There is usually no 'overnight' cure: Resolution of acne problems takes time. Any doctors, clinics or treatments that promise fast, miraculous or overnight results for every type of acne will 'suck you in' but, in the end, they will disappoint you. For the best treatments on many types of acne you may not see results for 6 to 8 weeks. Then, once your acne starts to show a major improvement, you will need to continue treatments to prevent a new breakout. Also, if you are using a treatment method that does not improve your acne after 6 to 8 weeks, you will need to switch treatments.

What works for Jane or Joe may not work for you: Everyone is different -- you may be tired of hearing that, but its true. As far as acne treatments are concerned, what works for one person may not work as well on someone else, or it may work even better for someone else. may not work for another. There are many factors involved including the cause of the acne, the skin type of the person affected by acne and the kind of lesions that develop.

You might need professional help: In the medical world, there is a wide range of causes for acne. Because of the fact that not every medicine works the same for everyone, complicated by the fact that there are hundreds of treatment options advertised -- you may want to consult a dermatologist. It just makes sense. When you break a bone you don't try to fix it yourself -- why try to fix that 'broken skin by yourself? A dermatologist knows what to look for and will almost certainly make your journey through the acne years of your life much easier.

Before prescribing treatment, dermatologists consider many factors that are unique to your situation: how severe the acne is, the types of blemishes you exhibit, any other medical conditions you may have, your age, your skin type and your lifestyle choices. Knowing all this allows a dermatologist to draw on his or her training and experience and tailor a treatment for you that has a very good chance of bringing a good resolution to your bad situation.

Cryotherapy: Cryotherapy is one option that is only available through a dermatologist and it is an option that is frequently used by many dermatologists.

Here's how it works: Typically, liquid nitrogen or solid carbon dioxide is applied to an area of skin, freezing it. Light freezing causes peeling of the skin, moderate freezing causes blistering and hard freezing causes scabbing. This procedure is used as a treatment for acne as well as a method to remove scars and growths and excise some skin cancers. The freezing agent may be sprayed on to the skin or swabbed on, but the end result is the same.

Freezing has been found to be a very effective, reliable and relatively inexpensive way to remove most of the surface skin lesions associated with acne. When used as an acne treatment, an area of skin is lightly frozen so, when the top layer of skin is shed, any whiteheads and blackheads that were present are also removed. A cryotherapy treatment may also be used to help pimples heal faster, which has the ultimate effect of reducing any acne scarring.

Cryotherapy treatments for acne are usually performed once a week. Side effects of this treatment may include stinging and redness of the skin; there may also be some pain for some period after the treatment. The painful aftereffects of cryotherapy may be reduced by applying a steroid to the treated area immediately after the treatment. In very rare cases, a patient with extremely sensitive skin may experience some swelling and blistering after a cryotherapy session.