Unfortunately, acne has no cure, but there are ways in order to keep acne under control so that episodes are lessened in frequency as well as severity. Since there are so many different reasons for acne to develop, the treatments too are aimed at controlling one or more of the factors which cause it in the first place. And because there are so many reasons for acne, no single medicine or treatment will work well for everyone. As there is no single treatment for acne, many people find that a combination of treatments is required in order to effectively treat their symptoms.
Treating Acne
There are over-the-counter (OTC) as well as prescription treatments for the treatment of acne symptoms. Prescription treatments often require follow up by the prescribing doctor in order to monitor progress. In case one treatment does not work, the doctor may often try another treatment. It may take several different treatments before you find the best one that corresponds to the particular symptoms.
OTC treatments are not required to have the same regulations as well as scientific testing that prescription treatments need to go through before approval for use. When looking for an OTC acne treatment, check out whether or not it has active ingredients that have been proven to treat the particular symptoms which need to be taken care of. In general, it is best to consult a dermatologist before undertaking any kind of acne treatment.
Exfoliation, which is the removal of hard, dead outer skin cells, is not an effective acne treatment by itself, but it can be used alongside other treatments. By removing the outer layer of dead skin cells, any medicine or any other topical treatment, has a better chance to get absorbed directly into the skin. By cleaning the dead skin cells off the surface of the skin, it is thought that this may help the dead cells inside the pores to be cleared out too. There are many types of exfoliating agents which are used in the treatment of acne. The most commonly ones are alpha-hydroxy acids, also known as AHA as well as beta-hydroxy acids, known as BHA. In clinical trials, BHA seems to offer more relief from acne symptoms as it also helps to cut down on the production of sebum.
Topical antibacterials are used on the skin in order to try to stop or slow bacterial growth in the pores. There are many different types of antibacterial agents, with the most commonly used being benzoyl peroxide. This strong oxidizer works in order to kill bacteria by generating oxygen-free radicals. The good part about using benzoyl peroxide is that bacteria cannot develop a resistance to oxygen, hence if it helps the symptoms of acne it will continue to work as long as it is used. However, free radicals too can damage the skin by causing dryness as well as cell damage which can accelerate the aging process of the skin. Many people find this as the most effective form of treatment though. Hence, the best thing to do in case you are going to use benzoyl peroxide is to use the lowest concentration which works for the symptoms. Benzoyl peroxide is often used in conjunction with the other acne treatments. There are many other topical antibacterial agents that are used for treating acne, which includes triclosan, chlorhexidine gluconate as well as tea tree oil. However, these are not as effective as benzoyl peroxide in treating the symptoms of acne.
Topical antibiotics are used in order to directly target bacteria which can cause acne. Since topical antibiotics are used in a direct manner in order to kill the bacteria, they also cause less damage to the healthy skin than the topical antibacterial. Topical antibiotics can be as effective as oral antibiotics, but there is a down side to using topical antibiotics. Over time and repeated use, bacteria tend to develop a resistance to antibiotics as well as other drugs, making it harder to treat the symptoms with antibiotics. The most commonly used topical antibiotics for treating acne include erythromycin, clindamycin as well as tetracycline.
There are various types of oral antibiotics which are used to treat acne. The most commonly used ones are tetracycline, oxytetracycline, doxycycline, as well as minocycline. While oral antibiotics have the same success rate in treating the symptoms of acne, there are side effects too. Possible side effects which can result from oral antibiotics used for treating acne and its symptoms include diarrhea, colitis as well as dysbacteriosis. In spite of these possible side effects, oral antibiotics are used in treating acne when the disease is spread over a large area of the body, making the use of topical antibiotics impractical. Deep cystic acne usually does not respond to treatment with the topical antibiotics, but it may often respond to oral antibiotics. The down side of oral antibiotics, just like topical antibiotics, is that the bacteria may develop resistance to these drugs over time.
Hormonal treatment too is sometimes used for the treatment of acne. There are many side effects and hence this type of therapy must be undertaken with strict medical supervision. Androgens play a major role in acne development, and reducing their levels can help to alleviate acne as well as its symptoms. This type of treatment, though, is not used in men generally because of the side effects, including its impact on the sex drive. However, it has been shown that women who are using oestrogen and progestin contraceptives have lower symptoms of acne. Antiandrogens used along with oestrogen are more effective. The drawback to this is that even women can have vatioys side effects from this treatment, including lowered sex drive. Some improvements in the symptoms of acne have been seen with the use of a topical antiandrogen, but its effects are minimal.
Topical retinoids are used in order to reduce sebum production as well as change the epithelial skin cells. The retinoids are actually active metabolites which are made up of vitamin A as well as its analogs. The most commonly used types of retinoids include tretinoin or Retin-A, adapalene or Differin as well as tazarotene or Tazorac. One of the drawbacks of using topical retinoids is that during the first few weeks of usage, there may be an increase in the acne symptoms. Topical retinoids may also cause dryness as well as flaking of the skin, as well as skin irritation. Because, topical retinoids are sensitive to UV rays, thus it is important to use an effective sunscreen in conjunction with this treatment.
One of the most effective treatments for acne include oral retinoids such as isotretinoin, which is also known as Accutane. These work by reducing the amount of sebum as well as altering the epithelial skin cells. It is thought that oral retinoids can also help with some other causes of acne. In studies, isotretinoin has been proven to be 80% effective in clearing up severe acne as well as its symptoms. This treatment usually takes about 4-6 months, but, like the topical retinoids, it tends to cause more outbreaks of acne at the start of the treatment. The good news is that isotretinoin therapy tends to cause acne to go into remission. Patients who experience outbreaks later on may find that the outbreaks are much milder.
Even though they are quite effective, but oral retinoids are not used often. In fact, they are considered to be a treatment plan that is only used in cases of acne which do not respond to other treatment. There are various side effects possible with oral retinoids, including dry skin, nosebleeds, liver damage, as well as heightened blood triglycerides. Oral retinoids are linked to depression and psychosis also. Because of the many risks involved, oral retinoids should not be used by women who are pregnant, or who may become pregnant.
The use of a visible, intense light in order to treat acne is known as phototherapy. The light reacts with the chemical known as porphyrins, which creates free radicals that are deadly to the acne-causing bacteria. There is little side effect of this therapy as it is just the bacteria that are affected. Blue light offers good results on its own, but a combination of red and blue has proven to be more effective in treating acne. The best results have been obtained from at least two light treatments per week for one to three months. After the initial treatment is finished, the resulting improvement in the acne will last longer than with any antibiotics or benzoyl peroxide. This form of treatment does require making visits for treatment, or the purchase of expensive equipment which are required in order to do the therapy at home.
In addition to phototherapy, photodynamic therapy too combines blue light treatment with a photosensitizing agent, such as delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), in order to help increase the body’s production of porphyrins. This treatment is still being developed and it requires more research and trials. There is hope that it will be another possible effective treatment for acne.
There are various other acne treatments which are used to a lesser degree. Some appear to offer temporary relief from acne while others look promising for longer-term treatment. Research is being conducted in order to find out more about these possible treatments and how they work.
Azelaic acid helps to fight acne by reducing the production of sebum. It is also known as Azelex, Finevin and Skinoren, and is thought to block the effects of androgens as well as thwarting the formation of comedones. This may help in treating the mild cases of acne.
Topical tea tree oil is often used as an antibacterial as well as an anti-inflammatory. Small medical trials have been conducted on tea tree oil which have been proven to be about as effective as topical antibiotics in treating acne.
Medical trials have shown that topical niacinamide gel was equally effective and possible more so, as topical antibiotics. A form of vitamin B3, niacinamide is also an anti-inflammatory.
Topical retinaldehyde is a type of vitamin A that, when applied to the skin, is converted to retinoic acid. It has antibacterial properties and it works against the acne-causing bacteria. More studies are underway in order to find out the best ways to use this potential acne treatment.
Heat therapy has been used directly on areas where lesions are just starting to form. The outcome seems to prove that heat, when applied directly to the lesion will make the outbreak milder as well as shorter than without treatment. Unfortunately, this method does not appear to work on cystic acne.
Oral vitamin B5, or pantothenic acid, in case taken in large doses has been claimed to improve the various symptoms of acne. However, this is yet to be proved and more tests are required before it can be used widely.