This feature looks at some ways of clearing and healing your skin and acne treatments.

Below are some of the treatments used, how they work and what you need to know to use them.

1. Benzoyl Peroxide

Many of the products you buy over the counter contain this and it helps to kill bacteria which make acne worse. It will help open up the oily clogged pores to let the acne heal.

How to use it. 1. Start using it conservatively once a day it is best to use a medication that contains 5% benzoyl peroxide in it (say after you have washed your face before going to bed). 2. Then after one increase your use to twice a day if you are not using any other medications. 3. However if your acne does not improve after 4 to 6 weeks then you will need to try a stronger solution say a medication that contains 10%, which is now readily available over the counter without a doctor’s prescription. However it is best if you get the pure form and you will need to ask the pharmacist what types contain this amount of benzoyl peroxide.

2. Retin-A

This is only available with a doctor’s prescription and it acts by opening up blocked oil glands as well preventing new spots from forming.

How to use it.

1. Retin-A makes your skin more sensitive to sun and sunburn so it’s best if used at night. This makes it extremely important if you’re outdoors to make sure that you’ve applied sunscreen. 2. You may not see results right away, it could take 2 to 3 months so be patient. 3. Retin-A can be dangerous to fetal development if a woman were to get pregnant so the doctor may prescribe birth control pills before starting this form of treatment.

3. Antibiotics

Antibiotics are used to treat acne that hasn’t responded to other options and may be swollen and red. They are available only with a prescription. They will eliminate the bacteria that contribute to whiteheads on your skin.

Take special consideration when using antibiotics. 1. Consume them with lots of water and follow your doctor’s directions. 2. You skin’s sensitivity may increase to the sun when taking antibiotics so make sure you wear lots of sunscreen.

Hopefully the information provided above will give you something to consider when looking at different ways to treat acne if and when you happen to suffer from it.

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 9th, 2008 at 12:19 pm and is filed under Acne. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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