What Can I Do For My Acne?

But this is the modern day; the 21st century. Medicine is constantly evolving and scientists are always trying to discover yet one more way to destroy a disease, or in this case, to make acne disappear and stay gone for as long as possible.

Getting acne to disappear is a large challenge. Not only do you have to kill the bacteria that have been reproducing too much, but you also must empty out the pore, get the pore to reduce its inflamed appearance, and a big trial is to try to manipulate hormones in an attempt to avoid acne entirely. Many treatments on the market provide multiple uses, but be wary of those that claim to finish off acne in a matter of days or a few weeks. It takes time to get your pores all cleared out and for bacteria to kick the bucket. It can take even longer to get your hormones back to a calmer state    

You can use a combination of treatments to try and fight your acne, but you have to remember that stronger products or the use of multiple products can be a little harsher on your skin or have more possible side effects. You do not want to do any more damage to your skin than is necessary, so it would be a wise choice to check with your dermatologist before going overboard with your acne treatments.

There are several treatments you can use against your acne, so do your research and do what you can to find out what your skin will respond to best before going out and buying up an armload of products.  

Exfoliation. While most skin types require exfoliation, exfoliating when you have acne requires products that are a little different. Usually salicylic acid or glycolic acid are ingredients found in the product, chemicals that encourage the removal of the top layer of skin to help avoid dead skin cells from becoming clogged in pores in the future. You can also go with traditional abrasive cloths or scrubs to help remove dead skin cells. The majority of these products can be found over the counter in your local drugstore.  

Topical bactericidals. Products containing benzoyl peroxide can come as gels, creams, bar soaps, or cleansers, and are usually effective on mild to moderate acne. Regular application of gels or creams will be required, but the benefits are quite good. The benzoyl peroxide does two things for you; first it helps to dissolve agents that are clogging pores, and secondly, it aids in killing off the bacteria multiplying in the pore.

You can buy products containing benzoyl peroxide ranging from 2 percent to 10 percent in strength. One thing to be wary of is that this particular ingredient can cause dryness in the skin, so unless it is recommended, use a low strength product to keep your skin balanced.  

Topical antibiotics. Finding antibiotics like erythromycin, clindamycin, Stiemycin or tetracycline have a similar use like topical bactericidals. Applied directly to the skin, these help to kill off the bacteria multiplying in your pores. You can also take antibiotics orally, but those can contain side effects, and with topical antibiotics, you can focus on certain areas of your body that have acne problems.     

Knowing what you can do to give your skin relief is half the battle. Try not to stress, and take your time in treating and understanding your particular problems with acne and the products available to treat it. In time, you should see some improvements.