Acne Skin Care at Home
There are plenty of solutions sold for the treatment of acne, most of them without any scientifically-proven effects. However, a mixture of treatments can greatly reduce the amount and severity of acne in many cases.
It is strongly advisable to ask a dermatologist about the tradeoffs between these treatments for any individual case, specially when considering using any of them in combination. There are a number of treatments that have been shown effective.
Destroying the bacteria that are gathered in the blocked follicles. This is performed either by the administration of antimicrobials or by treating the afflicted patches externally with bactericidal elements like benzoyl peroxide or erythromycin. However, reducing the P. acnes bacteria will not, in itself, do anything to reduce the oil production and aberrant cell behaviour that is the first cause of the blocked follicles. Benzoyl Peroxide has the advantage of being a great oxidiser and does not seem to generate microbial resistance. Acne will usually reappear quite soon after the end of treatment; days later in the case of topical applications, and weeks later in the case of oral antibiotics.
Reducing the production of oil from the glands. This is done by a regular oral dose of vitamin A by-products like isotretinoin (marketed as Accutane) over a period of some months. Isotretinoin has been demonstrated to be very effective in treating severe acne and is effective in 4 out of 5 patients. This drug has a much longer action than anti-microbial therapies and will usually cure acne for good. The treatment needs close medical supervision by a dermatologist because this drug has many known side effects, even some severe ones. The most common unwanted effects are dry skin and nosebleed. The drug also produces birth defects if women take it while pregnant or become pregnant while taking it. For this reason, female patients are asked to vow abstinence or use two separate forms of birth control while taking this drug. Because of this, isotretinoin is supposed to be administered as a last option after regular treatments have proven insufficient.
Exfoliating your skin. This can be performed either mechanically, using an abrasive cloth or a liquid scrub, or chemically. Common chemical exfoliating agents include glycolic acid and salicylic acid, which encourage a peeling of the top layer of skin to avoid a build-up of dead skin cells which combine with skin oil to block pores. It also helps to clear already blocked pores.
Note that the term "peeling" is not meant in the visible sense of shedding, but rather as the elimination of the top layer of skin cells at the microscopic level. According to the kind of exfoliation used, some evident flaking is possible. If you want to give them a try, moisturizers and biological acne skin care solutions containing exfoliating agents are usually available over-the-counter.
A new acne skin care product offers the opportunity to get rid of scars, blemishes and other skin imperfections, while at the same time protects you skin and keeps its hydration.
Published July 17th, 2008
Filed in Health