Acne Treatments
Acne is a common problem for teenagers, adolescent, and even
some adults. It can be painful, distracting, and damaging to
your self confidence when acne lesions are active and visible.
To help combat the problem of acne, science has put a great
deal of time and effort into developing effective acne
treatment.
A wide variety of acne treatments
Because each person is a little bit different, it often
takes a bit of testing and trying different things to find the
acne treatments that work best for each individual.
Fortunately, there are literally hundreds of choices available
to help you treat
your acne problem.
Most acne treatments fall into one of these
categories:
Mild cleanser - These products are available over the
counter in your local drug or beauty supply store. They contain
mild ingredients that work to cleanse your face of dirt and
bacteria, a primary cause of acne problems.
Chemical - These products (also available over the counter)
contain one of several different chemicals that are great for
eliminating bacteria and reducing the occurrence of acne.
Examples include salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide.
Prescription - A huge array of prescription drugs are
available to help deal with acne. These acne treatments vary in
how they work and what severity of acne they are able to treat.
You must see a doctor or dermatologist to get a prescription
for these medicines; they are not available over the
counter.
Other - Some other types of acne treatments available
include light therapy, laser resurfacing, chemical peels, and
pulse light treatments. Most of these types of acne treatments
are available primarily through a doctor, dermatologist, or
other skin specialist.
Stay clean, stay clear
Perhaps the most important thing to remember when it comes
to acne treatments is to keep your skin clean and
bacteria-free. Bacteria are the primary cause of acne, so the
more you can keep it away the more likely you are to keep the
acne away as well.
Keeping your skin clean, however, does not mean you need to
scrub it or rub it heavily. In fact, the harder you scrub the
more likely you are to irritate your skin, which in turn can
lead to more bacteria and more acne lesions. Less is more when
it comes to cleaning your skin; use a light touch with less
pressure, washing your skin no more than twice per day.
Many companies sell all sorts of products that they claim
will be the solution to your acne problems, but if you look
closely most of them contain the same or very similar
ingredients. The best acne treatments make it easy for you to
clean your skin thoroughly without unnecessary irritation,
while not causing difficult side effects such as dryness,
flaking, itching, and the like.
If one product causes unpleasant side effects for you,
either reduce your use of that product or change to a different
product. Regardless of the products you choose to use, remember
that it takes time for them to work. Try to stick with a
product for at least a few weeks or so to give it time to work;
if, after that time, you are not getting the results you want
then move on to something else.
|