Ongoing breakouts or a patch of skin that stays dry, itchy, and irritated no matter what you try are both reasons to see a dermatology provider rather than keep cycling through over-the-counter products. Soine Dermatology & Aesthetics diagnoses and treats a range of skin disorders for McComb patients, with acne and eczema among the most common, and builds each treatment plan around what’s actually driving the condition rather than treating every rash the same way.
Acne and eczema can look similar to the untrained eye, but they start from different places. Acne begins inside the hair follicle, where sebaceous glands produce sebum that travels up the follicle to keep skin moisturized. When too much sebum mixes with dead skin cells, it plugs the follicle opening, and Cutibacterium acnes bacteria multiply inside that blocked pore, triggering the inflammation that shows up as blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, or in more severe cases, painful cysts.
Eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, works differently. It’s driven by a skin barrier that doesn’t hold onto moisture the way it should, which lets the skin dry out and lets irritants and allergens in more easily, leading to the itchy, inflamed, often cracked patches that define the condition. It tends to run in families, especially alongside asthma or hay fever, and while it most often starts in childhood it can show up or persist at any age.
Because both conditions can flare with stress or weather changes and can look alike at a glance, an accurate diagnosis from a dermatology provider like Soine Dermatology near McComb matters before starting any skin disorder treatment plan.
Treatment depends on how severe the acne is and what’s driving it. Prescription retinoids applied to the skin clear plugged pores and reduce inflammation, while topical antibiotics and benzoyl peroxide reduce the bacteria and excess oil behind breakouts. Moderate to severe cases often add an oral antibiotic to bring bacteria and inflammation down more broadly. Women whose breakouts track with their cycle may respond to hormonal therapy, and isotretinoin is reserved for severe cystic acne that hasn’t improved with other treatment, with your provider monitoring your response closely throughout.
Daily moisturizing with a fragrance-free cream or ointment is the foundation of most eczema care, since keeping the skin barrier hydrated cuts down on flares before they start. Topical corticosteroids bring quicker relief during a flare, and topical calcineurin inhibitors like tacrolimus and pimecrolimus are an option when steroids aren’t well suited to the area being treated or aren’t controlling symptoms well enough. Newer topical medications, including ruxolitinib cream, can ease itching within a day or two for some patients. For eczema that doesn’t respond well to topical treatment, biologic medication given by injection targets the specific immune activity behind the inflammation and is an option for moderate to severe cases.
Soine Dermatology & Aesthetics has provided medical dermatology care for conditions like acne and eczema from its McComb clinic since 1999, with board-certified dermatologist Heather Newlon, MD leading care alongside the rest of the team. Whether it’s acne that hasn’t cleared up on its own or eczema that keeps coming back, our McComb based skin disorder diagnostic and treatment providers will walk you through the process.
Contact our McComb office at 601-684-3210 or schedule an appointment online.