Teenagers commonly get acne, a condition of the skin where the hair follicles on the face become blocked with sebum and dead skin cells, with the result being skin on the face, and even upper body and back, can develop places of redness, blackheads and pimples. Acne is thought to occur if a genetic history is apparent, or with the onset of puberty. Inflammation, stress, overactive sebaceous glands and bacteria in the pores are also thought to be linked to acne. It typically subsides when the person reaches their second decade, but may continue on into adulthood. There are some adult conditions that can cause acne as well, such as pregnancy, polycystic ovary syndrome and even menopause. For those with acne living in Long Beach, California, happily there are Long Beach skin doctors, called dermatologists, who offer effective acne treatment in Long Beach.

Acne treatment options will be discussed with you by your dermatologist, who can provide a range of treatments so that you will receive a treatment customized to your skin's specific needs. Treatments may work in one or more ways, which can include normalizing the pores so that blockages will less likely occur, killing bacteria that can cause acne, reducing inflammation and manipulating hormone levels that can work to cause acne. Your physician may select one or more of these types of treatments in order to customize your skin care plan.

Some of the treatments available that can be effective include proper washing of the skin and skin care, use of products like creams that contain benzoyl peroxide, and topical or oral antibiotics are used to get acne under control. Hormonal treatments may help female patients with acne, and your physician will perform blood tests to see if this would be effective for you. With physician discretion, intralesional steroid application may be used in some cases. Topical retinoids can be used to regulate the lifecycle of the hair follicle cell, and may be effective in some cases, although they can also irritate the skin. Oral retinoids may also be advised for acne, although blood tests are used to determine if this will work for a patient. Anti-inflammatories and sulfur may also be used in the treatment of acne. Physicians may also offer dermabrasion, which is a light sanding of the top layer of skin, most often performed as a laser treatment to minimize scarring caused by acne. Certain types of phototherapy may also help certain types of acne.

You will want to discuss treatment options with Long Beach skin doctors, who can professionally advise you on your best course of action for acne solutions.