Those who are faced with the embarrassment of acne, will be glad to know that there are medications that can help give them a clear complexion.
Many versions of over-the-counter acne products, exist, some of which claim to perform some miraculous solution, but the results can sometimes be disappointing.
Before we get into treatments, let's look a little deeper into what acne is.
There are several types of acne including
With non-inflammatory acne, an individual will either experience a few or many whiteheads and/or blackheads.
While these may not be as obvious as regular pimples, they can still cause some embarrassment.
Everyone wants their skin to look healthy, yet the skin has somewhat of a mind of its own, which rains on the parade.
Whiteheads occur when sebum, which is the skin's oil, and other bacteria become trapped under the skin.
Blackheads, on the other hand, are the exact opposite.
They are still caused by trapped sebum and other types of bacteria, but these will partially expose themselves to the surface.
Most individuals will notice a little black dot, which is actually a result of chemical makeup in the skin, as well as outside oxygen sources.
If a person is lucky, the whiteheads and blackheads will eventually make it safely to surface level and disappear.
However, if they do not completely make their way to the skin's surface they will evolve into pimples, which fall under the inflammatory category of acne.
Inflammatory pimples form as a result of a breakdown of the wall of the oil gland duct so that the oily sebum gets into the dermis causing irritation instead of flowing to the skin's surface.
Pimples can also be caused from makeup clogging up the mores, as well as other cosmetics that one uses on their skin.
Once the pimple(s) form, a person will likely pick or squeeze the bumps and if this doesn't work, run out and purchase an over-the-counter, topical application, in hope that this will solve the problem in a day or two.
However, the pimples need to be minimized as quickly as possible, as they can actually explode and spread to other areas of the face.
The last thing people want is to have one pimple evolve into a whole face of pimples.
A wide variety of treatments are available over the counter usually with one or more of the following active ingredients: salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or sulphur for example.
Products with these components can help at times, but many individuals need more.
For acne that seems to put up a bigger fight, antibiotics may be required to slow down the bacteria growth, as well as slow down any inflammation that is occurring.
Additionally, acne medications called retinoids are much more effective at removing and preventing blackheads and whiteheads that lead to the inflammatory lesions.
Under the care of a dermatologist, these medications can give you a clear complexion or when necessary be combined with acne extractions, laser treatments, or oral retinoids to achieve the desired results.
Many versions of over-the-counter acne products, exist, some of which claim to perform some miraculous solution, but the results can sometimes be disappointing.
Before we get into treatments, let's look a little deeper into what acne is.
There are several types of acne including
- comedonal,
- papular,
- nodular and
- cystic.
With non-inflammatory acne, an individual will either experience a few or many whiteheads and/or blackheads.
While these may not be as obvious as regular pimples, they can still cause some embarrassment.
Everyone wants their skin to look healthy, yet the skin has somewhat of a mind of its own, which rains on the parade.
Whiteheads occur when sebum, which is the skin's oil, and other bacteria become trapped under the skin.
Blackheads, on the other hand, are the exact opposite.
They are still caused by trapped sebum and other types of bacteria, but these will partially expose themselves to the surface.
Most individuals will notice a little black dot, which is actually a result of chemical makeup in the skin, as well as outside oxygen sources.
If a person is lucky, the whiteheads and blackheads will eventually make it safely to surface level and disappear.
However, if they do not completely make their way to the skin's surface they will evolve into pimples, which fall under the inflammatory category of acne.
Inflammatory pimples form as a result of a breakdown of the wall of the oil gland duct so that the oily sebum gets into the dermis causing irritation instead of flowing to the skin's surface.
Pimples can also be caused from makeup clogging up the mores, as well as other cosmetics that one uses on their skin.
Once the pimple(s) form, a person will likely pick or squeeze the bumps and if this doesn't work, run out and purchase an over-the-counter, topical application, in hope that this will solve the problem in a day or two.
However, the pimples need to be minimized as quickly as possible, as they can actually explode and spread to other areas of the face.
The last thing people want is to have one pimple evolve into a whole face of pimples.
A wide variety of treatments are available over the counter usually with one or more of the following active ingredients: salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or sulphur for example.
Products with these components can help at times, but many individuals need more.
For acne that seems to put up a bigger fight, antibiotics may be required to slow down the bacteria growth, as well as slow down any inflammation that is occurring.
Additionally, acne medications called retinoids are much more effective at removing and preventing blackheads and whiteheads that lead to the inflammatory lesions.
Under the care of a dermatologist, these medications can give you a clear complexion or when necessary be combined with acne extractions, laser treatments, or oral retinoids to achieve the desired results.