The sheer number of products available for acne today is astounding. If you walk into your local store and head to the appropriate aisle, your eyes will widen at the sight of hundreds of acne cleansers, creams, and other products formulated for acne-prone skin. As some who has just started suffering from acne, the feat of choosing a product can be overwhelming. It can even be difficult for acne veterans to distinguish quality products from more ineffective ones. The situation gets no less complicated when you schedule an appointment at your local dermatologist’s office. Those who’ve attended at least several visits know that these doctors stock their own toolkit of various acne medications, each designed to serve one or more purposes. To somewhat obliterate the cloud of confusion that looms over acne products, this article will describe some of them as well as what they are intended for.
We should start with the more confusing of the two: over the counter products. There are far more OTC treatments than prescription medications, and with thousands of advertisements touting their purported effectiveness, it can be hard to choose the right one. A good portion of OTC products contain the active ingredient known as benzoyl peroxide. This medication bring relief on two fronts. On the first, it kills the bacteria that is responsible for inflamed types of acne such as whiteheads and pustules. On the second, it helps restore our skin’s ability to slough off dead cells. This skin cell turnover function is compromised in those who have acne.
Benzoyl peroxide is not much more effective in 10% concentrations than it is in 2.5% concentrations. It is a misconception to think that higher concentrations translate to more potent results. The added concentration only triggers more irritation, so you are better sticking to the 2.5% version. Other popular, brand-name medications include additives such as sulfur and salicylic acid. These perform somewhat identical functions when compared to benzoyl peroxide, and are good ingredients to find in a quality treatment.
Dermatologists generally prescribe patients multiple medications. The topical medications they prescribe are designed to control acne bacteria and help improve skin cell turnover. For the bacteria, they often recommend medications such as Erythromycin and even benzoyl peroxide. Skin cell turnover is improved with topical retinoids like Retin-A which are derived from Vitamin-A. Sometimes, oral antibiotics are required to further regulate bacteria, the most popular being Tetracycline. Severe cases of acne warrant a medication known as Accutane, which completely halts oil production. Without a trace of sebum, acne cannot form. This is prescribed when other conventional treatments have not worked and as a result the patient is suffering tremendously from the disorder.
When determining what treatment is best for you, you need to properly asses the severity of your acne. Whiteheads and blackheads which signal a more mild case of acne can typically respond well to over the counter products. Inflamed lesions like pustules and cysts should be examined by a dermatologist for proper treatment. Prescription medications are often the best course of treatment for this form of acne.
More on topical retinoids acne treatment and how to get rid of acne scars is contained on our website.
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- Ways To Treat Acne - A common skin disease called acne is the appearance of pimples on any part of the human body. There are different types of acne treatments available and they are broadly classified into medications and procedures. The various kinds of medications are antibiotics, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, nicotinamide, retinoid, azelaic acid, alpha hydroxyl acid, and kera-tolytic ...
