Acne is one of the facts of life and it is often difficult to get rid of acne. In fact, even after you do get rid of acne for a while, it is possible to still have flare ups even into your adult years.
The first step in getting rid of acne is to stop using cosmetics that are oil based. These cosmetics tend to clog the pores and cause acne to be worse. Mechanical oils or greases and cooking oils can also cause the pores to be plugged. This is why the kid that works in fast food who already has an acne problem has even more difficulty in keeping the problem cleared up.
Stop using harsh facial cleansers and soaps on your face. Harsh soaps or cleansers can actually strip the face of needed oils and irritate the acne causing infection. Instead, choose gentle cleansers that will clean your face and remove excess oils, dirt and debris that can clog the pores, making them ready for an acne breakout.
Stop trying to pinch, pop, poke or prod pimples to get rid of your acne. Since the fingers may be loaded with unnatural oils and bacteria, they can actually make the problem worse. In addition squeezing the skin can cause damage to the sebaceous gland, which can eventually lead to an infected pimple.
Use an acne lotion that is approved by a dermatologist to help get rid of acne. These lotions help to break down the oils on the skin and to kill bacteria that cause the blemishes on the skin. In addition they promote the shedding of dead skin cells. These lotions may contain sulfur, salicylic acid or resorcinol.
If you see a dermatologist for treatment of your acne, he or she is likely to begin by prescribing an acne lotion that contains retinoic acid (Retin A). Another similar product is adapalene (Differin). Both of these products are extracts from vitamin a and they work by promoting the sloughing off of dead cells from the skin. When combined with mild antibiotic creams, they can control most moderate and some severe cases of acne.
For many years, the next line of defense was the use of stronger antibiotics, which were often effective; however, the everyday use of antibiotics has been challenged in recent years, so some dermatologists are switching to drugs such as Accutane. Accutane is very effective, but has several severe side effects. Ask your doctor about the side effects before you take Accutane. Some of the side effects include rectal bleeding and depression.
As a final alternative that is often used for women, some oral contraceptives are prescribed to clear up the acne. The birth control pills manipulate the hormones so there are some side effects to this treatments also. Be sure to consider the side effects before you choose this alternative.
If you have had problems with acne in the past and suffer from scaring, surgery is one alternative for removing the scaring. This is usually considered a last resort.
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Are you tired of all the attention acne draw to your face? Do you feel that you spend too much time trying to get rid of it just to have it return? Learn how to get rid of acne at http://www.howtogetridofacnesite.com
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