Acne Medication Treatments

Thankfully, most of us only suffer from acne vulgaris and typical whiteheads, blackheads, papules, and pustules. These can be a pain but they are nowhere near as horrible or as challenging to treat as the more severe forms. You can find good quality acne treatments over-the-counter that will do the trick.

Guys can sometimes get the worst types of acne. That might be a relief for women but it’s bad for the guys who have to deal with things like Acne Conglobata and Acne Fulminans. Both of these types are very severe and result in large patches of outbreaks they are very likely to leave behind permanent scarring, even on the face. Medical treatment is usually needed for these types of acne problems.

When I was growing up, I never really thought about there being different types of pimples or acne. I just assumed everyone was having the same types of breakouts. But, of course, that’s not the case. Nodules and cysts, for example, are larger than normal pimples and they form under the skin. They are usually painful, especially in sensitive locations of the body. These can also longer and may need a cortisone injection to bring down the swelling.

Another acne solution is dermabrasion which involves a rotating wire brush that peels away your skin. Most people need some type of anesthetic because it does hurt and your skin is red and swollen for several days afterward. Even then, your skin will be very sensitive for at least one to two weeks while the new skin layers grow. Plus, you could get an infection that could lead to health problems far worse than acne.

Chemical peels are also a treatment sometimes used for acne. If you’ve never heard of them, glycolic acid, carbolic acid, or other types of acid are applied to your skin. The acids create a “wound” as WebMD so sweetly describes layers of your skin being destroyed. Then when the skin heals in a couple of weeks it should have less acne. Seems like a lot of trouble and discomfort to me.

My last post got me thinking about what treatments are available for acne scars. Some of the most common ones I’ve come across sound awful. Chemical peeling is used and that’s basically burning off layers of your skin. You can use dermabrasion, too, which is another way of removing your skin. It sounds awful!

As I said last time, I do have some mild scars from my outbreaks as a teenager, and I definitely wish I knew how to treat acne then as well as I know how to treat it today. But I’m lucky because the scars could have been much worse. I’ve seen some firsthand.

Time after time I was told by my mother not to mess with my acne when I was younger. But I also wanted to scratch at them or pop them or do something that I hoped would make them go away faster. Of course, I irritated them more, spread the bacteria around my skin more, and ended up with some minor acne scars that – thankfully – are easy to hide with cosmetics.

In some cases, acne can become so severe that you might need to see a dermatologist to clear it up. But once that’s done, you still need to find a good skin routine and stick to it if you want to prevent future outbreaks. That’s the key to having beautiful skin: taking care of it.

One thing I’ve learned since fighting acne as a child is the importance of a good product. I typically use a product called acne complex that does a good job of keeping my face clear and pimple-free. That’s the real secret: finding a product that works on your skin and using it regularly. It’s not brain surgery.