Most teens get a few pimples -- in fact, acne represents the most common skin condition in teens and adults, with more than 45 million American sufferers in any given year, according to the Academy for Healthcare Research and Quality. But severe acne, characterized by boils and inflammation, is less common and more serious, and in fact can lead to bad acne scars. If you have acne boils, your dermatologist may recommend hydrocortisone shots to help clear them.
Significance
Acne results from a combination of irritation from skin cell shedding, bacteria and an excess of sebum, the oil that lubricates your skin, according to MayoClinic.com. Severe acne occurs when bacteria grow out of control in and on your skin, infecting your pores and potentially building up pockets of inflammation between pimples, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. These massively infected acne boils can cause scarring if they're not treated.
Features
Hydrocortisone, a steroid drug, treats inflammation in many conditions, including severe acne, by preventing your body from releasing substances that cause inflammation, according to the website Drugs.com. It's possible to use hydrocortisone in several forms, including pill form, topical and injection. When you use it to treat your acne, your dermatologist most likely will inject it directly into your acne boil.
Function
If your dermatologist decides to use hydrocortisone shots to treat your severe acne boils, you will have the procedure done in the physician's office, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Your physician will inject a very diluted solution containing hydrocortisone directly into each acne boil that you need to have treated.
Effects
Once you've had the hydrocortisone injected directly into your acne boils, you'll most likely see those boils literally melt away over the course of four or five days, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. The hydrocortisone will help to reduce the inflammation in the individual boils and promote healing of each boil, which can make your face look better, reduce pain associated with the boils and also reduce the chance of scarring from the individual boils.
Considerations
In cases of severe acne involving badly infected acne boils, hydrocortisone only represents a spot treatment that can help prevent scars from pimples that already have formed, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. To ward off additional boils and fight your severe acne, you'll likely need to take prescription medications, such as isotretinoin or oral antibiotics.
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