Diagnosis
You at home can diagnose acne by yourself. However, it is advisable to go to the skin doctor or dermatologist for better diagnosis through a physical examination. When you consult your dermatologist, he/she may ask you information regarding your breakouts, questions like when these acnes occurred, and how long you've had them. Your dermatologist may also need to know about your medical history, so that they can figure out whether or not, your current medication is causing or aggravating acne.
Your doctor may also want you to go through a blood test so that they can see whether an imbalance in your hormone levels are causing acne or not. Depending on the severity of your acne, your dermatologist will make a treatment plan accordingly.
Treatment
- You can easily find medications to reduce acne, however, you should only take what your dermatologist prescribes. They might prescribe you retinoids, which are vitamin A tablets and antibiotics that will help to kill skin bacteria and reduce infection.
- Your doctor may also ask you to use oral medications to treat and prevent acne from happening.
- Recent studies have shown that therapies like chemical peels, light therapy, and steroidal injections are highly beneficial in treating acne.
- Reduce your outing when the sun is at its peak. Even if you go, make sure you apply sunscreen before you go out, as direct sunlight can adversely affect your skin.
- Lessen the usage of cosmetics on your skin. Only buy cosmetics after reading the composition.
- Also, reduce skin scrubbing as it increases itching and dryness on the skin.
- Moderate your consumption of oily foods.
- Make sure you drink at least 7-8 glasses of water, as staying hydrated will keep your skin hydrated.