What Are Your Acne Treatment Choices?
Anyone who suffers from acne knows that it’s difficult to deal with. Many things can make acne worse, like certain foods, stress and even facial cleansers, but it can be hard to find the things that will make it better. Much of the focus is on trying cleansers and treatments and discovering if they work.
Luckily, much is known about how to make acne better. Because half the battle is how severe the acne is and treating it properly, the focus needs to be on not over treating acne, which will make it worse. It’s also important to understand that the treatment for someone with mild acne will be vastly different than the treatment for someone with more severe problems.
Mild acne treatment is usually fairly simple. Mild acne is usually defined as having just a cluster of blackheads or whiteheads or a smattering of pimples. The treatment is usually mild soap followed by an effective topical treatment like benzoyl peroxide or a product that contains salicylic acid. If these treatments don’t work, a doctor can usually prescribe a slightly more intense lotion that will work for the mild acne symptoms.
For those with moderate to severe acne, the treatment changes a bit. Moderate or severe acne is usually defined as acne that includes nodules or cysts and that are deep enough to leave scars if not treated properly. If you go to the doctor with severe acne, a doctor will often prescribe oral antibiotics to get the skin healthy faster; this will accompany a prescribed regimen of care.
Treatment for moderate to severe acne usually includes a combination of products and treatment regimens. Treatment is usually customized for the unique problems of each patient.
Some treatments that might be prescribed for moderate or severe acne include prescription gels, creams and lotions which contain antibiotics, and prescription retinoids that are applied via a lotion. Some other treatments include taking oral retinoids, the most common of which is Accutane. Sometimes a doctor will treat severe acne by draining cysts and pimples, or having the patient apply azelaic acid.
It’s important to know that some treatments might take several weeks (from six to eight) to work and some might even make the acne worse before it gets better. Other treatments might include a change in diet (though, contrary to popular belief, chocolate and greasy foods do not cause acne), a change in hair products or skin products and even an avoidance of the sun, which is often found to help reduce the severity of acne.
Acne can be uncomfortable and embarrassing to live with, but it’s not incurable. There are many things people can do to make acne less of a lifestyle problem and more of a simple nuisance that requires regular care and attention.
Tired of that problem acne? Tired of people staring at your skin? Find out what the best treatment for acne is right now.
