Acne Treatment

Natural Acne Medications

Very briefly: there is a series of events that is responsible, in most cases, for acne; we're calling this the “acne cycle”:

Stage 1: Sebaceous glands, all over your body, produce your natural skin oil.

Stage 2: A type of hormone called “androgen” stimulates sebaceous glands; if androgen becomes elevated (unbalanced), more sebum is produced, starting the “acne cycle.”

Stage 3: It doesn't take much additional sebum to start the cycle. Hair follicles produce more keratin (the basic protein that makes up hair and nails) when there is more sebum around to stimulate them. The combination of extra sebum, extra keratin and the thousands of dead skin cells we shed every minute of the day, blocks your pores. This elevates a natural bacteria called P.acnes. The body senses the elevated bacteria and sends white blood cells to fight it off. The results of all this are pimples, whiteheads, blackheads and, worst case, pustules.

Prescription Acne Medications and Side Effects

Almost all doctor prescribed natural acne medications (and many non-prescription medications) have possible side effects; the medications prescribed for acne problems are no different. Three types of medications are commonly prescribed: oral corticoseteroids (anti-inflammatory drugs that help fight the P.acnes bacteria and the resultant inflammation); antiandrogens (to reduce the androgen production that often starts the acne cycle); and oral contraceptives (to control hormonal changes associated with menstruation, pregnancy, stress, endocrine imbalance, or ovarian disease).

Oral Corticosteroids

Oral corticosteroids may cause weight gain and bone thinning.

Antiandrogens

Antiandrogens may cause irregular menstruation and breast tenderness in women.

Oral Contraceptives

Oral contraceptives have side effects that may include nausea, weight gain, menstrual spotting and breast tenderness.

The important word is “may.” Side effects of any drug are unpredictable and depend entirely on the body reactions of the individual user.

Non-Prescription Medications

The best acne treatment Acnezine for you depends partially on your skin type. If your acne is in an area where you have oily skin, you need a gel-based acne medication. If you have acne in an area of dry skin, a cream-based acne medication is best.

Another factor is how sensitive your skin is. If you have sensitive (easily irritated) skin, you need a product with a lower concentration of the product's active ingredient; i.e., a milder medication. A stronger product could complicate your acne problem by over-drying your skin in the affected area, causing the sebaceous glands to continue overproducing sebum. Proactiv Reviews.

The most commonly used active ingredients in acne medications are benzoyl peroxide and salycic acid. Generally speaking, the products that use benzoyl peroxide are stronger (have more active ingredient) than the products that use salycic acid. The “active ingredient” in a acne medication refers to the chemical in the medication that works to dry up the excess oil (sebum) from your skin; this follows the general assumption that reducing the amount of sebum takes away one of the factors in the acne cycle (discussed previously) and will reduce the problem. The key is the word “reduce.” The object of an effective medication is to reduce the oil to a normal (balanced) level -- not to reduce it to the point where it exacerbates the problem.

If your acne is painful or if it becomes painful when you use an acne medication, you might try using an over-the-counter acne medication, anti-inflammatory medicine like one of the ibuprofen products -- but just until you can get to a doctor. As a general rule: if you are having any problem or discomfort with your acne, go to your doctor A.S.A.P..