Does Corticosteroid Injection Treat Acne?

Corticosteroid injections use synthetic hormones that are like cortisol, the stress hormone. They provide temporary inflammation relief and can help shrink large individual acne cysts.

The in-office treatment and the injections help reduce swelling, redness, and pain associated with severe acne breakouts. The treatment is for swollen or tender acne nodules or cysts that fail to respond to regular acne therapies. Find out whether corticosteroid injections treat acne.

Understanding Cystic Acne
Cystic acne is the most severe form of the condition. It manifests as pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, pustules, or papules. Acne occurs when oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria clog the skin pores.

Sometimes, clogged pores deep in the skin break, forming large, painful, or tender pus-filled cysts or nodules. Genetics, hormones, environment, and certain chemicals or drugs can cause cystic acne.

Treating Acne With Corticosteroid Injections
Using a microneedle, specialists inject a diluted corticosteroid into the blemish. The anti-inflammatory helps shrink the swollen cyst wall. The procedure is quick, with minimal pain. Patients may experience some soreness if the pimple is painful or very large.

Topical lidocaine numbs the site before treatment begins. Cortisone helps reduce inflammation quickly, and patients notice the blemish shrinking, flattening, and softening within 24 hours. The pimple continues to heal and diminish within a week.

Benefits of Corticosteroid Injections
Cortisone shots do not reduce pus buildup in swollen pustules or regular pimples. They work by shrinking tissues. They help reduce large cystic blemishes and can treat the face and body. The injections help reduce the risk of scarring, making them beneficial for patients prone to hyperpigmentation after breakouts. The shots can help improve the patient’s appearance.

Reasons to Get Corticosteroid Injections
You can talk to a skin specialist about cortisone injections if:

• You develop a blemish that is very swollen and painful.
• You have a large, inflamed pimple that has persisted for months.
• A breakout has developed just before an important event.

Side Effects of Cortisone Injections

As with most treatments, cortisone injections have possible side effects. They include:

• Skin pitting may occur due to too much cortisone or using a strong dilution.
• Tissue thinning or skin atrophy around the injection site leaves a visible depression.
• Hypopigmentation is characterized by a skin area lighter than other areas.
• Systemic effects from steroid use occur when too much cortisone is used and finds its way into the bloodstream.

The side effects are usually mild and temporary and go away within a few days. Dermal fillers can help reduce pitting or restore the skin’s appearance.

Corticosteroid injections are beneficial for resolving big acne breakouts, but they do not clear up acne. They quicken the healing of breakouts but do not stop them from occurring. To treat the condition, you need prescription acne medication.

A skin specialist will recommend the best treatment for your skin. If you are prone to severe acne breakouts, getting cortisone shots can help prevent acne complications. It can also reduce the risk of scarring.

For more about corticosteroid injections, visit Beverly Hills Aesthetics at our Los Angeles, California office. Call 424-284-7570 to schedule an appointment today.