Say Goodbye to Acne

If you are unfortunate to suffer from acne then you should be aware that it is treatable. This article will describe some of the available forms of treatment to reduce the effects of acne on the skin. You should be aware that these methods will not stop the acne, but they will help to prevent new spots developing.

The most common form of treatment and the one that is likely to be recommended by your doctor is benzoyl peroxide. Acne is usually caused by excess oil production that blocked the pores in the skin. It is therefore important to keep the skin clean and fresh and so washing the affected areas on a regular basis will help to alleviate the problems. With this in mind, benzoyl peroxide can be found in soaps, creams and other antibacterial agents.

These treatments are available without prescription and can be purchased at most pharmacies. Although effective in improving the appearance of acne, benzoyl peroxide can cause dry skin and severe redness of the affected area.

If this treatment is not effective or you are suffering from severe acne, you can ask your doctor to prescribe either topical or oral treatments. There are a number of different types of topical treatments available. Antibiotics such erythromycin helps to remove the bacteria from the affected areas and unblock the skin pores. Other treatments such as topical retinoids work by applying to the skin on a daily basis. This causes the skin to flake and after a period of time improves its appearance.

Oral Treatments can be used if the side effects of the external treatments are too great. The most common forms of treatment in this case are the use of tetracycline. A doctor will recommend that they should be taken for a minimum of three months before any improvements in the skin can be expected. Unfortunately, although initial improvement may occur with this treatment, the bacteria that causes the acne seems to rapidly develop resistance to the antibiotics.

Should the acne not respond to any of these more common methods of treatment then your doctor may suggest the use of Isotretinoin. Effectively this works by reducing the amount of oil-based secretions in the skin. This drug is the most effective but also causes some severe side effects such as liver damage and is potentially dangerous for women who are pregnant. For this reason, its application is always closely monitored by a doctor.

If none of these conventional methods of acne treatment work then you may also consider a relatively new form of treatment known as phototherapy. This works on the principle that sunlight seems to improve skin generally if we are exposed to it in moderation.

This procedure involves the use of ultra-violet light, which when used regularly appears to dramatically reduce the appearance of acne in the affected areas. Unlike the traditional forms of treatments, Phototherapy also seems to last longer with the signs of acne not returning for several months after its first application.

However it should be remembered that this form of treatment is new and so is very expensive. Phototherapy has been classified as safe but the long term effects are as yet unknown.

So if you are suffering from acne then you now know that there are plenty of treatments available. The worst thing you can do is suffer in silence.

Acne is a skin disease which is usually associated with the face and the back of the human body. It usually happens to teenagers due to hormonal changes although adults can get acne as well.

There are several steps that you can take to ensure that the acne can be improved if not fully removed. The best way is to see a dermatologist and let him or her assess your acne condition. He/she can then recommend the best acne medication for you.

If you have mild acne, then another alternative is to buy OTC acne treatment creams and lotions. These over the counter acne medication can be found in any pharmacies or drug store. These do not require any prescriptions but you also need to determine which acne OTC medicine is suitable for you.

Most pharmacists can give you recommendations based on your acne condition and the type of skin you have.

The latest trend for acne products is to go natural. There are several natural acne treatment products on the market that uses natural ingredients to treat acne. One reason for their popularity is because traditional OTC acne treatment uses harsh chemicals such as salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide that can cause side effects such as skin redness and itching. Some people are also allergic to these chemicals and thus they prefer natural acne treatment methods to control their acne problems.

Most natural acne treatment products contain tea tree oil, aloe Vera and vitamin E as its main ingredients. These natural acne product works from the inside out by addressing the hormonal changes and provide the necessary nutrients for your body immune system to fight the acne bacteria.

A SCENE FROM “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” where Professor Sprout, the herbology professor, asks the students to collect “bubutober pus” during a lesson to give to Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse:

“This’ll keep Madam Pomfrey happy,” said Professor Sprout, stoppering the last bottle with a cork. “An excellent remedy for the more stubborn forms of acne, bubutober pus. Should stop students resorting to desperate measures to rid themselves of pimples.”

“Like poor Eloise Midgen,” said Hannah Abbott, a Hufflepuff, in a hushed voice. “She tried to curse hers off.”

“Silly girl,” said Professor Sprout, shaking her head. “But Madam Pomfrey fixed her nose back in the end.”

Admit it—haven’t we all tried to pull off an Eloise Midgen and resorted to drastic measures to drive acne away? While we may not have the capabilities to curse pimples off our faces, there’s certainly a long list of worse ways to remove acne.

What exactly causes acne? While it is true that stress, cosmetics and detergents (such as harsh shampoos and toothpaste) aggravate acne, they are not the direct sources of your pimples. They will only make worse an already existing condition. And do not blame your diet—chocolate and French fries will not cause acne—or your crush for the huge blemish on your nose. They have nothing to do with it at all.

Hormonal imbalance

The usual culprit behind acne is an imbalance of hormones, which causes the production of extra sebum and therefore, pimples. This could be because of your genes (if your parents were pimply in their childhood, you know who to blame) or other circumstances that could lead to this imbalance—puberty, menopause, pregnancy and monthly periods among them. So if you have a friend who has effortlessly clear skin, curse the genetic lottery and take better care of your skin instead of trying to imitate his/her (lack of) routine.

While others go directly to the source and have hormone treatments in order to lessen their acne, this can be costly and impractical in minor acne cases—sort of like swatting a fly with a nuclear bomb. Some treatments, like birthcontrol pills, have undesirable side effects such as weight gain and headaches. The more dangerous side effects include clots in blood vessels and an increased risk of breast cancer. Males who take birth-control pills suddenly find themselves saddled with a pair of breasts (while some do this intentionally, that’s an entirely different story.)

A good skincare regimen will not only prevent more pimples from popping up, but will delay the onset of wrinkles and freckles. Simply washing your face just doesn’t do anymore. In our more polluted environment, you will have to learn how to cleanse, tone and moisturize your skin at least once a day. Applying sunscreen even when you’re not going out in the sun is also important because indoor lights also contain skin-harming rays. So if you’re planning to spend extended hours in front of the computer for a term paper, make sure you’ve slathered on some SPF.

Old staple

If you’re really going for a direct treatment of the pimple, you might want to check out an old staple: Benzoyl Peroxide.

However, Benzoyl Peroxide apparently isn’t just a spot treatment. According to Dr. Bernadette Arcilla of the Philippine Dermatological Society, when faced with acne, you should treat the entire affected area with Benzoyl Peroxide, but don’t overdo it! Too much of it (say, a huge dollop on top of the blemish) will dry out not just the pimple, but the surrounding skin as well, causing more damage. “The best way to apply it is to spread it evenly over the affected area, so that not only will the pimple dry out, but future breakouts will be prevented as well,” Dr. Arcilla said.

Before buying a tube of treatment, said Dr. Arcilla, take note of the concentration of Benzoyl Peroxide before applying it—PanOxyl, for example, has three variants: 2.5 percent for mild acne, 5 percent for moderate acne and 10 percent for severe cases. The latter is best left for body acne, such as pimples on your back and chest, while facial acne is adequately treated by the less concentrated variants. Again, overdoing anything will cause more harm than good so always start with a smaller concentration.

Dr. Arcilla also advised patients to use medication daily—not just on a pimple, but on the entire affected area. “You should treat the skin, not the pimples. Pimples are just a symptom of something bigger,” Dr. Arcilla said. “And if you treat it early, you can prevent scarring due to more blemishes.”

Instead of treating just the surface, go for an acne management program. In the long-term process (which combines a good skincare regimen and acne treatment), pimples won’t be gone in a week, but there is a significant 30- to 40-percent reduction of acne in one to two months. The process can be expedited with the help of your dermatologist, who can help you create an acne management program for yourself. This does take a lot more time than quick fix-acne treatments, but the results are permanent, at least.

Now, isn’t that better than cursing pimples off your face?

By: Kerwin Chang