Zap Those Pimples Forever

Teenagers aren't the only ones who suffer from acne. In fact, more than half of young adults suffer from some kind of acne.

Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank, the director of the Fifth Avenue Dermatology Surgery and Laser Center in New York City, explains in the "Young At Heart" series what every person who's ever had adult acne wants to know: How to get rid of it.

"Acne is a very hormonally-based condition," he tells The Early Show. "A lot of older people, especially women, still get it because of hormonal fluctuation."

Common Treatments
Traditional medications are in a three-tiered system: Topical creams, from Clearasil to Retin A, oral antibiotics and Accutane for those with terrible cystic acne and scarring.

"Accutane is still the best cure," Frank says. "The problem with Accutane is that some women don't want to take it because they want kids." Accutane is known to cause birth defects, so women must take birth control pills while they're taking Accutane, and must wait at least three months after the treatment to get pregnant.

Photodynamic Therapy
Initially, dermatologists performed cortisone injections for the one lone pimple, but now acne treatments have advanced with photodynamic therapy.

"Photodynamic therapy is the most cutting edge acne treatment today," Frank says. "First, you paint the face of the patient with this chemical that we've been using for decades on people with severely sun damaged skin. …"

Stay tuned to find out more.