Acne Treatments That Work

Acne is present almost everywhere on the human body. It most often develops on the face, back, shoulders, chest, and neck. If you do have acne, you will usually see black or white pimples. Both whiteheads and blackheads are also called comedones. This is the reason that acne is referred to as a skin condition. There are several types of acne that are present on the skin including whitehead, blackhead, papule, pustule, nodule and cyst.

There are two main types of acne that occur on the body including the acne vulgaris and acne rosacea. The type of acne that rosacea develops is caused by inflammation and redness of the facial skin. Rosacea generally appears during adolescence but can also develop in early adulthood. The main reason for this is increased levels of certain hormones in the blood stream that causes stimulation of the sebaceous glands to produce more oil resulting in clogged pores. This results in the swelling of the skin resulting in the creation of pustules, papules and nodules.

Mild forms of acne are not severe and often go away on their own. However, these forms of acne are more common because they are less severe than severe types. Severe acne is characterized by inflamed skin that often scabs over and leaves a red spot. Acne is categorized into mild, moderate and severe acne. Mild forms usually clear within about three to six months and can often be treated with over-the-counter medications such as benzoyl peroxide, resorcinol, sulfur, adapalene and azelaic acid.

Blackheads are another form of acne. They are also characterized by inflamed skin. They occur when the oil from the skin is forced to leak out through small holes in the skin. There are two types of blackheads namely blackheads and whiteheads. Blackheads are commonly associated with excess dirt, dead skin cells, and oil. Whiteheads, on the other hand, are caused by excess oil and are normally found on the nose, chin, forehead and eyelids.

Acne can also be treated with oral antibiotics or topical retinoids. Oral antibiotics can be taken as tetracycline, doxycycline, minocycline as well as erythromycin and cotrimoxazole. These antibiotics work by destroying the bacteria that cause acne by preventing the reproduction of the bacterium. Antibiotics can also be used for inflammatory acne in which case they're commonly referred to as corticosteroids. Topical retinoids include tretinoin, adapalene, and isotretinoin.

To prevent scarring of the skin, it's best to treat acne at an early stage before the lesions become noticeable. In order to treat blackhead acne effectively, you must also treat whiteheads. For mild cases of whiteheads, a gentle solution consisting of a teaspoon of mild soap and a few drops of water applied to the affected area is usually all that's needed. To get rid of whiteheads and blackheads, a more powerful cleaning agent is required in most cases.

For acne treatment, you'll also need to ensure that you're not touching your face too often, since this can spread bacteria from one port to another. This can result in clogged pores and lesions as well as increased inflammation and redness of the skin. Since acne prone skin is less resistant to damage from bacteria than normal skin, it's always best to avoid touching your face.

The development of blackheads, whiteheads and pimples is normal, but when acne turns cystic, this is an indication that the acne has become more serious. Cystic acne is characterized by inflamed lesions containing a whitehead or blackhead. If cystic acne spreads to other parts of the body, such as the back, shoulders or neck, scarring may result. Although acne caused by bacteria can be cleared by simple oral antibiotics, severe acne requiring topical medication will probably be treated with a prescription medication.