What Acne Treatments Are

							Title:
What Acne Treatments Are

Word Count:
418

Summary:
Find out what acne treatments are currently available to help reduce or
eliminate acne.


Keywords:
acne, acnes, FAQS, FAQ, ACNE, ACNES, faq, faqs


Article Body:
Because acne is the most widespread skin disorder in the world, a lot of
research has been done to determine how acne forms and how it is
eliminated. Over the years a number of different treatments, medicines,
and products have been developed to help control and eliminate acne.

Currently there are about 7 different treatments that are widely used in
the prevention and elimination of acne. Subsequently, there are
literally thousands of different products that use these treatments in
one form or another.

Acne Treatments

Accutane (Isotetinoin): Accutane is a very powerful drug that is a
derivative of vitamin A. It is normally prescribed for severe acne in
cases where other treatments have failed to work. Accutane is normally
taken for 4-6 months. The downside to Accutane is the high occurrence of
side effects, some very serious.

Antibiotics: Antibiotics are designed to fight bacteria and are thus
used to control acne mainly from the inside. There are topical
antibiotics such as clindamycin that are applied directly to the skin.
Other antibiotics such as tetracycline are in pill form.

Benzoyl Peroxide: This is an anti-bacterial agent that has been used to
control acne for many years. It has been proven to work very well in the
elimination and prevention of acne. Benzol Peroxide can be found in many
prescription and over-the-counter medicines and products.

Herbal Remedies: A relative newcomer to mainstream acne fighting are
herbal remedies. It is thought that certain herbs are effective in
regulating oil levels and other bodily functions that pertain directly to
acne.

Retin-A (tretinoin): Retin-A is a combination of retinoic acid and
vitamin A acid. It is designed to treat acne, wrinkles, and sun damage.
It supposedly does this by unplugging follicles and turnover over dead
skin cells.
Salicylic Acid: This is another widely used formula in controlling acne,
especially preventing future breakouts. Salicylic acid helps slow down
the shedding of cells inside the follicle. It is available in many over-
the-counter treatments.

Sulfur: Sulfur is used in acne control mainly to promote drying and
peeling of the skin. This may be good for eliminating existing acne but
its effects on preventing future acne are questionable.

There you have it. Most acne regimens consist of one or more of the
above formulas. It is important to note that everyone's skin seems to
react differently to these treatments. For some people, benzoyl peroxide
works great. For others salicylic acid may work better. You really have
to experiment a bit and find out which treatment works best for you.