Steroid Injections
Acne Treatment in Charlotte
At Evolve Medical Associates, we offer a variety of medical skin care, aesthetic, and wellness treatments to meet your needs. Our experts are dedicated to providing patients in Charlotte with the highest quality services to support your overall health and well-being.
For patients struggling with acne, breakouts can be a nightmare — especially deep cystic lesions that not only make you feel self-conscious, but can also be painful. At Evolve, we offer acne shots to address severe breakouts.
All About Acne Shots
Intralesional injections, also known as cortisone shots, are used to help shrink large, inflammatory acne cysts. Done in-office at Evolve, this treatment quickly reduces inflammation, flattening and healing the breakout in just a few days.
This procedure involves the injection of a dilute steroid solution into acne cysts, with the aim of improving their appearance and reducing symptoms. The steroid most frequently used in this procedure is called Kenalog (triamcinolone acetonide), which is injected directly into the blemish.
Why Steroids are Used for Acne Shots
Corticosteroids have a variety of properties, but their ability to suppress inflammation has led them to be utilized as a treatment for skin conditions. Unlike their topical and oral counterparts, steroid injections are more effective in treating deep-seated conditions, and will have only a localized effect in its injection site. This makes steroid shots a quick and practically painless solution for cystic acne blemishes.
PATIENT REVIEW
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Acne Shots Hurt?
Steroid injections for acne treatment are done with a very small needle, like those used for BOTOX® injections. Most patients describe the sensation of the injection as a slight pinch. However, if your acne cyst is already very painful, it can be a bit more painful than usual when the needle is inserted, but luckily the entire process is over in just a few seconds.
Acne isn’t always limited to the face, and steroid shots for acne can be performed on the rest of the body as well. Injections into certain parts of the body can be more uncomfortable than others, but local anesthesia can be used to reduce discomfort.
When Will I See Results from Acne Steroid Injections?
Cortisone shots reduce inflammation quickly, and most blemishes heal within a week after treatment. For the first 24 hours after your injection, you’ll notice your blemish softening, shrinking, and flattening out. While it may not completely disappear right away, it will be less red, less painful, and noticeably smaller.
Are Steroid Shots for Acne Safe?
Intralesional steroid therapy is a safe treatment and will not cause side effects like weight gain or excess hair growth. The amount of steroid injected at one time is small, and the risk of the steroid being absorbed into the bloodstream in sufficient amounts to produce internal side effects is very low.
Can I Get Acne Shots for Smaller Breakouts?
While cortisone shots work well on cysts, they have minimal effects on normal pimples or pustules. Cortisone doesn’t do anything for the pus that makes up the core of a pimple; instead, it shrinks the inflamed tissue, so cortisone acne shots are reserved for large, cystic blemishes on the face and body.
Do Acne Shots Have Side Effects?
Immediate side effects can include pain and slight bleeding at the injection site. In rare cases, allergic reactions or infections can occur, but our medical professional at Evolve are trained and equipped to handle any complications that may arise.
Delayed side effects can include pits or divots in the skin where the blemish was, which typically resolve within six months, although it’s important to keep in mind that severe breakouts can cause similar or worse scars that do not resolve on their own. Pigmentation or more visible blood vessels can also occur, but can be addressed with other treatments we offer at Evolve.
Acne Shots in Charlotte
To learn more about intralesional injections or any of the other skin care treatments we offer to address acne and acne scars, contact Evolve Medical Associates at (704) 610-5776 to schedule your consultation today.
