Acne and Acne Rosacea
Acne Treatment in Youngstown
Acne vulgaris (common acne) is among the most common skin problems for which people seek dermatological consultation. While some may believe that acne is just an issue for teenagers, acne can occur adults in as well. There is no “cure” for acne, however medical therapy can be quite effective in reducing or eliminating breakouts.
Acne is often broken down into four types.
Type I acne presents with primarily comedones (blackheads). There is little or no redness or inflammation.
Type II consists of the presence of both comedones and small superficial pustular lesions (zits). This can leave some marking, but generally doesn’t scar.
Type III presents with comedones, superficial pustules and red tender inflammatory lesions. Scarring can occur with this type of acne and early aggressive therapy is often required if significant scarring is to be prevented. A dermatologist can be of considerable usefulness in managing this type of acne.
Type IV acne is called acne conglobata. It consists of all types of lesions described above, but the level of inflammation is severe with large painful cystic lesions with invariable and extensive scarring. The highest level of professional care should be sought to deal with this problem. Aggressive medical management is a prerequisite if significant destructive scarring is to be prevented.
Therapy for all types of acne is readily available and quite effective. If you have a complexion problem and do not seem to be improving as expected, it may be in your best interest to see a dermatologist.
Acne Rosacea
Acne rosacea is a chronic skin condition usually seen in adults. Patients with mild cases of rosacea report symptoms such as redness (ruddiness or flushing) or pimples (whiteheads or pustules) on the central portion of the face. Severe cases of rosacea can lead to conditions such as an enlarged nose (rhinophyma) or numerous enlarged blood vessels on the face. At Lloyd Dermatology Center, there are a number of options for treatment of this condition including medical therapy and laser treatments.
Rhinophyma – Severe Acne Rosacea
Rhinophyma is a severe form of acne rosacea leading to an enlarged nose, which occurs most commonly in men. This condition can be surgically treated using lasers currently available at our facility. This procedure can be performed in our office in approximately 45-90 minutes and involves only minimal pain. The skin is normally resurfaced in 10-14 days from the surgery and a complete recovery is expected in 4 to 6 weeks.
The above photos demonstrate the treatment of a patient with severe rhinophyma. The Merrimack carbon dioxide laser was initially used in the cutting mode (as a scalpel) to remove the tumor from the nose. This technique allows large amounts of tissue to be removed quickly in a relatively bloodless field.
By superimposing photographs of the patient taken before the onset of rhinophyma, the physician can visualize the original image and resculpt the nose close to its original contours with the Sharplan SilkTouch laser. This enables the physician to reshape and smooth the skin without leaving sharp lines of demarcation.
Rhinophyma before and immediately after treatment
(Note the striking increase in the size of the air passages in the bottom photo as compared to the photo taken before the surgery).