Acne is a common skin disorder that affects most people at least once in their lifetime. If proper treatment is not taken up, acne may worsen resulting in many more difficulties. Acne medication is a must for all those who are suffering from acne. If you follow a balanced diet, regular exercise and proper skin care routine along with medication, you can achieve freedom from acne.
How Does Acne Treatments Work?
Many factors such as hormonal changes, hereditary factors, side effects of medicines and oily nature of the skin contribute to acne outbreaks. Taking up an appropriate treatment for acne decreases the oil production in the body, acts against infection and reduces the inflammation thereby promising an acne free skin.
Topical medication, oral medication and some therapies are widely used to treat acne. It is better to avoid oral medicines for acne, if you are pregnant.
For mild acne, doctors generally prescribe topical medicine such as acne lotion. Lotions with ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, resorcinol, salicylic acid or lactic acid work best to cure mild acne problems. Azelaic acid, clindamycin, erythromycin, sodium sulfacetamide, tretinoin, adapalene
and tazarotene also works well against acne. If this doesn’t give the desired results, you may switch over to some stronger medication.
Doctors also prescribe oral antibiotics for those suffering from severe acne. Antibiotics are required to fight inflammation and reduce infection. For better results, topical medications can also be followed along with oral medicines.
If your acne cysts are too deep, there are chances that neither topical nor oral drugs would work. In such cases, doctors prescribe Isotretinoin which is a powerful and highly effective acne medication. This drug may have severe side effects, so a close attention by a dermatologist is highly recommended. However, pregnant women should avoid Isotretinoin.
Oral contraceptives which include combinations of drospirenone, desogestrel, or norgestimate work best in fighting acne. This may also have some side effects.
Therapies such as laser and light therapy are found useful in acne treatment. They penetrate through the skin layers without causing any damage to the skin thereby reducing the oil production and killing the bacteria that causes infection.
Cosmetologists also carry out chemical peels to control acne and lessen acne scars. Other methods such as dermabrasion, soft tissue fillers and microdermabrasion are recommended for acne scar removal.
Highly inflamed acne needs intensive treatment which includes interlesional corticosteroid injection. This treatment reduces inflammation and helps in easy healing.
Acne medication differs from person to person. It depends on the severity of the acne. For some people, it may take only weeks to heal while for others it may take months or even years together. It is always better to take medication as prescribed by the doctor. Never overlap one treatment over another. If taken properly, these medicines can make your skin look fresh and unblemished as before.