Choosing the Best Acne Treatments for You

Choosing the Best Acne Treatments for You

Face it: Acne is ugly. Whether it's pimples, redness, swelling or scars, acne can really wreak havoc on your face. What's worse is that acne problems can be devastating from an emotional and psychological point of view, especially if your acne is severe.

Acne can really be tough to put up with. You can watch your diet, wash your face three times a day, use every over-the-counter acne treatment product known to mankind, exercise and cover it up with makeup. Still, nothing seems to make your acne go away, unless you find the best acne treatment for you, which is a treatment that suits your skin type.

What Is Acne?
Your skin has glands called sebaceous glands, which are attached to hair follicles and are primarily on the face, neck, back and chest. These glands produce a substance called sebum. Sebum is an oily substance that mixes with the moisture produced by the sweat glands. Your skin needs sebum to protect it and lock in moisture to prevent your skin from becoming dry and cracked.
Too much sebum, however, can cause the pores to become blocked and leads to blemishes. These eruptions become blackheads and lead to pimples.
It is common to have a few pimples now and then, especially when you are in your teen years or when you are dealing with any hormonal changes like pregnancy or even pre-menopause. This type of acne doesn't usually pose too much of a problem for most people and can be taken care of with the occasional application of topical acne cream. A good skin care routine with a focus on cleansing, toning and moisturizing will also help keep sporadic blemishes under control.

Over-the-Counter Acne Treatments
So, is there a cure for your acne or are you doomed to live with it? The answer is no and no. There isn't a cure for acne. But you aren't doomed and you don't have to live with it. You will want to be careful about how you choose to treat it, though, or you could wind up spending a lot of money on a lot of treatments that simply don't work. Here's the lowdown on two of the more popular treatments that have been used up until now:
Benzoyl Peroxide. Probably one of the oldest treatments for acne, benzoyl peroxide has been around since the 1930s. You can find benzoyl peroxide in everything from creams to gels and lotions to washes in varying strengths. It dries out the sebum on the skin and acts as an antiseptic that helps clear away bacteria on the surface of the skin. Be careful, though: Benzoyl peroxide has a bleaching action, so keep it away from clothing. Plus, too much of it can overdry your skin.
Salicylic Acid. Salicylic acid, which helps exfoliate the skin, can also be irritating and drying to the skin, so it's important to use it carefully. Use it only on actual areas of skin that are broken out, not all over the skin.

What Can You Do to Treat Your Acne Safely?
Most over-the-counter acne treatment products contain either benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. Choose products with the smallest concentration of these ingredients that will give you results. Spot-treat your acne as much as possible to avoid drying out the surrounding skin.
You can choose treatments for your acne that don't include harsh, drying products like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. In fact, many homeopathic remedies for acne have been quite successful for many people. Remember, however, that no single product or remedy works for everyone, so you may need to experiment before finding one that helps your acne.
To avoid any reaction, be sure to try only one remedy at a time, waiting a few days in between new products. Head to the kitchen to find some potential all-natural solutions to your acne:
Lemon Juice. Cleaning your skin with lemon juice can help relieve acne. The citric acid works to help kill the harmful bacteria that produce acne. You can also try a paste made from ground orange peels for the same citric acid benefits.
Oatmeal. Make a thick mask of oatmeal and water and apply it to your face. Leave it on for 10 to 20 minutes twice a day. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
Garlic. It might not smell sweet, but garlic makes an effective spot treatment for acne blemishes because it is high in anti-bacterial properties.


Medical Acne Treatments
If you are breaking out frequently and getting a large number of pimples that don't respond to cleansing and occasional over-the-counter creams, you may want to consider visiting a dermatologist.
Acne-fighting medications are powerful treatments with side effects that can be damaging, so be sure to discuss them thoroughly with your doctor and remain under the doctor's care during the entire course of treatment.
Accutane. Some people have had positive results from using Accutane, but they also generally suffer some side effects. These side effects include dry, itchy skin, and dry nose and/or mild nosebleeds. More serious side effects include mood changes, irritated eyelids and eyes, and joint and muscle pain. Most of these side effects can be treated effectively as long as you keep lines of communication open with your doctor.
Antibiotics. Topical or oral antibiotics are also used to treat acne and can provide some relief. However, you should remain under a doctor's care when using antibiotics, especially oral antibiotics. The body can build a resistance to antibiotics if they are overused. Staying under a doctor's care can help prevent this overuse.
Source: life123.com