8/12/2007

Do You know Which Acne Treatment is Best for You?


Azelaic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Resorcinol, sulphur, and Adapalene are products that approach acne skin care with the intent to reduce clogged pores by peeling or sloughing off dead skins cells. Salicylic Acid is found in over-the-counter acne care products, such as Stridex, as are Resorcinol and sulphur. While most acne skin care treatments in this group target the surface of the skin, Adapalene, a prescription-only medication, reduces the build-up of dead skin cells inside the pore itself. Also a prescription-only skin care product, Azelaic Acid has the added benefit of killing P. acnes bacteria.

Acne is a severe skin disease that affects millions of people. It can lead to depression, leave you with a low self-esteem, and keep you from doing things you want to do. If you currently have acne, it`s not the end of the world. You need to sit down and think what you are going to do to fight. You need to take one day at a time and not get upset when you`re not seeing the results you want right away. You also shouldn`t pick at them either because picking at them can make the clearing process take longer and can even leave scars when you`re older.

Use topical treatments, such as Nature's Cure medicated spray, anywhere that you tend to get breakouts for acne prevention - don't just spot-treat existing blackheads and pimples. The pore-clogging process happens two to three weeks before any blackheads or blemishes become visible on the skin. Since the salicylic acid acne medication in the body spray is an exfoliant, it helps to remove the dead skin that combines with oil and dirt to form those nasty blackheads and whiteheads that can get infected and become pimples.

There seems to be a growing number of different treatments but usually over the counter products come in the form of topical cleansers, soaps, washes, lotions, creams, gels or even pads and patches that are applied onto the skin. When using these kinds of preparations it is important, that you cover all of the area where you have acne because then you will also be treating the hidden blemishes that you can't yet see as well as the acne breakouts that you can. Expect some trials and errors as you experiment with the different treatments available, it may take you a while before you find the right type or combination of products that work for you. Whatever you do, don't use more than one treatment at a time, particularly with medicated products, discontinue one before you try out another.

Sometimes puberty and stress can combine to make acne even worse. Find the causes of stress and work on reducing or eliminating it. The acne itself can lead to stress and then you have a vicious cycle.

The use of birth control pills to control acne flare ups may or may not be an effective. Usually, the first signs of acne develop during adolescence, when hormone levels begin to rise. When hormone levels surge, the sebaceous glands located at the base of each hair follicle, produce excess oil. This oil combined with dead skin cells and dirt becomes trapped within the skin's pores and acne develops. Since acne can be triggered by fluctuating hormone levels within the body, it stands to reason that acne can appear at the various 'stages' in life when hormone levels are changing such as puberty, pregnancy and menopause. It also makes sense that controlling hormone levels may help to reduce acne outbreaks. The use of birth control pills for the treatment of acne is an attempt to regulate hormones.

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