Dermatologist shares top tips for treating acne

Acne seems to be nature’s cruel joke on society’s most vulnerable or stressed out, according to Las Vegas, Nev., dermatologist H.L. Greenberg, M.D.

“Most teenager’s rite of passage includes some form of acne, as if being a teen weren’t difficult enough. College students might get acne during exam times, women during their menses, and many athletes get it when they don’t clean their skin post working out,” says Dr. Greenberg. “You don’t have to accept that pimple, papule, black head, cyst or boil growing on your skin. Options for acne treatment are plentiful.”

Dr. Greenberg presented his go-to acne treatments at the 11th annual Vegas Cosmetic Surgery and Aesthetic Dermatology multispecialty aesthetic symposium yesterday in Las Vegas.

“In the dermatology clinic, the acne I see can be quite severe,” he says. “I often use a syringe to inject or a blade to incise and drain painful acneiform boils.”

Experience has taught Dr. Greenberg what works and what doesn’t in acne treatment. These are some of his top tips:

His number one tip is to wash acne-prone areas, but medicating and moisturizing are close second and third most recommended treatment approaches.

“In terms of acne treatment tips, at Las Vegas Dermatology, we sell the Clarisonic brush (Pacific Bioscience Laboratories), which I personally use to wash my face in the morning, usually with a foaming cleanser,” Dr. Greenberg says.

Dr. Greenberg says his in-office aestheticians work with patients to review patients’ product regimens. His leading in-office options include in-office facials, blue light therapy and microdermabrasion or chemical peels for both acne treatment and prevention.

“In the past two months, I’ve had three chemical peels, in addition to my usual skincare regimen, and my skin has never felt as glowing and acne-free,” he says.

Those peels included a vitamin C peel and an Illuminize Peel (SkinMedica).

Dr. Greenberg reports no relevant disclosures.