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Acne medication

by www.dermaxime.com    

We can divide acne medication into two groups:

• Over-the-counter medication and specialized skincare products

• Prescription medication in the form of systemic or topical products

Over-the-counter acne medication and specialized skincare products will normally include the following:

Face wash as acne medication

You need to remove dirt, grime and pollution from your face as well as any make-up, but an over-zealous attitude to cleaning will do more harm than good. A good facial wash or cleanser should be used twice a day to remove excess sebum and may be medicated in some form or another.

Be careful not to use too strong facial washes, as they would irritate the skin, strip away essential elements in the skin, and leave the skin tight and pulling. This is NOT an indication that you cleaned the face properly, but an indication that you irritated the skin and caused the subcutaneous layer of the skin to be compromised - the very thing that you want to prevent.

To wash your face, use a proprietary wash/soap/cleaner/ specially formulated for problem skin and using lukewarm water clean the skin well, ensuring that all areas are washed. Rinse the face after washing with clear lukewarm water to remove any residue of the face wash.

Do NOT use overly hot water. People suffering from acne and skin problems have the mistaken idea that washing their faces with scalding hot water will help clear up the problem. It WILL NOT, it will only cause more stress to the skin.

After washing, gently pat-dry the skin with a soft towel and do NOT vigorously rub the skin dry. After drying the skin, you can apply a non-alcohol toner is you so wish. 

We believe that our Problem Skin Facial Wash is a great product to use since it contains 8 active ingredients (salicylic acid, centella asiatica etc) to help with acne and problem skin - for more information please click here. For more information on our Clarifying Toner please click here.

Spot treatment lotions and creams

Benzoyl peroxide component

Benzoyl peroxide is a very popular way to treat pimples and acne and is effective for mild forms of acne, but has the distinct disadvantage of drying the skin excessively and also can cause redness and flaking. 

Salicylic acid component

Salicylic acid is often included in creams as it helps to correct the shedding of cells and helps unclog the pores and also helps to prevent lesions. 

Sulfur component

Sulfur is an old remedy for acne and pimple treatment and is often used in conjunction with other ingredients but still is one of the mainstays of acne and pimple medication.

At Dermaxime we have four products, apart from the face wash, to help with acne and pimples and believe in a gentle way of clearing up the problem, as harsh chemicals can have negative effects on the skin. Our products, like any good skincare product will not work overnight, but the regular use of the products will help with skin problems and has brought relief to acne sufferers who never thought that an improvement was possible. 

The four other products are:

• Problem Skin Moisturizing Gel, containing 12 active ingredients, including Willow Bark extract, Centella Asiatica and Oats extract to assist with the problem, while still providing moisture without any oiliness - for more info click here. 

• Spot Treatment Cream is a product to apply on individual spots and contains 9 active ingredients including Sulfur, Centella asiatica and Rosehip oil to help clear up the inflammation - for more info click here.

• Problem Skin Night Cream contains 16 active ingredients so formulated to nourish your skin while not being greasy or oily - for more info click here. 

• Problem Skin Mask contains 12 active ingredients to help soothe the skin and has antiseptic properties and will also help to reduce the redness of the face - for more info click here.

Prescription acne medication

Should you however suffer from cystic acne, or find that that over-the-counter acne medication has little or no effect on your acne, then a dermatologist must be consulted and he/she will then fight your skin problem with a variety of prescription acne medication products.

Topical medication may include antibiotic, sulfonamide, azeleic acid or retinoid compounds to treat acne, and the type used will be determined by various factors and will be assessed by your dermatologist. Be sure to ask what you may or may not do while using these creams, as some of them may have negative side effects.

Oral medication may include a broad spectrum antibiotic such as tetracycline (which may cause staining of teeth in very young patients and may also not be taken by pregnant women), erythromycin or minocycline etc. Corticosteroid treatment can be given for a short period of time for very severe acne, but may cause unwanted side effects in longer term use.

Oral isotretinoin treatment may also be undertaken, and is extremely popular as good results can be achieved, but the downside of this treatment is that it is a very powerful drug and if not VERY closely monitored may cause liver damage and a array of other very uncomfortable and unwanted problems. For more information on the side effects please click here.

Hormonal treatments may also be undertaken but are not feasible for all sufferers and once again must be closely monitored.

Reprinted with permission. Please visit
http://www.dermaxime.com/acne_information.htm