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.

To choose the best acne treatment is a tricky task because not all acne is the same.  There are a number of different types of acne, and there is no common treatment that is equally effective for each.  Nor are there treatments that work with each form of acne in the same way, since the treatment depends a great deal on the severity of the condition.

One of the more effective acne treatments is benzoyl peroxide, which is the active ingredient behind many different topical treatments such as Clearasil Max and ProActive. However, you have to be careful with benzoyl peroxide on your face because it could cause irritation of your skin.  It is better used on thicker skin, and is therefore widely used for treating back acne. It not only possesses antibacterial properties but also promotes the flaking of dead surface skin cells.

One of the problems with acne is that a treatment that one person finds effective might not be so for another. Each person has to find an acne treatment that is most effective for their own condition. Some of the milder forms of acne can be treated simply with a mild facial cleanser.  If you follow this up with a commercial antibacterial acne treatment, then you will have as good a chance as any of controlling your condition or even of curing it.

If your acne is deeper and more persistent, a treatment needs to be designed to effectively reduce the production of sebum.  This is the oil that is believed to be responsible for most acne conditions.  This treatment approach would be an effective way of preventing the acne from getting worse and possibly even stopping it altogether.  One prescription for achieving this is called isotretinoin (e.g. Accutane), a Vitamin A based treatment. It will only be prescribed by a doctor if the acne is severe and persistent, and is not suitable for anybody with liver problems.

With regard to topical acne creams, Vitamin A (retinol) can be effective, although a proportion of the population contract dry and flaking skin when they use it. In fact that is how it works:  by promoting flaking off of the top skin cell. It is basically a topical form of the oral isotretinoin, but not as strong. It is not the perfect treatment, and like most acne treatments, it will suit some more than others.

Antibiotic treatments can be effective, particularly when used in conjunction with skin-shedding applications such as benzoyl peroxide or retinol. However, most topical treatments will show few benefits for at least six months.  So you are looking at long-term treatments rather than the quick fix. In fact there really are no quick fixes for acne, although laser treatment can produce rapid results in serious cases.

Oral contraceptives have been found to work for women with acne.  A combination of the testosterone suppressant, cyproterone acetate and the hormone ethinylestradiol (eg. Dianette) have been found to be an effective treatment. It works by suppressing the male hormones (that all women have) and with it, the production of sebum.

There is really no such thing as the best acne treatment because each works differently with different people.  This simply indicates the difficulty in understanding the true causes and nature of the condition.  The way for you to find the best acne treatment is start off with the milder treatments and work up.  Thus, antibacterial soaps and body scrubs should be followed with topical over the counter acne creams.  If these don’t work, then your physician might suggest a prescription treatment, and eventually, with a bit of persistence on your part, you will come across an acne treatment that suits you. The best acne treatment for an individual is the one that works.

People who gets acne, spends lots of money on over the counter products or prescription medications regardless of sufferer’s age. Some got rid of their acne and pimples by using these products and some got their condition worst. Medical science does not believe on natural remedies but many people are out there who got rid of their acne by using natural resources. In fact all over the counter products and prescription medication are designed with these natural resources.

There are many ways which you can follow at home to control your acne or pimples problems. From these natural ways, many are rejected by medical science and research but as many people get rid of their problem by doing these then you can try them as well. It will not cost you much money in fact these remedies are easily available and very cheap in prices. These natural remedies are following:

Diet and Acne:

As medical science do not accept any relation between diet and acne. But we know very well that healthy diet is very important for our health. So why we take risk? We should avoid all those greasy and oily food and junk foods as they do not only affect your skin but they harm your heart and other organs as well and causes heart disease. Balance diet includes every available food but in moderate quantity even you can eat this oily and greasy and junk food as well but not regularly. Try to include more fruits and vegetables in your diet and less meat and other greasy and oily food.

Water and Acne:

Your skin contains lots of toxins which causes acne. These toxins are pushed out from the skin by the help of water. If you don’t drink enough amounts of water then your body starts dehydrating and toxins will remain in your skin causes acne. 7 to 8 glasses of water are considered standard amount of water which every person needs daily.

Make-Up and Acne:

Many make up products cause acne as well. If you have acne or oily skin, you should use non comedogenic make up products. The term “non-comedogenic” used for those products which are specially designed to control oil of your skin. These products do not harm your skin.

Some natural Remedies:

Tooth paste is considered one of the miracle solutions of your pimples. Apply it on your pimple and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes. Then wash it off with water. You will see clear difference in your skin condition.

Tea tree oil is another natural remedy. In fact tea tree oil is widely used in over the counter products. You can try it directly on your pimples.

Aloe Vera is very good for your skin health. It cures many skin problems and widely used in skin care products. You can try this as well directly on your skin. It works wonder for your skin.

Avoid picking and popping:

Picking and popping does not do any good to your skin in fact if you mishandle it, it will harm your skin. Some times a picker damage a membrane below the skin which causes more infection. In fact picking and squeezing causes scars which are more difficult to treat.

By: Mike Bernar