work with you to clear your breakouts and restore your self-confidence.

How to prevent adult acne

Adult acne typically requires stronger intervention methods, such as oral prescription medications, than teenage acne. Women are more likely than men to suffer from adult acne due to hormone changes. The first step in treating adult acne is always a consultation with Dr. Green at her private dermatology office in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Dr. Green has over two and a half decades of experience in acne scar and acne treatment and will work with you to determine what is causing your adult acne breakouts. Determining which underlying factors contribute to your acne is important to treat it properly. Dr. Green will physically evaluate your skin condition, collect a thorough medical history, and likely order blood tests to evaluate for any underlying health conditions that may influence the presence of your pimples. By identifying what is causing your acne, Dr. Green can customize your acne treatment plan to suit your needs best and eliminate your adult acne so that you can have the long-lasting, healthy, smooth, clear skin of your dreams.

How to get started with acne treatment

Acne, although an incredibly common skin condition, can cause feelings of self-consciousness and low self-esteem for those who suffer from it. Additionally, untreated breakouts often result in acne scarring, which can be even more difficult to treat than the acne itself. Luckily, many acne treatment options are available for patients of every age and skin type at Dr. Michele Green’s private dermatology office in Manhattan’s Upper East Side neighborhood.

When it comes to understanding your skin and getting the best possible acne treatment, the first step is consulting with an experienced board-certified dermatologist like Dr. Michele Green in NYC. Dr. Green has over two and a half decades of experience providing her patients from around the globe with the best non-invasive treatment options available, including for acne and acne scars. She is consistently identified as one of NYC’s best dermatologists by Castle Connolly, New York Magazine, and Super Doctors for her dedication to her patients and expertise. When you consult with Dr. Green regarding your acne treatment, she will work with you to create a customized treatment plan that incorporates a unique combination of specially formulated skincare products, in-office procedures, and topical and oral prescription medications to help you achieve and maintain a healthy, smooth, clear complexion. To begin the best acne treatment and schedule a consultation with Dr. Green, contact us online or call the NYC-based office at 212-535-3088.