Treatments for ACNE

Dermatologists, skin doctors, treat all kinds of acne, particularly severe cases. General or family practitioners, pediatricians, or internists may also treat patients with acne, however, these are usually of  milder cases of acne.

Treatment Goals

The goals of treatment are to heal existing lesions, stop new lesions from forming, prevent scarring, and minimize the psychological stress and embarrassment caused by this disease. All drug treatment is aimed at preventing and decreasing certain stages that cause acne, whether it be stopping pore plugging or bacterial growth. Unfortunately, all medicines can have side effects. You should review the package insert that comes with your medicine with your pharmacist always, and ask your health care provider any questions about the possible side effects. This is especially important for pregnant females or females that are sexually active.

The skin condition known as acne is one of the most painful parts of the teenage years. Although no one knows what specifically causes the condition, some acne treatment methods do offer hope that by lessening the severity and frequency of the outbreaks, the adolescent may get through those embarrassing outbreaks with the least amount of social embarrassment.

Face Washing

Frequent washing of the face with unscented soap so to remove excessive oil is recommended. If you're oily, the more you wash the better. Three times daily is the minimum, preferably after each meal. Your goal is to degrease the skin, which will alleviate the acne that stems from too much oil. Mildly oily skin reacts very well to Ivory soap.

Topical Solutions

Topical solutions that dry the skin and promote peeling may help to eliminate acne over time. Over-the-counter preparations may contain benzoyl peroxide (a potent antibacterial agent) sulfur, or resorcinol. There are numerous over-the-counter acne soaps for tougher oil problems, among them SAStid, Sulphur Soap, Acnaveen and Acne-Aid. These contain strong drying agents and/or substances that promote peeling. If you're black or dark complexioned, beware of resorcinol; it can cause dark stains and blotches on your skin. And if you're using one of the acne soaps, start slowly. You don't want to dry out or start peeling too fast; wash once daily at first and gradually increase to two or three times per day.

In more severe cases, topical or oral antibiotics like tetracycline and erythromycin may be prescribed.

Topical Tretinoin

A synthetic form of vitamin A (topical tretinoin), administered either topically or orally, is useful against cystic acne (although it may cause birth defects when taken orally by pregnant women).

UV Light Exposure

Controlled exposure to sunlight or artificial ultraviolet light may help to heal acne. The key words here are controlled. Severe sunburn can cause skin damage far beyond what would be received by acne scarring, and may lead to melanoma. Sunlight is beneficial to the skin, in fact, some exposure to sunlight is vital to good health, but exposure to the sun's rays to the level that would case burning and peeling is dangerous.

Surgery and Peels

In extreme cases chemical peeling, surgical drainage, or removal of cysts may be warranted.

While reducing or eliminating the use of cosmetics is not an acne treatment as such, it is apparent that substances which block the pores of the skin can lead to excessive trapping of byproducts of skin surface metabolism. Allowing the skin to breathe will prevent some if not all of the oily blockage.

Consult a doctor or dermatologist to discuss optimal ways to treat acne.

Skin Changes through Time

The human lifetime is basically divided into three stages: Childhood, Adult, and Old age. It is during the transition from being a child to an adult that a person faces a lot of changes and challenges. One of the strongest amongst the challenges is the worry of acne. Acne is common among youth and other people of all races with oily skin.

Acne is a disorder resulting from the action of the skin's oil glands (sebaceous glands), hormones and other substances. The mixture of the oil and the skin cells promote the growth of bacteria which leads to the clogging of pores and lesions commonly known as pimples (type of acne). Though acne is not a physically life-threatening disorder, it can causes intense emotional stress to those affected.

All kinds of acne from blackheads and simple pimples to more serious cystic acne are treatable. Because acne is formed beneath the surface of the skin, the first and foremost treatment for acne would be keeping the pores of the skin clean by washing the area affected twice daily with antibacterial cleansers.

Home Treatments

Home treatment may be advisable for those with mild acne. Though the treatment doesn't assure overnight disappearance of the acne, it does provide temporary relief. Initially all the treatments to acne requires frequent washing of the skin to keep it clean and clear from the accumulation of oil, dead cells, bacteria and dust.

 

Topical Medicines and Topical Drugs

Over the counter and the prescription of the topical medicines for acne usually include:

Benzoyl peroxide

Used once or twice daily as a topical application to prevent excessive oil production, it insures drying of the skin and it also has antibacterial qualities. The result of benzoyl peroxide application will be evident only after a few weeks on the skin acne.

Salicylic Acid

Used once or twice daily as topical application. Salicylic acid prevents clogging of the pores and shedding of excess skin, and hair follicles thereby preventing the spread of acne.

Resorcinol

Treating skin covered with acne's enormous blackheads and whiteheads with Resorcinol helps to clear the lesions.

 

Oral Medicines and Oral Drugs

Along with the over-the-counter topical medication, oral medications are sometimes advised for the treatment of acne and they include:

Antibiotics

Variety of antibiotics: Because acne is a problem dealing with the microbes invading the skin surface, oral antibiotics such as tetracycline are usually advised to prevent inflammation.

Accutane

Oral retinoid (derivatives of Vitamin A) are effective in drying up oily secretions which lead to acne. Isotretinoin, a well known oral retinoid is prescribed for people with severe acne.

Hormones

Hormone pills are known to be effective for women with acne because they suppress activity of testosterone, the male hormone.

Treatment failure with common treatments for acne, such as systemic antibiotics and isotretinoin are, are around 2/3 to 1/3, respectively. Furthermore, acne that is chronic, and if the patient has concerns over isotretinoin use, or has bacteria that are resistant to treatment, hormones should be considered. More importantly, if there are any additional signs of hormonal imbalances, such as hirsutism (e.g., excess facial hair), hormones should be seriously considered.

The following hormone/hormone-based therapies are: Oral contraceptives, Spironolactone, Flutamide, Cyproterone, Corticosteroidsand Inhibitors of 5 alpha-reductase.

 

Lasers and Dermabrasion

For severe acne scars, doctors may recommend dermabrasion. Dermabrasion is a form of laser removal of the layer of affected skin.

Prevention is always better than cure; hence, keeping the skin clean and clear will always help in preventing the skin acne.