Guys can sometimes get the worst types of acne. That might be a relief for women but it’s bad for the guys who have to deal with things like Acne Conglobata and Acne Fulminans. Both of these types are very severe and result in large patches of outbreaks they are very likely to leave behind permanent scarring, even on the face. Medical treatment is usually needed for these types of acne problems.

Another acne solution is dermabrasion which involves a rotating wire brush that peels away your skin. Most people need some type of anesthetic because it does hurt and your skin is red and swollen for several days afterward. Even then, your skin will be very sensitive for at least one to two weeks while the new skin layers grow. Plus, you could get an infection that could lead to health problems far worse than acne.

My last post got me thinking about what treatments are available for acne scars. Some of the most common ones I’ve come across sound awful. Chemical peeling is used and that’s basically burning off layers of your skin. You can use dermabrasion, too, which is another way of removing your skin. It sounds awful!

As I said last time, I do have some mild scars from my outbreaks as a teenager, and I definitely wish I knew how to treat acne then as well as I know how to treat it today. But I’m lucky because the scars could have been much worse. I’ve seen some firsthand.

Time after time I was told by my mother not to mess with my acne when I was younger. But I also wanted to scratch at them or pop them or do something that I hoped would make them go away faster. Of course, I irritated them more, spread the bacteria around my skin more, and ended up with some minor acne scars that – thankfully – are easy to hide with cosmetics.