Table of Contents What Is Acne? How Does Acne Develop? What Causes Acne? Who Gets Acne? Methods of Acne Treatment Blackheads, Whiteheads, and Mild      Inflammatory Acne Treatment Moderate to Severe Inflammatory Acne Treatment Severe Nodular or Cystic Acne Treatment Hormonally Influenced Acne Treatment in Women Other Acne Treatments Skin Care and Acne Treatment What Research Is Being Done on Acne? Keeping on top of Your Condition

Other Acne Treatments

Doctors may use other types of procedures in addition to drug therapy to treat patients with acne. For example, the doctor may remove the patient's comedones during office visits. Sometimes the doctor will inject cortisone directly into lesions to help reduce the size and pain of inflamed cysts and nodules.

Early treatment is the best way to prevent acne scars. Once scarring has occurred, the doctor may suggest a medical or surgical procedure to help reduce the scars. A superficial laser may be used to treat irregular scars. Another kind of laser allows energy to go deeper into the skin and tighten the underlying tissue and plump out depressed scars. Dermabrasion (or microdermabrasion), which is a form of "sanding down" scars, is sometimes combined with the subsurface laser treatment. Another treatment option for deep scars caused by cystic acne is the transfer of fat from one part of the body to the face.