Acne Remedies

REMEDIES TO BEAT ACNE

Acne is usually diagnosed by you and then determine if the condition is noninflammatory (open and closed comedones) like black head and whiteheads, inflammatory (papules or pustules) or a mixture of both (the most common situation).

Topical treatment is sufficient in most persons with acne, but systemic therapy is required in patients who have deep acne with nodules and cysts.

How Is Acne Treated?

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. Drug treatment is aimed at reducing several problems that play a part in causing acne:

• abnormal clumping of cells in the follicles

• increased oil production

• bacteria

• inflammation.

In the acne treatment Cream, Gel, lotion or solution are used as active agents depending on the skin type. Creams are appropriate for patients with sensitive or dry skin who require a nonirritating, nondrying formulation. Patients with oily skin may complain of an "oily" feel with creams.

Patients who have oily skin may be more comfortable with gels, which have a drying effect. However, gels may cause a burning-type irritation in some persons and may prevent certain kinds of cosmetics from adhering to the skin.

Lotions can be used with any skin type, and they spread well over hair-bearing skin. Yet lotions contain propylene glycol and thus may have burning or drying effects.

Solutions are mainly used with topical antibiotics, which are often dissolved in alcohol. Like gels, solutions work best in patients with oily skin.

Treatment for Blackheads, Whiteheads & Mild Inflammatory Acne

Doctors usually recommend an OTC 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 OTC 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 OTC medicines are available in many forms, such as gels, lotions, creams, soaps, or pads. In some people, OTC 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.

OTC 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.

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 (Retin-A), adapalene (Differin), and tazarotene (Tazorac)

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 OTC 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.

As with OTC medicines, the benefits of prescription topical medicines are not immediate. Your skin may seem worse before it gets better. It may take from 4 to 8 weeks to notice improvemen

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.

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