Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Acne Treatment

There is a dreaded word in the dictionary of most teenagers all over the world. No matter which country they hail from or what social strata they belong to, or even what language they speak. If there is one cause that can make the teenagers of the world unite as one, it is the war against acne!

Similarly, following the same logic, if there is one thing that is the friend of all teenagers, it is acne treatment! But just as acne comes in all sizes, shapes and places, acne treatments too range from the mythical to the effective to the super efficient. Knowing what works and what is just a flight of fancy is half the battle.

In order to determine acne treatment, it is essential to understand what causes acne in the first place. Acne is usually caused, not as most people believe due to poor hygiene, but due to hormonal changes in the human body. Some people secrete excessive oil due to the hormonal changes brought on by puberty and this traps dirt and moisture, resulting in blackheads and acne.

In some others, acne is brought on by infection or by the blockage of the pores. Still others may have acne as a result of poor diet. But acne treatment are available for all kinds of acne. It would however always be a good idea to consult a dermatologist to determine the cause of acne before trying to go in for self treatment.

There is an unimaginable range of acne treatment available in the market. Just go to any pharmacy or drugstore and you will see shelves upon gleaming shelves of products offering wonderful acne treatment. Most of them are acne treatment or lotions that may or may not eradicate your problem. But in order to find the most acne treatment, suited to your specific acne, your doctor is the best advisor. acne treatment differ for various acne.

And unless you are able to pin down the cause, you may end up spending a fortune on ineffective acne treatments that don’t ever seem to work. Some of the more effective acne treatment include azelaic acid creams, benzoyl peroxide and Accutane. Other proven acne treatment include topical antibiotics and lotions. Still other treatments include glycolic and gluconic acids. But as mentioned earlier, each of these acne treatments works for a particular kind of acne. And the more severe the acne, the more strong the treatment.

The best advice anyone can give you regarding acne treatment is that time is the best healer. But for those who are unwilling to let time be the healer, the pharmacy is their playground. While common treatments could work wonders for some, others will have to go in for prescription drugs.

Acne Medicine

Acne Medicine, Topical Antimicrobial

There are many forms of acne medicine available in the market today like creams, gels, solutions some of those recently added like foam. I know, hard to believe that foam could be a form of acne medicine.

Let’s take a look at these, after all what is the best choice for you would depend of the severity of your condition in order to determine the correct acne medicine. Your dermatologist would be able to select the best choice for your skin.

Creams are best for people with sensitive and dry skin as they provide with moisture in their formula.

Gels might be best for those people with oily skin or anyone living in hot, humid climates as gels usually contains alcohol and causes dry skin condition. But water-based gels might be better for those with dry or sensitive skin.

Solutions are alcohol-based and as gone over earlier it can cause dry skin and even irritating skin at times for some people.

And finally we have foams which are new to the market. Foams such as VersaFoam ® which is well spreadable and will leave residue.

Now let’s go over Topical Antimicrobial as our next acne medicine topic.

There are a few kinds of acne medicine that could be prescribed by your dermatologist.

Azelaic Acid is a prescription used to treat mild to moderate inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne. Its also believe to clear acne by minimizing P.acnes , reducing inflammation and regulating any abnormal skin cell shredding. This acne medicine it is also believe to have been effective to handle dark spot developed in people with skin of color.

Another acne medicine is Benzoyl Peroxide which although it will not reduce inflammation it is used in many over-the-counter acne medicines as it has the ability to kill P. acnes.

You can obtain Benzoyl peroxide as an over-the-counter acne medicine but only on the “mild” form. The prescription form comes in a few forms of strength and in many types as gel, creams, lotions, cleansers and washers. Side effects on this acne medicine might include skin irritation and bleaching of hair or any clothes coming in contact with this product. Possibility of allergy may occur.

Clindamycin, this acne medicine works by decreasing inflammation and killing P. acnes, well known by successful history of handling acne treatment. It is well tolerated bu should use with care and as prescribed by a doctor as with any other antibiotic. Possible side effects might be dry and irritable skin.

This next acne medicine is well known to handle a wide range of bacteria including P. acnes. Erythromycin is no more than the combination of two powerful components such as Erythomicyin and Benzoyl Peroxide. This provide a powerful anti acne medicine treatment. Possible side effects are dry or irritable skin, and should use as directed by a doctor.

Now, effective in treating inflammatory acne, Sodium Sulfacetamide as an antibiotic will inhibit P. acnes and open clogged pores. Only known side effects are the unpleasant odor of sulfur, but as new products comes out they are taking this into account and new acne medicines products of this kind are eliminating this odor.

Do pay attention to temporary side effects as there are rather common, with topical antibacterial acne medication. If your skin gets worse and better, don’t panic just yet. Any unpleasant stinging, burning, peeling, redness, scaling or skin discoloration are just common to experience. These symptoms will decrease and disappear after a period of time using these acne medicines. Always ask your doctor what to expect from them and if you experience severe allergies or any side affects contact your doctor immediately to re-evaluate your acne medicine.

Always, always pay attention and follow doctors advice on how to use your acne medicine, how often, what to expect from it in what amount of time, this will increase your reality and be able to properly judge any arising situation if it might occur. The bottom line is, know what you have in hands, what to expect and you will have control over the situation with the proper use of your acne medicine.

Guthy Renker Corporation Guthy Renker Corporation