Beauty...
Be your own
kind of beautiful
Be your own
kind of beautiful
As you guys know, Molly loves her dermatologist, Dr. B and guess what…? She is back on the channel! Last time she was on she talked about all things hyper-pigmentation and melasma. Well, now she’s tackling one of your guys’ most requested topic— acne. Molly has her history of suffering with cystic acne and has even been on accutane a few times. Dr. B SPECIALIZES in acne so we brought her on to answer all of your guys’ questions!
Q: What causes acne + why do we get it?
A: Acne is influenced by bacteria, inflammation and hormones. You see it at the onset of puberty and can continue to go on. You see it at all ages.
Q: What are the different kinds of acne?
A: Blackheads, clogged pores, inflammatory or red zit and then there’s cystic. Each need to be treated in different and specific ways.
Q: What if you’re in the 18-22 range? Is that hormonal acne ?
Acne in general no matter the age, definitely has a hormonal component. There’s also a huge genetic component. Especially when we get into severe cases.
Q: How do you treat clogged pores?
A: Hone in on your daily routine and the cleansers you’re using in the morning and evening. Prescription medications can tend to be drying. If you over-dry it, your skin will reproduce oil and produce more acne. Make sure that the products that you’re using have benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid.
Q: How do you treat cystic acne?
A: You need a little more than just topical medications to treat cystic acne. Topicals include benzoyl peroxide, Retin-As, tretinoins and salicylics. Birth control, spironolactone, antibiotics and the big momma, accutane are what treat cystic acne.. We do not recommend jumping straight to accutane. Definitely consult with your doctor before jumping right into it.
Q: Is there anything to prevent acne?
A: Really starting with a good cleanser. A good cleanser that can strip bacteria or oil is a good start.
Q: Does diet have anything to do with acne?
A: It’s a really controversial topic. If you see a connection when you have dairy or gluten or sweets and you still have acne, then stop eating it. However, if you have already cut it out and still getting acne then you have to find a real solution.
Q: What happens when you pick a pimple?
A: It really increases your risk of hyperpigmentation. Scarring is pits, divots and textural issues. A few products that have azelaic acid, hydroquinone will help lighten hiper-pigmentaiton.
Q: Let’s talk about lasers…
A: With acne scaring in pits and divots, Dr. B loves radio-frequency micro needling. I tried Vivace last year and was obsessed with it. Microneedling even without radio-frequency is great.
