Understanding Acne
Acne is one of the most common skin conditions we treat - affecting adolescents, adults with hormonal fluctuations, and patients prone to inflammatory or cystic breakouts. Dr. Parth Patel builds personalized plans that combine the right topicals, oral medications, and procedures for your skin type and acne severity.
Why Does Acne Occur?
Acne develops when excess oil (sebum), dead skin cells, and bacteria combine inside hair follicles, triggering inflammation. Three factors drive most breakouts:
- Hormones during adolescence - puberty raises androgen levels, which increases oil production and pore-clogging.
- Monthly hormonal fluctuations - many women experience flares tied to their menstrual cycle.
- Genetics - inherited differences in oil-gland activity and skin-cell turnover make some people more acne-prone than others.
Common Types of Acne
Acne presents along a spectrum - from mild non-inflammatory comedones to deep, painful cystic lesions. Identifying the type guides the treatment plan.
Blackheads
Open comedones - pores clogged with oil and dead skin that oxidize to a dark appearance at the surface.
Whiteheads
Closed comedones - clogged pores capped with a thin layer of skin, appearing as small white or flesh-toned bumps.
Papules & Pustules
Inflammatory acne - small red bumps (papules) and pus-filled lesions (pustules) caused by bacteria and inflammation.
Cysts & Nodules
Severe acne - large, deep, painful pus-filled lesions that often heal with scarring if not aggressively treated.
Fungal Acne
Less common - uniform itchy bumps caused by yeast overgrowth in follicles. Treated with topical or oral anti-fungals, not standard acne medications.
Acne Treatment Options
Treatment is matched to acne type, severity, and skin tolerance. Dr. Parth Patel typically combines two or three of the approaches below to target oil, bacteria, and inflammation at the same time.
Unclogging Pores
Topical retinoids (tretinoin, adapalene, retinol) normalize skin-cell turnover; salicylic and glycolic acid keratolytics dissolve the plug at the surface.
Killing Bacteria
Benzoyl peroxide reduces C. acnes bacteria; topical and short-course oral antibiotics calm moderate-to-severe inflammation.
Hormonal Therapy
For hormonally driven acne in women - oral contraceptives or spironolactone lower the androgen signal that drives oil production.
Isotretinoin
An oral medication for severe, scarring, or treatment-resistant acne. Shrinks oil glands over a ~6-month course with monthly monitoring.
In-office salicylic, glycolic, or TCA peels clear active breakouts and fade post-inflammatory pigment between flares.
Procedural Adjuncts
Intralesional steroid injections flatten painful cysts within 24-48 hours; comedone extractions clear stubborn blackheads.
