Prescription acne
By: Mary GoodsTotal Views: 158, Word Count: 419,
Acne affects a vast majority of people and not only scars the face that gets it but is known to affect the self respect of the person who gets it. After all, no one wants to have blemishes on the face when one is meeting friends or strangers. Pimple treatments and prescription acne medications obtained after an advice from the doctor is always recommended. It is a doctor who understands the “skin science” and prescribes the best medicine to treat, prevent and get rid of acne scars also.
Doctor’s prescription for acne
- Corticosteroid injections
Dermatologists may inject diluted forms of corticosteroids in the over inflamed cysts and pimples. It takes 3-5 days to treat such cysts and there is a slow healing of the acne.
- Isotretinoin
In order to treat severe cystic acne, oral administration of isotretinoins is recommended which is known to effectively heal the pimples and reduce the associated scarring.
- Antibiotics
Patients with mild to severe acne are generally asked to consume antibiotics to battle out the skin bacteria which cause the acne flare-ups. It takes around 6 months to see the effect of oral antibiotics on the skin. In some cases, P.acnes is found to get resistant to antibiotic administration. Acne can not be controlled then. In such cases, doctors prescribe a change in the course of antibiotics such as erythromycin, tetracycline’s etc.
- Oral pills
It is seen that oral contraceptives have a way of clearing up the skin of women. They should however, not be taken without the advise of the gynecologist and women above 35 years must also avoid using them.
- Topical acne creams
The general pimple medicines advised by the doctor involve topical creams which contain synthetic retinoids (such as Adapelene). These retinoids contain Vitamin a which is known to reduce blackheads, white heads etc. However, they may cause the skin to be very sun-sensitive. It is best to follow the advice of the dermatologist then. Other popular retinoid creams contain tretinoins and Tazarotene.
Apart from the range of retinoids, doctors also prescribe zinc-rich creams containing benzoyl peroxides, erythromycins etc.
One should remember that acne treatment must be coupled with patience and one must not be stressed out at all. Otherwise, that would only aggravate the problem and make matters worse!
About the Author
Mary Goods is a researcher in skin problems and their treatments. She is currently involved in the study of acne, their causes and how to effectively treat them. She is also involved in publishing a series of papers dealing with the effect of acne and pimple scars on the behavior of teenagers. She recommends topical application of skin creams to get rid of acne, blemishes and even whiteheads and black heads.
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