But time is of the essence: “If you wait too long to get treatment, your hair follicles can become scarred over and the hairs in these areas may not grow back,” she adds. “Scarring as a result of acne can often be prevented if it’s treated early and with the correct therapies,” points out Dr. Evans. “We can get to the root of the issue and provide cream medications, injections, or pills to help calm the cysts and prevent further scarring,” adds Dr. Rodney. “We can also treat existing acne scarring with procedures like microneedling, chemical peels, and lasers.” Rashes can have many causes, including eczema, contact dermatitis, infections, fungus, or an allergic reaction. Another red flag: irritation that’s accompanied by increasing warmth, tenderness, redness, swelling, or pus. “These are all signs of infection, which need to be treated as quickly as possible to prevent worsening,” cautions Dr. King.
