Acne Treatment

Are Over-the-Counter Medicines Safe for Acne Treatments?

There are many medical treatments for acne, although unfortunately, it can not be said that there is any one, single treatment or medication to cure acne vulgaris or acne rosacea. Rather than having a single treatment for acne, doctors generally have to try several different products for each individual before finding the acne treatment or combination of treatments that will clear up the problem. Every case of acne or patient is different and will do different things to the skin depending on the individual. This makes acne quite a difficult condition to treat. A lot of experimentation and trial and error with different medications or medications is usually needed before a successful treatment is found. This can be very frustrating for the person that wants a quick-fix solution to their problem or even for those individuals that have a stubborn strain of acne that takes a long time to clear up. Depending on the extent of the problem, the doctor may recommend one of several over-the-counter medicines and/or prescription medicines. Some of these medicines may be topical (applied to the skin), and others may be oral (taken by mouth). The doctor may suggest using more than one topical medicine or combining oral and topical medicines.

“Like Over The Counter topical medicines, prescription topical medicines come as creams, lotions, solutions, gels, or pads. Your doctor will consider your skin type when prescribing a product. Creams and lotions provide moisture and tend to be good choices for people with sensitive skin.”

Treatment for mild Blackheads, Whiteheads, Inflammatory Acne

Doctors usually recommend an Over The Counter or prescription topical medicine for people with mild signs of acne. Topical medicine is applied directly to the acne lesions or to the entire area of affected skin.

There are several topical medicines used for mild acne. Each works a little differently. Following are the most common ones:

Benzoyl peroxide? destroys P. acnes, and may also reduce oil production
Resorcinol? can help break down blackheads and whiteheads
Salicylic acid? helps break down blackheads and whiteheads. Also helps cut down the shedding of cells lining the hair follicles
Sulfur? helps break down blackheads and whiteheads.

Topical Over The Counter medicines are available in many forms, such as gels, lotions, creams, soaps, or pads. In some people, acne medicines may cause side effects such as skin irritation, burning, or redness, which often get better or go away with continued use of the medicine. If you experience severe or prolonged side effects, you should report them to your doctor. Over The Counter topical medicines are somewhat effective in treating acne when used regularly; however, it may take up to 8 weeks before you see noticeable improvement. Over The Counter topical medicines are somewhat effective in treating acne when used regularly; however, it may take up to 8 weeks before you see noticeable improvement.

Treatment for Moderate to Severe Inflammatory Acne

People with moderate to severe inflammatory acne may be treated with prescription topical or oral medicines, alone or in combination.

Treatment for Severe Nodular or Cystic Acne

People with nodules or cysts should be treated by a dermatologist. For patients with severe inflammatory acne that does not improve with medicines such as those described above, a doctor may prescribe isotretinoin (Accutane), a retinoid (vitamin A derivative). Isotretinoin is an oral drug that is usually taken once or twice a day with food for 15 to 20 weeks. It markedly reduces the size of the oil glands so that much less oil is produced. As a result, the growth of bacteria is decreased.

Treatments for Hormonally Influenced Acne in Women

In some women, acne is caused by an excess of androgen (male) hormones. Clues that this may be the case include hirsutism (excessive growth of hair on the face or body), premenstrual acne flares, irregular menstrual cycles, and elevated blood levels of certain androgens.

The doctor may prescribe one of several drugs to treat women with this type of acne:

Birth control pills ? to help suppress the androgen produced by the ovaries
Low-dose corticosteroid drugs, such as prednisone (Deltasone) or dexamethasone? (Decadron, Hexadrol) to help suppress the androgen produced by the adrenal glands
Antiandrogen drugs such as spironolactone ?(Aldactone) to reduce the excessive oil production.

Side effects of antiandrogen drugs may include irregular menstruation, tender breasts, headaches, and fatigue.

Other Acne Treatments

Doctors may use other types of procedures in addition to drug therapy to treat patients with acne. For example, the doctor may remove the patient’s comedones during office visits. Sometimes the doctor will inject corticosteroids directly into lesions to help reduce the size and pain of inflamed cysts and nodules.

Early treatment is the best way to prevent acne scars. Once scarring has occurred, the doctor may suggest a medical or surgical procedure to help reduce the scars. A superficial laser may be used to treat irregular scars. Dermabrasion (or microdermabrasion), which is a form of “sanding down” scars, is sometimes used. Another treatment option for deep scars caused by cystic acne is the transfer of fat from another part of the body to the scar. A doctor may also inject a synthetic filling material under the scar to improve its appearance.

How do you Choose the right Acne Treatment?

It always helps to see a doctor or dermatologist that has plenty of experience in treating acne, this way they can draw on their professional experience. Scar or pimple removal is something that should always be left up to a trained doctor in an antiseptic environment.

In most cases, the first treatment that a doctor will recommend is a topical cream. These creams, like all acne treatments, do not cure acne, but rather help manage the symptoms of the acne and can be found online or in your local pharmacy with or without prescription. The treatment that you receive will depend on the type of symptoms that you are experiencing. It will either be aimed at unplugging pores, killing bacteria, reducing the amount of oils or altering the hormones that stimulate the sebaceous glands. If topical creams alone prove ineffective, doctors will usually combine them with an oral antibiotic.

Prescription Topical Medicines

Several types of prescription topical medicines are used to treat acne. They include:

Antibiotics? help stop or slow the growth of bacteria and reduce inflammation
Vitamin A derivatives (retinoids)? unplug existing comedones (plural of comedo), allowing other topical medicines, such as antibiotics, to enter the follicles. Some may also help decrease the formation of comedones. These drugs contain an altered form of vitamin A. Some examples are tretinoin, adapalene, and tazarotene.
Others? may destroy P. acnes and reduce oil production or help stop or slow the growth of bacteria and reduce inflammation. Some examples are prescription strength Benzoyl peroxide, sodium sulfacetamide/sulfur-containing products, or Azelaic acid (Azelex).

Like Over The Counter topical medicines, prescription topical medicines come as creams, lotions, solutions, gels, or pads. Your doctor will consider your skin type when prescribing a product. Creams and lotions provide moisture and tend to be good choices for people with sensitive skin. If you have very oily skin or live in a hot, humid climate, you may prefer an alcohol-based gel or solution, which tends to dry the skin. Your doctor will tell you how to apply the medicine and how often to use it.

For some people, prescription topical medicines cause minor side effects, including stinging, burning, redness, peeling, scaling, or discoloration of the skin. With some medicines, such as tretinoin, these side effects usually decrease or go away after the medicine is used for a period of time. If side effects are severe or don’t go away, notify your doctor.

Related acne information:
What causes Acne - the development and cause of acne.
Natural Acne Treatment - natural acne treatment information and tips to treat acne naturally.

Syndicated by ClearPores™ skin cleansing system and the ClearPores information center and by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 1 AMS Circle, Bethesda, MD 20892-3675

More Information about Acne Treatment, Tips & Risks

Your treatment plan

If you just have a few blackheads, whiteheads and spots, you should be able to treat them successfully with over-the-counter gels or creams (topical treatments) that contain benzoyl peroxide (see below). Some self-help techniques may also be useful:

•Do not wash affected areas of skin more than twice a day. Frequent washing can irritate the skin and make symptoms worse.
•Wash the affected area with a mild soap or cleanser and lukewarm water. Very hot or cold water can make acne worse.
•Don't try to "clean out" blackheads or squeeze spots. This can make them worse and cause permanent scarring.
•Avoid using too much make-up and cosmetics. Use water-based products that are described as non-comedogenic (this means the product is less likely to block the pores in your skin).
•Completely remove make-up before going to bed.
•If dry skin is a problem, use a fragrance-free, water-based emollient.
•Regular exercise cannot improve your acne but it can boost your mood and improve your self-esteem. Shower as soon as possible once you finish exercising as sweat can irritate your acne.
•Regularly wash your hair and try to avoid letting your hair fall across your face.

nhs.uk

Best Natural Acne Treatments

Acne being most typical skin ailments affecting millions of people all over the world has numerous genres of treatment options obtainable such as the contemporary chemical based formulations and the conventional organic acne remedy methods. While the contemporary chemical based goods claim quick outcomes, they're frequently fraught together with the inherent dangers of subsequent side effects around the skin. The conventional methods that rely on organic and organic remedy although becoming time consuming offer a a lot more successful and long term solution for the issue. So that you can understand the factors behind the effectiveness of those organic signifies it is imperative to analyse the types and causes of acne.
Acne could be broadly classified into non inflammatory and inflammatory varieties which affect the human skin. The non inflammatory are much less severe in nature and are usually observed as whiteheads or blackheads which usually release their material around the surface and heal on their very own unless of course tampered with by selecting with dirty nails. The inflammatory kind of acne is a lot more problematic with associated pain and irritation. The papule or fistula variants of this category would be the ones in which the white blood cells are observed around the surface that burst together with puss either naturally or when pressure is applied on them. These varieties are frequently referred as zits or pimples. The nodules and cysts are formed when large pus filled lesions occur within visible inflamed bumps around the skin. Millia is but yet another kind of acne that manifests as small white bumps around the surface of the skin.

trusted.md

Health Risks of Acne Treatments

Some of the most serious health effects come from isotretinoin products, such as Accutane® or Clarus® that are derived from vitamin A. These products are prescribed to treat severe cases of acne that are difficult to treat any other way. If taken by pregnant women, isotretinoin products can cause severely deformed babies or result in miscarriages, even if it is only used for a short time. Even one dose can affect a developing fetus. Women should not breastfeed if they are taking isotretinoin products, since doing so may harm the child. When doctors are prescribing this drug to women of childbearing age, they must use the manufacturer's risk management program.
Although there is no direct evidence, these products have also been linked to depression, even suicide in some people. They can also increase your chances of developing diabetes, liver disease or heart disease if you have a family history of these diseases. Isotretinoin products may also increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun and cause reduced night vision, which can come on suddenly.

hc-sc.gc.ca

Acne treatment tips from a dermatologist!

The type and severity of scarring needs to be assessed based on a number of factors including age, skin colour, presence of ongoing acne, etc. A dermatologist is the best person to discuss this with. Acne treatment options include laser (the new Fractionated Lasers have shown nice results, or you can use smoothbeam or another resurfacing laser), subcision or punch excision of scars, and a more modest benefit with chemical peels (remember, the deeper the peel the better the outcome, but it will mean more downtime) and microdermabrasion. Injectable fillers such as Restylane are sometimes used as well to plump out indented scars. It's critical to make sure that any acne is cleared up before going after the scars. You need to stop the fire in the house before rebuilding.

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