Acne Treatment and Research

The Morristown-based ATRC looks to effectively treat and – one day – cure acne.

By Anthony Bucci, Assistant Editor  On Mar 7, 2016

The Acne Treatment and Research Center (ATRC) in Morristown recently opened its doors with the goal of not only treating patients who have acne and rosacea, but according to Medical Director Dr. Hilary Baldwin, ultimately finding a cure for the skin maladies.

“More than 50 million people in the United States have acne,” Baldwin says. “Virtually all teenagers suffer from it, as well as a large amount of adult women. It is a disease that can have enormous psychological effects on those who have it, so there is a reason why we treat it and why it is a big deal.”

In conjunction with the Acne Cure Alliance, a non-profit organization that develops “research partnerships in multiple medical fields, including dermatology and genomics science, to research and better understand the causes of acne,” the ATRC is unique in the way it works one-on-one with sufferers of the disease and provides a different way of treating individuals, all while housing a state-of-the-art research facility under the same roof.

“Although acne is the most common disease for which one would go see a dermatologist, in today’s healthcare scenario and at a typical doctor’s practice, there is no way to spend the time with patients to effectively treat them,” Baldwin says. “We get to know patients on a personal level. We ask them questions about their lives and delve into things like their diet and certain life stressors. These components are some of the most crucial issues those with acne face. However, there is no cookie-cutter approach and no current treatment that works on all patients.”

According to Baldwin, the 7,000-square-foot facility is ideally situated to meet individual needs by utilizing topical and oral medications, injections and medical facials, and the latest technology in laser and light therapy. It also has “unique offerings” that focus on stress reduction and management, as well as diet and exercise, among others.

“At the center, we have fitness and massage therapy, acupuncture, meditation classes, diet classes which focus on how to best eat to maximize skin potential, and make-up classes that provide cover-up techniques and to how improve self-perception,” she says.

Additionally, the center has a handful of research studies on tap, which it is inviting patients to join in order to achieve its ultimate success.

“We want to conduct as many studies as possible to not only fund the center, but to find a cure for acne,” Baldwin concludes. “It is possible to find a cure in our lifetime, and we are dead set in finding the way. We want to ultimately put the center out of business. However, in the meantime, we want to be able to better help and treat people today.”

 

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