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.
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