Acne - Acne Cure

Acne is, unfortunately, one of the most common chronic disorders shared by teenagers and adults these days.  The severity of acne ranges from minor blemishes to painful breakouts, and sufferers are always on the lookout for new and effective acne medication.

If changing your skin care regime and using over-the-counter products hasn’t solved your acne problems, it may be time to consider seeing your doctor for prescription acne medication.

Rather than different types of acne medicine to target the different stages of acne, most focus on preventing acne by addressing the sources that lead to breakouts.  These include oral pills and topical creams.

Oral contraceptives are one type of pill that are taken as acne medication.  Excessive testosterone can cause the overproduction of oil by the sebaceous glands of the skin, leading to blocked pores and acne.  Oral contraceptives regulate hormone production, decreasing testosterone levels and helping to keep your pores open and clear.

Ortho Tri-Cyclen is one example of this type of acne medication.

Another type of pro active acne medication pill is an oral antibiotic.

Acne can be caused by bacteria within the skin, so antibiotics kill that bacteria.  Erythromycin is one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics.  Some oral antibiotics are also anti-inflammatory and help to reduce the redness of a breakout.

A different form of prescribed acne medication, Azelex, uses azelaic acid, a dicarboxylic acid that naturally occurs in whole grain cereals and animal products.  Similar to the effects of retinol, it is supposed to help the skin heal itself more quickly, thus avoiding cell buildup which causes acne.  It is a topical cream, and so only used externally.

Tretinoin is another topical prescription acne treatment, a drug that is chemically related to vitamin A.  It is supposed to unplug blocked follicles and help pores remain clear, as well as increasing the speed of surface skin cell replacement, preventing future pore blockages.

All the above listed drugs are well-known, and even if they have side effects, these are usually minimal.  If those acne medications aren’t curing or helping your acne, you need to decide whether to go one step further in prescription acne treatment.  Isotretinoin, also known as Accutane, is a well-known and controversial acne medication that minimizes the amount of oil produced by the skin.  Accutane is generally taken for five months at a time, and while it can take some time to start working, you can count on being free of acne for at least a year after the medication has stopped.  It should be taken with extreme caution, however, because there are many negative side effects; only the worst cases of acne are treated with Accutane, and then only under a doctor’s close supervision.

When choosing acne medication, there are many factors to consider.

How much does your acne affect you?  How far are you willing to go to get acne relief?  Are you willing to take oral acne medication or do you want the treatment to remain topical? Are you prepared for any side effects of the acne medication? Is it worth it to have these side effects if it clears up your acne? Everyone is different so whatever you decide, the best acne medication is the one that works for you!