Acne Treatment: Types, Side Effects, and More

Acne is mostly a consequence of clogged skin pores and hair follicles. Dead skin cells, dirt and oil from your skin’s surface all conglomerate to clog your pores which can then precipitate a series of events that eventually lead to inflammation. These localized infections are what dermatologists commonly refer to as acne vulgaris, a skin condition that afflicts millions of people across the globe. Acne spot treatments work to expunge the pimple-causing bacteria and dry out the excess sebum that is creating a favorable environment for them to thrive.

The best treatment option for you is determined by a number of factors. This includes

• Your age, gender and other prevailing health conditions such as pregnancy or allergies
• The severity and type of acne – Blackheads/whiteheads are easy to treat, cystic breakouts not so.
• Your budget or what you are willing to spend to keep the zits away
• Your history with acne vulgaris

Above all, your skincare specialist can be able to advise you accordingly on the best approach going forward. Chances are, it will be one of the following.

Lifestyle Remedies and the Best Acne Treatments for Teens

Sometimes, all you need to heal your pimples and mild breakouts is a simple but effective change in your lifestyle. You see, something as unassuming as changing your bedsheets daily or weekly can go a long way in keeping your skin pores unclogged since you are less likely to have oil from your hair and face building up on your beddings. The same applies to a gesture like washing your face with a suitable cleanser and warm water twice a day and after intense physical exertion.

Still on this, dermatologists will always advise you to invest in non comedogenic sunscreens, moisturizers and other skin care products over the conventional ones. This can help keep your pores and follicles open enough to prevent a progressive build up of beauty products. The same applies to makeup, creams and lotions.

What’s more, regular exercise has been shown to be effective in regulating hormones and androgen levels making it unlikely for one to suffer from hormonal or cystic acne. And since you won’t be spending as much money on acne scar removers if you start going to the gym, the extra freed up funds can be channeled to eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

How to Get Rid of Papules Using Topical Medications

It can happen that lifestyle remedies are not enough to help you get that elusive clear skin that you are frantically in search of. In such cases, you may require the aid of topical medications such as gels, creams, and lotions that can be applied directly to the skin to clear out pimples. Some of these are available directly over the counter while others may require a prescription for access.

Either way, OTC acne topical treatments often contain a number of active ingredients, notably benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. The objective here is to lessen the cumulative amount of sebum/oil that your skin produces on a daily basis. Apart from helping to stave off inflammation, the active ingredients in a standard OTC topical treatment may treat existing pustules while preventing new ones from breaking out.

Prescription-strength topical acne medication can be your next port of call if OTC products are hardly effecting any improvements in your symptoms.Unlike OTC patches and creams, these one mostly contain retinoids( a derivative of vitamin A ) and a stronger variant of benzoyl peroxide. It is also not uncommon to stumble upon antibiotics like clindamycin in prescription-type acne creams.

Oral Medication for Pustules and Lesions

Also known as systemic treatment, oral medications come into play when topical options prove to be not effective or potent enough. As expected, they are only available with a prescription from a licensed dermatologist  and are used to treat severe to moderate acne that is proven too stubborn for conventional modes of treatment. They will include

1.     Antibiotics and Nodular Acne

A daily antibiotic pill like tetracycline is the most common oral way of controlling breakouts. These antibiotics -which should only be used as a last resort – fight inflammation by inhibiting the activity of acne-triggering bacteria in a bid to improve your symptoms. Considering that you’ll be courting the risk of developing antibiotic resistance when you pursue this mode of treatment, it is advisable to keep the treatment stint as short as possible.

2.     Birth Control Pills and Papules

It’s an unusual yet remarkably effective way of regulating hormones that trigger cystic acne in women. That aside, they should not be used during pregnancy or when you are trying to conceive.  In such cases, you can explore other methods of banishing pimples and acne scar removal.

3.     Beating the Acne System Using Isotretinoin

Isotretinoin is a common oral acne medication from the retinoid family that works to reduce the size of the sebaceous glands in an effort to lessen the amount of oil secreted by them. Besides, it is believed to be instrumental in regulating the skin’s total cell turnover in such a way that the shed cells do not accidentally block the expulsion of excess oil and bacteria from your pores.

It’s a relatively potent medication and mostly only reserved for people suffering from cystic acne as the side effects are quite severe compared to other prescription-strength acne treatments.

Procedures That Can Treat Acne and Whiteheads

Apart from medications and treatment options, there exists several procedures that can be used to manage severe acne bouts. They can be performed in your dermatologists office and are typically a bit painful and can result in minimal scarring. The bright side, however, is that they tend to be more effective than standard remedies. They include

1.     Extraction and Lymphatic Drainage

During extraction and drainage, the dermatologist attempts to drain cysts and lesions that form just underneath your skin manually. This kind of extraction is geared towards removing dirt, pus, dead skin and fluids from the cyst to reduce inflammation, pain and infection. Additionally, the doctor can inject a steroid or antibiotic into the inflamed area to hasten the healing process and minimize the risk of scarring.

2.     Laser Therapy, Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C

Laser light can be used to reduce the activity of p.acnes and other acne-causing bacteria strains on your skin. The therapy is also believed to be helpful in minimizing infection.

3.     Skin Care Routine Using Microdermabrasion and Chemical Peels

Microdermabrasion and chemical peels treat acne by removing the outermost layer of your skin i.e the epidermis. In the process of doing this, blackheads and whiteheads are also removed thereby ridding your skin of blemishes.

Treating Papules Acne During Pregnancy

Expectant women, just like everyone else, are not necessarily immune to developing acne. However, since extra care must be taken to avoid harming the developing fetus, it means that the mother is restricted from using certain types of medications that are not safe to take during pregnancy. Tetracycline and isotretinoin, for example, have been linked to birth defects and shouldn’t be used by an expectant woman. This narrows down her treatment options to just a few viable approaches.

One of them is natural topical home remedies like aloe vera gel which can be paired up with salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide to improve its efficiency. Having said that, it is imperative to check with your physician before adopting any acne treatment remedy – whether standard or a kitchen treatment solution.

In Conclusion: Possible Side Effects of Standard Body Acne Treatments

These vary widely depending on the exact treatment solution that you elect to go with and general strength of the prescription. Most side effects of topical acne medications are irritation and temporary skin dryness which goes away as your body gets used to the new mode of treatment. You should, nonetheless, speak to your doctor if your skin starts itching or peeling heavily weeks after adopting the medication.

The potential side effects of oral acne treatment are, however, a bit more serious. Antibiotics, for instance, are known to cause perpetual stomach upsets or dizziness and lightheadedness. Others affect how effective your birth control pills and contraceptives work to protect you from unplanned pregnancy.

It is also not unheard of for oral contraceptives that are used to control acne increasing a woman’s risk of developing blood clots, high blood pressure or diabetes. Oral isotretinoin , on the other hand, has severe side effects particularly if you get pregnant while taking it. The medication has been linked to multiple birth defects and increased risk of suffering from suicidal thoughts and depression.