Health Conditions and Treatments

Most adult acne sufferers had probably thought that this affliction would pass with the end of their teenage years. They thought that once the raging hormones of adolescence slow down, their acne would clear up as well. For some people that did not happen and controlling acne has become something to be concerned with during adult life as well. Luckily, there are many weapons in the battle to treat acne .

The essential methods of acne control are to keep pores from getting clogged, unclog infected pores, attack the bacteria causing the infection, and reduce the redness associated with acne. There are many preventive measures that you can take to reduce the chance of having an acne breakout in the first place.

Caring for your face with a gentle washing once or twice daily using just soap and water can make all the difference in keeping your pores clear. In addition to this, applying benzoyl peroxide will aid in drying out the skin as well as cleaning it even further. Benzoyl peroxide is the active ingredient in most over the counter facial wipes such as Oxy Pads. One of the truly nice things about using benzoyl peroxide is that it can be coupled with other acne treatments.

Another popular method of acne control is exfoliating. Simply put, it is a process that removes dead skin cells from your skin’s surface. It is these dead cells that can clog the pores of the skin and cause acne. The result of exfoliating is skin that is much softer, smoother, and healthy looking. Just as a word of caution: the compounds in exfoliating agents can be quite harsh, and therefore it is wise to test a new product on a small area of your skin before using it on your entire face, just in case there is a negative reaction.

Some products for acne control have a double purpose. Exfoliating products not only remove the dead skin cells from the surface of your skin, but they also offer the benefits of anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory products. Both of these ingredients can help to treat the existing acne and reduce the redness and swelling that often accompanies an acne attack.

Checking your acne products will reveal sulfur and azelaic acid as commonly used ingredients. It is always best to test acne products on a small patch of skin prior to using it everywhere, just to check for any adverse reaction. If you find that salicylic acid listed as one of the ingredients in acne product, you should be careful; even though salicylic acid works well in keeping your pores unclogged, it has been found to be very irritating to facial skin.

For very persistent or severe acne a consultation with a dermatologist may be needed. The dermatologist can help set up an effective cleansing routine. He or she may also use lasers or write a prescription to fight tougher cases of acne. Acne medications can be very harsh, and you should be made aware of any possible side effects by your doctor.

If the idea of prescribed treatments from a dermatologist concern you, give the over-the-counter products a try. They are readily available, less expensive, and just might work for you. Since these products are applied externally, you will also avoid ingesting any acne medications and suffer the possible side effects that they can cause.