Get the acne help you need from the comfort of home with a telehealth visit.
As the most common skin condition that affects people in the U.S., acne is a common problem for our online dermatology patients and our patients throughout Tennessee. This condition causes damage to self-esteem, acne scars, embarrassment, and more. Learn more about what causes acne and how you can change your routine to solve it.
What is Acne?
Acne is a common skin condition caused by a combination of sebum production and dead skin cells. When your hair follicles are plugged with dead skin cells and oil, moderate to severe acne occurs and causes blackheads, pimples, and whiteheads.
Tennessee Telederm specializes in treating acne. Schedule your online appointment and in a few easy clicks you will be on your way to healthier skin.
If acne is not treated it can lead to cystic acne, the most serious type of acne and cause acne scars. Learn more about what can cause acne and how Tennessee Telederm can help treat your skin problem areas.
What Causes Acne?
Incidents of acne are caused by a combination of sebum production and dead skin cells that plug up pores and hair follicles. The way that the pores or follicles get blocked can lead to different types of acne lesions.
Teenagers regularly develop symptoms of acne due to their elevated hormone levels and sebum production. Certain hormones called androgens, become more active during puberty and cause the skin’s sebaceous oil glands to increase oil production. Androgens also become more active during pregnancy, leading to more outbreaks of acne for pregnant women. Summer months in Nashville, TN are hot, and increased sweat and oil production can cause clogged pores and acne flare-ups.
Does Diet Cause Acne?
Whatever we eat does have an effect on the health of our bodies. From the current research in the field, there is no evidence that diet actually causes acne. However unbalanced diets with high levels of sugar can make acne more likely to occur.
Read more about the relationship between diet and acne on our blog.
The two types of acne:
Non-inflammatory
Also called comedones, non-inflammatory acne occurs in two forms around pores and hair follicles – most commonly known as whiteheads and blackheads.
Inflammatory
Also called comedones, non-inflammatory acne occurs in two forms around pores and hair follicles – most commonly known as whiteheads and blackheads.
Non-Inflammatory Acne
Blackheads
Blackheads are instances of acne that occur in open pores and follicles. The open nature of these comedones causes the sebaceous material to oxidize and turn black.
Washing your face regularly and using a cleanser with salicylic acid are two effective ways to prevent blackheads. However, everyone’s skin is different, so if you need more specific help on treating blackheads book an appointment today.
Whiteheads
The other form of comedonal acne; whiteheads are closed acne nodules with a thin layer of skin covering the blockage. Whiteheads will typically resolve and drain on their own after a time. However, depending on the bacterial content of the whitehead, it can develop into an inflammatory type of acne. One of these bacteria is propionibacterium acnes or P. acne.
Again, washing, cleansing, and moisturizing regularly will help you deal with and prevent whiteheads. Remember not to pick at any comedones as it can lead to permanent scarring.
Inflammatory Acne
Nodules
The next step up in terms of severity in inflammatory acne, nodules occur deeper in the skin. The infections usually look like small bumps that are painful to the touch. You will need to take oral medication in order to treat nodular acne. Schedule an appointment to get help for nodule acne.
Papules
These appear as a pink and swollen area of the skin due to irritation of the pores or hair follicles.
Pustules
A more developed form of whiteheads, pustules are red and swollen but have whiteheads at the tip. The pus can breakdown the walls of the follicles and pores, which will lead to scaring after the pustule drains.
Cystic Acne (Boils)
Cystic acne is like nodular acne but occurs closer to the surface of the skin so they often appear with whiteheads at the tip. The longer cystic acne goes without treatment the more likely it is to scar. In normal cases of cystic acne, oral prescriptions are the most effective treatment.
We can diagnose and prescribe treatment for cystic acne in a telehealth appointment. However, for extreme cases of cystic acne, the cyst may have to be surgically removed.
Other Causes of Acne
Other dermatology conditions may present symptoms like acne. For instance, rosacea can present small whiteheads in certain cases.
Repeated touching, over-washing, or irritation of the skin can also cause acne to develop. Certain types of make-up may clog the pores. Some medications can also interfere with the body’s hormone responses and make acne occur more frequently.
Genetics also plays a role in acne. If your family has a history of severe acne symptoms, it is more likely that you will experience severe acne. Pore structure and the oiliness of your skin are also strong factors for the development of acne.
Heat and humidity in Nashville, TN can contribute to acne. Sweating during hotter summer months makes skin stickier and sebum and dead skin cells become trapped inside pores. Increased oil production on the skin can trigger breakouts.
Virtual Appointments
Your exam is online using telehealth, a HIPAA secure video platform powered by Athenahealth, the largest connected network built to support physician practices.
Experience-Backed Treatment Plans
Treatment plans are backed by years of dermatology and practice experience. Kristen specializes in diagnosing and treating medical conditions of the skin and creates personalized treatment plans for each patient.
Convenience and Affordable
Tennessee Telederm offers a convenient and affordable way to receive dermatology care through online scheduling, telehealth and same-day appointments. We do accept insurance and treat ages 12 and up.