Acne medication

We can divide acne medication into two groups:

• Over-the-counter medication and specialized skincare products

• Prescription medication in the form of systemic or topical products

on this page Face wash and acne medication Spot treatment lotions and creams Prescription acne medication

Over-the-counter acne medication and specialized skincare products will normally include the following:

Face wash as acne medication

You need to remove dirt, grime and pollution from your face as well as any make-up, but an over-zealous attitude to cleansing will do more harm than good. A good facial wash or cleanser should be used twice a day to remove excess sebum and may be medicated in some form or another.

Be careful not to use too strong a facial wash, as it will irritate the skin, strip away essential elements in the skin, and leave the skin tight and pulling. This is NOT an indication that you have cleansed the face properly, but an indication that you irritated the skin and caused the subcutaneous layer of the skin to be compromised - the very thing that you want to prevent.

To wash your face, use a proprietary wash/soap/cleaner specially formulated for problem skin. Using lukewarm water, clean the skin well, ensuring that all areas are washed. Rinse the face after washing with clear lukewarm water to remove any residue of the face wash.

Do NOT use overly hot water. People suffering from acne and skin problems have the mistaken idea that washing their faces with scalding hot water will help clear up the problem. It WILL NOT, it will only cause more stress to the skin.

After washing, gently pat the skin dry with a soft towel and do NOT vigorously rub the skin dry. After drying the skin, you can apply a non-alcohol toner if you so wish.

We believe that our Problem Skin Facial Wash is a great product to use, since it contains 8 active ingredients (salicylic acid, centella asiatica etc) to help with acne and problem skin - for more information on our Problem Skin Face Wash please click here.

Spot treatment lotions and creams

• Benzoyl peroxide component
  • Benzoyl peroxide is a very popular way to treat pimples and acne and is effective for mild forms of acne, but has the distinct disadvantage of drying the skin excessively and can cause redness and flaking.
• Salicylic acid component
  • Salicylic acid is often included in creams, as it helps to correct the shedding of cells, helps unclog the pores and also helps to prevent lesions.
• Sulfur component
  • Sulfur is an old remedy for acne and pimple treatment and is often used in conjunction with other ingredients, but still is one of the mainstays of acne and pimple medication.

Prescription acne medication

Should you however suffer from cystic acne, or find that over-the-counter acne medication has little or no effect on your acne, then a dermatologist must be consulted and he/she will then probably fight your skin problem with a variety of prescription acne medication products.

Topical medication may include antibiotic, sulfonamide, azeleic acid or retinoid compounds to treat acne, and the type used will be determined by various factors and will be assessed by your dermatologist. Be sure to ask what you may or may not do while using these creams, as some of them may have negative side effects.

Oral medication may include a broad spectrum antibiotic such as tetracycline (which may cause staining of teeth in very young patients and may also not be taken by pregnant women), erythromycin or minocycline etc. Corticosteroid treatment can be given for a short period of time for very severe acne, but may cause unwanted side effects in longer term use.

Oral isotretinoin treatment may also be undertaken, and is extremely popular as good results can be achieved, but the downside of this treatment is that it is a very powerful drug and if not VERY closely monitored may cause liver damage and a array of other very uncomfortable and unwanted problems. For more information on the side effects please click here.

Hormonal treatments may also be undertaken, but are not feasible for all sufferers and once again must be closely monitored.

Other information on acne and pimples

We have divided the pages dealing problem skin into various categories, which you can access by following the hyperlinks below.

• General information
• Age groups affected
• Terms used in acne
• Age groups affected by acne
• Prevention and treatment of acne scars
• Acne medication - over-the-counter and prescription
• Treating acne with Isotretinoin (Roaccutane / Accutane)
• Facts and myths about acne
• Social behavior and psychological effects of acne and pimples
• Where acne is found on the body

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