All Your Acne Questions Answered by Top Dermatologist Dr. Ellen Marmur
When it comes to acne, it's nearly impossible not to feel frustrated.
Stubborn blemishes can last for weeks and lower your confidence, but it's not completely hopeless. While dealing with acne can seem confusing and feel like a never-ending battle, there are things you can do to clear your blemishes and prevent them altogether. To answer all of your biggest acne questions, we spoke with a leading dermatologist, Dr. Ellen Marmur.
(via Unsplash)
Dr. Marmur is an award-winning, board-certified dermatologist and acne specialist. Since 2012, she has run her own private practice, Marmur Medical, and formulated her own skincare line. Keep reading below to hear what she had to say about determining your acne type, treating acne and more.
Sweety High: What are the main causes of acne?
Dr. Marmur: Acne is typically a result of hormonal changes like puberty, pregnancy, menstrual periods, stress or the use of some types of birth control pills. Genetics can also contribute to the amount of acne you may have. Classically, acne has a four-pronged causation based on sebum, bacteria, keratin and inflammation. Acne can also occur when your pores get clogged, which can be a result of excessive sweating, humid climates and touching your face frequently.
SH: How can you tell what type of acne you have?
Dr. Marmur: Blackheads and whiteheads, also referred to as comedonal acne, usually heal without any scarring. Papules and pustules are from inflammation and typically leave reddish or dark marks that fade as time passes. Nodulocystic acne can be severe and has a longer-lasting impact, which can be seen through textural scarring, dents and pits. It's important to note that you can have multiple forms of acne all at once.
Also read about: How Lissy Kotter's Lifelong Struggle With Acne Inspired Her Popular Brand, Lissy Skincare
SH: What are some ways to treat and prevent scarring from acne?
Dr. Marmur: To treat and prevent scarring from acne, treat acne when you first get your breakouts. If you have nodulocystic acne, you should try to go to the dermatologist as early as you can. The earlier on you get the proper treatment, the less scarring you will get from this stubborn acne. Wearing sunscreen and refraining from picking can also help reduce the contrast between scarred and unscarred skin.
SH: How should you treat different types of acne?
Dr. Marmur: Each type of acne may require a different type of treatment and it is vital to see a dermatologist. To treat comedonal acne (blackheads and whiteheads), a benzoyl peroxide face wash will do the job. For papules and pustules, acne products with either salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide work great as a treatment. Nodulocystic acne and cysts are not as easy to treat, so it is recommended that you see a dermatologist to get the proper treatment you need.
In addition, blue light helps to target and kill acne bacteria, and when used with red light frequencies, it can help scarring and hyperpigmentation, which is often caused by acne. All types of acne can benefit from LED devices, but each specific case may need to be treated differently and potentially in conjunction with topicals, oral medication, etc.
My favorite at-home LED device is the FDA-cleared, MMSphere2Go. This is a first-in-class FDA-cleared device for fine lines, wrinkles and breakouts that offers consumers at-home and travel-friendly access to skincare and powerful regenerative light therapy benefits, traditionally offered only in doctors' offices. MMSphere2Go is clinically proven to reverse your skin's age by four years based on AI photo analysis, offering the fullest spectrum of nine energy settings of six different therapeutic wavelengths (blue, red, purple, green and amber plus infrared). It uses photobiomodulation therapy to activate the mitochondria in the skin cells to promote all of the things our skin needs: new collagen, new elastin, rich antioxidants, more regenerative energy and reduced inflammation. In addition, it has wellness benefits, such as promoting sleep and reducing anxiety. Just recently, MMSkincare's novel photodynamic system was published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, showing that the MMSphere LED activates ingredients in the serums to boost the good results on the skin.
Interested in more skincare? Click HERE to see the best products our beauty editors tried in June 2024.