Acne Treatments For Severe Cases

As you know, acne treatments are critical if one wants to control acne symptoms.  However, the bottom line is that acne is not a serious health threat to people who have the skin condition. However, if left to progress on its own without treatment, acne may result in serious scarring and lead to disfigurement of the skin tissues, especially those that are in the upper layers. Fundamentally, acne can never be fully cured but several acne treatment options are available.

For mild to severe acne, the goal of the acne treatments will include:

• Reduction of the productivity of the sebaceous glands, which produce the oily substance called sebum.
  
• Reduction of acne-infecting bacteria, known as Propionibacterium acnes or P. acnes.
  
• Improvement in the way dead skin cells exfoliate so they will not clog the pores.

Several things must be remembered regarding acne treatments for mild and severe cases. One of the most important is that acne must not be popped or squeezed, as this may trigger the spread of infection to other parts of the skin. It will also aggravate the skin condition and create a trauma in the area affected. This, in turn, can cause bacteria to invade the affected areas, causing the immune system to release white blood cells, and ultimately resulting in increased infection of the area. This is one of the major causes of acne scars.

Acne treatments for cases of mild acne may include topical and homeophatic treatments that are available over-the-counter. These acne medicines are generally topical medications that are applied on the skins surface. Natural and Homeopathic acne treatments, like the ZENMED Derma Cleanse System may target the same result, but are normally available without a prescription.

Additionally, soap and water or antiseptic wash may aid in the treatment of the mild inflammatory acne, although it must be remembered that the maximum prescribed washings are twice a day. Also, the affected area should be gently washed, not scrubbed, to avoid the further spread of infection.  A gentle acne cleanser (i.e. ZENMED® Facial Cleansing Gel) can also help clean and remove excess oil while removing dead skin cells. 

Other acne medicines may include topical treatments for more severe forms of acne. These may be in the form of minocycline, doxycycline, tetracycline and erythromycine. All of these acne medicines must be taken under the strict supervision of a physician to balance the side effects against the benefits of these drugs. Moreover, antibiotics may supply the more systematic treatment for the skin disease. But certain bacteria may develop resistance to certain antibiotics and may lessen the potency of the acne medication.

For females, estrogens are usually prescribed as acne treatments while antiandrogens are given for males. Estrogens may effectively neutralize or decrease the androgens. These are typically found in the oral contraceptives. Androgens, on the other hand, are produced during puberty and are found to stimulate the extra production of sebum.

Isotretinoin is an acne treatment drug that can be taken orally which is credited for eliminating acne on a longer term basis. This drug works by reducing the size of the oil glands so less oil is produced; thus diminishing the presence of bacteria in the pores. However, this acne medication is noted for having severe side effects, like serious birth defects for fetuses. Therefore, pregnant women, or those who are expecting, are not advised to use this drug.

Other acne treatments for severe nodular or cystic acne may include a therapy called intralesional corticosteroid therapy. This is a relatively painless procedure where diluted cortisone solution is injected into the cystic lesions, thus relieving the pain from the inflammation.

Another option for the more severe cases of acne is acne surgery. This acne treatment significantly improves the healing process by means of manually removing whiteheads and blackheads through surgery.

A natural acne treatment program can be effective in many cases and is the prefered method of treatment by many holistic, homeopathic, and natural practitioners.  Using botanicals and other proven natural ingredients can be less irritating to the skin compared to the harsher acne medications.  

We hope that you find this article on acne treatments to be helpful and provides answers to your questions regarding the muriad of acne treatments available to you in your fight against this acne skin condition.