Tag: Acne Treatments

How To Pay For Expensive Acne Treatments

With all of the doctor visits, possible procedures and medications, acne treatments can be very expensive. For those who have health insurance, it may or may not be covered in your policy.

Because acne treatments may be considered as cosmetic, some health insurance companies may not cover the costs associated with its treatment. The best way to find out, however, is to review your health insurance policy or call your local agent for more information.

Many individuals, for various reasons, do not have health insurance and they are often the ones who are most concerns with the related costs. Whether you do or do not have health insurance, there are ways to pay for expensive acne treatments if you find yourself carrying the full financial responsibility.

An increasing number of hospitals and/or private practice physicians offer a convenient payment plan, which allows their patients to set up a scheduled payment system for their high-cost acne treatments.

This doesnt usually require a credit check and is not a line of credit, but is rather a way of offering patients a convenience of gradually payment for services after they have been rendered. This is a privilege that is not available everywhere, but is rapidly catching on.

In order to find out if your physician offers this type of plan for acne treatments, check with the billing office. There will typically be a schedule set up for payments and it is important not to miss it. The reason is because, if payments are missed, the physician or medical care facility may revoke your plan and demand payment in full. In addition, it isnt likely that you would be granted this same privilege if payments for acne treatments are late or collection efforts must be pursued.

If acne is extreme and neither of the above mentioned financial scenarios are possible, consider selling some of your unwanted items around the house at online auctions, yard sales, flea markets, etc. These are all terrific ways to earn some extra money, which can quickly add up and help you to pay for expensive acne treatments.

This article is to be used for informational purposes only. The information contained herein is not intended to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice regarding the use of acne treatments. Prior to beginning any treatment regimen, the patient must consult a licensed medical doctor or dermatologist for advice and/or to determine the best course of action for his/her individual situation.

The Lowdown on Laser Acne Treatment

Acne is a very common skin problem, especially among your people. As a proof that it is indeed very common, we see a lot of commercially available treatments for this skin disorder. And acne treatments come in many sizes and forms. There are anti-acne creams, ointments, facial washes, lotions, etc.

Apart from anti-acne products there are also treatments to acne. These treatments are commonly performed by dermatologists. These treatments cost more money than commercially available solutions to acne but their effect is more lasting and the results are quickly seen.

One anti-acne treatment that has been around for several years already is laser treatment. Over the last few years, laser acne treatment has quickly replaced other more traditional methods of treating acne. The reason why more and more people are using this form of treatment is the fact that it provides faster and longer-lasting results.

So how is laser acne treatment performed?

In laser acne treatment a laser pen is used by a dermatologist. The doctor holds this pen just above the acne or acne scar tissue. The laser pen emits concentrated beams of light. What dermatologists do is move the laser pen back and forth over the acne or scar to vaporize the unwanted tissues.

This back and forth motion also stimulates the growth of new skin cells. It is actually prove n that new collagen, the protein in the skins connective tissue that gives skin its texture, is formed after laser acne treatment.

Is laser acne treatment safe and painless?

Two of the best things about laser acne treatment is that is safe and painless. The only side-effect that the patient will experience is some swelling and bruising. This is normal and would only last for about seven or ten days. After the bruising and swelling are gone, the patient can already wear make-up.

Is laser acne treatment for you?

If you have light colored skin, then laser acne treatment is definitely for you. This treatment can greatly improve the quality of your skin. But if you dark colored or toned skin, you might want to think twice before undergoing laser acne treatment.

This is because laser acne treatment can alter the color and texture of the skin dramatically. It also sometimes produces unpredictable results. There are some doctors though who believe that laser acne treatment is perfect for dark-colored women who want to lighten up their skin.

How much does laser acne treatment cost?

A full face laser acne treatments cost between $2,000 to $3,000. This price is definitely very expensive compared to other types of anti-acne treatments but as said earlier, the results with laser acne treatment is seen much more quickly and it is more lasting.

Where should you go for a good laser acne treatment?

To be sure that you will get proper a laser acne treatment, consult only with a license dermatologist or plastic surgeon. Never ever go to a fly-by-night practitioner even if he or she offers the laser acne treatment at a lot less.

You could be saving a lot of money from these practitioners but you could end up with a much worse condition than the one you had when your first came in. This is why it is very important to first ask the practitioner before letting yourself be treated. Remember that you face is a very precious thing so entrust it only to experts.

Curing Acne

According to most medical experts, teenagers tend to develop acne at a higher rate compared to adults or to any other age groups. The major reason for this risk is the increased output of hormones during puberty, the production of sebaceous glands and the continuous increase of skin-cell turnover within the skin follicles. It is also noted that increased stress also affects the development of acne and that the condition tends to get worst if the patient undergoes rigorous work loads.

Dermatologists also believe that improper diet contributes a lot to the development of acne. Poor dietary habits like taking in foods with too much sugar and fat content affect your skin follicles. Although there is no concrete clinical evidence to support this hypothesis, most doctors still advise their acne patients to balance their diet and develop good eating habits.

What You Can Do

Studies have shown that there is a proven genetic tendency or pattern for acne especially if other family members of the acne patient have developed acne. Naming propionibacteria as the most common bacteria that cause acne and other skin infections, medical experts agree that these bacteriawhen present on the skincan lead to adolescent, persistent, or adult-onset acne.

Due to recent science and medical developments, more and more acne treatments have been discovered. Some are quite effective than the others depending on the patients condition. Effective acne cure and treatment are sometimes recommended by dermatologists in single or various combinations depending on the stage and development of the acne the person has.

One of the most effective ways to cure acne is by using topical treatments such as acne lotions, acne creams, and gels that are applied on the skin. These topical antibioticsmedicines that are formulated to terminate acne-causing bacteriacan help in the reduction of acne.

Medical experts have categorized the types of topical antibiotics to erythromycin, clindamycin, and sulfa drugs. The application of topical medicines is believed to be quite effective in curing acne because the medication is applied directly to the affected area in controlled dosage.

And since there is no need for patients to swallow the medicine, the components of the drugs do not have to travel through the bodythus lessens the possibility of side effects. Retinoid, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic and glycolic acids, are the most common ingredients that respond well to severe blackheads and whiteheads.

Although topical medication is effective in curing acne, it also has minor disadvantages like the possible tolerance of bacteria to the medicine that leads to resistance to the medication over time.

Another way to cure acne is through oral medications. Unlike topical medication that is applied to the surface of the affected area, oral medications are taken orally to be distributed throughout the bloodstream. This is known to be a systemic treatment because the drug is taken to all of the bodys functioning systems and is quite useful when acne develops on the skin on multiple stages. The most common oral acne medications include tetracyclines, minocycline, doxycyclin, and isotretinoin, or retinoic acid.

Other ways to cure acne include hormone therapy that aims to restore the normal balance of hormones in the patients body, and acne surgery for severe and persistent acne that cannot be cured by topical or oral medication.

Before using any medication or before undergoing any treatment to cure acne, make sure that you have consulted with your dermatologist or physician first to avoid further complications.

Acne Scars Is There Hope?

It is estimated that eighty percent of people between the ages of fourteen and twenty suffer from acne. For most of us, acne is a short-lived annoyance during certain periods of our lives. Unfortunately, for some people acne is painful long after the pimples have been treated. Scarring from acne is most common for those who have suffered from severe acne, but scarring can affect anyone who has experienced acne.

If you are one of the millions of people living with acne scars, theres good news. There are many options available to diminish these unseemly blemishes. All of these techniques work to restore the normal, healthy appearance of scarred skin; it may not always be possible to get rid of all acne scars, but with the right treatment for you, no one will ever know you were scarred. Acne scar treatments vary in their approaches depending on the severity of your scarring and your budget. You should discuss all of the available options, costs, and side effects with your dermatologist.

Before we talk about the treatments available, we should take a look at why acne can cause scarring. The primary reason for any kind of scar is tissue damage. When body tissue is damaged, our body tries to heal and protect it from infection. In the case of acne, dead skin cells block the bodys pores, preventing the secretion of natural oils in the skin. This creates a perfect environment for bacteria to grow, which irritates the skin and causes acne. When acne is aggravated due to harsh scrubbing or other forms of physical attention, it further aggravates the condition and harms the sensitive skin tissue. When the skin finally is able to heal, a scar is left behind.

One of the most popular acne scar treatment techniques is injecting collagen under the surface of the scarred skin. Collagen puffs out the skin and evens out the scarred area, making acne less noticeable. Another important acne scar treatment technique is what is called autologous fat transfer. This process makes use of your own bodys fat. Fat is taken from another part of your body and is injected into the affected part, filling up the scar.

This technique requires repeated applications because the fat is eventually absorbed into the body, making the scar noticeable once again. Your dermatologist may suggest you try laser treatments or dermabrasion. Both of these techniques are very effective. In the most extreme cases, skin grafting and skin surgery may be considered.

Keep in mind that these are only a small number of the options available for acne scar treatment.