Living With Acne

Treating acne is an ongoing process. Acne is an ongoing process with new blemishes appearing on top of existing blemishes. Older acne heals but there is a new blemish reading to take its place.

Once you've exhausted the over the counter products, you should turn to your doctor. Your general health professional may subscribe a prescription strength treatment but if your case is severe enough they will likely recommend you to a dermatologist.

Once you've visited the dermatologist you will be evaluated for treatment. The doctor will have to take into consideration your age, gender and the type of acne you're experiencing. Your dermatologist will develop a plan based on your individual case. Each case is different and the treatment will be just as individually planned.

Sometimes a topical treatment will be attempted and others will begin their treatment with an oral medication. Some patients are treated with both approaches. For more stubborn cases, laser treatment is sometimes suggested.
Topical acne treatments typically prescribed include benzoyl peroxide, retinoids, salicylic acid, and retinoids. They come in the form of lotions, gels, or creams.

Oral treatments typically include oral antibiotics. Dermatologists typically prescribe oral antibiotics for acne that is resistant to topical treatments. It is also typically prescribed for acne that covers a large area where topical treatment may be impractical.

Dermatologist will sometimes give females birth control pills to combat acne. It decreases certain hormones that contribute to blemishes.
Another more drastic approach a dermatologist may use is corticosteroid injections. These injections work quickly to treat painful acne covering a large area.

This is our first step. Most teenagers are well aware of the most popular and widely advertised products. I recommend you try out one product at a time. Some teens will buy up all the latest treatments and may end up aggravating the area resulting in the acne getting worse! If you over use these products you may also over dry the oil causing dryness and peeling.

A good place to begin is with a face wipe or cleansing pad. If that fails to make a difference then move on to a product with benzoyl peroxide. Creams and lotions containing benzoyl peroxide can be found in any major drug store.

Some of these companies also sell a complete home kit. This typically contains a variety of products that work together to battle your blemishes. Buying one of these kits can help with the confusion of determining what products you should buy. They make the choices easier by giving you a skin regimen in a kit. Some of the big companies that carry these kits include Acne Free, Proactive, and L'Oreal's Acne Response.

Unfortunately, you will have to invest time in experimenting with these various products before you can figure out which one works best with your skin and the type of acne you have.

All of us should be able to identify with this problem. At least the more mild forms of acne. The problem is some individual's battle with severe acne that is stubborn and difficult to overcome. Acne usually shows up in the most visible locations. The face, neck and back area are the most typical body areas you'll find blemishes. We have many weapons at our disposal and I'd like to outline the most popular choices here.

Dermatologists follow various steps to treat acne and they usually begin with medications and topical treatment. Some of these medications can cause side effects that make it difficult to continue treatment. In that case, dermatologists have found that laser treatment may be the answer. Below you'll find helpful information about the various treatments.