There are a few known causes of acne, the most common being clogged pores. Dirt and other foreign objects can cause a blockage in a pore, allowing natural oils to get trapped in the pore. This causes a skin infection that scars and reddens the area. Most of the time, this clears up as the patient ages. Sometimes, though, acne can be developed in the middle years and adult acne has a tendency to cause severe scarring.

Research on acne has helped develop some of the most advanced treatments. If untreated, acne can cause depression and withdrawal from a healthy social life. Sometimes patients even withdrawal from family and friends. Because of the mental and physical impact, acne can be detrimental to the health of the patient.

Most of the treatments on the market today have very little side effects. There are exceptions to the rules, though, so be sure to talk to you physician before starting any treatment. Some of the side effects are very serious so you will have to be checked thoroughly before taking them. The following list can help you and your doctor decide which is right for you.

1. The over the counter solutions contain benzyl peroxide which helps kill the bacteria that’s causing the acne. It is often combined with antibiotics to not only help kill the problem, but to help keep it from scarring the skin. The solutions are topical and can be applied directly on the area affected.

2. Your doctor can prescribe some medication that may work better on more severe cases of acne. One of the most popular is tetracycline. This is an antibiotic that fights infections in the skin. Other prescriptions that may be suggested is Bactrim and Erythromycin. These have to be prescribed by your doctor so discuss them with your doctor. The side effects with taking antibiotics can cause a resistant strain of acne.

There are a few different treatments that should be discussed with your doctor. Light therapy and laser treatments are available to those that medicines aren’t helping. There are other medicines that are stronger and can be used in combination with other therapies.

These products help by killing the bacteria on the skin that may be causing the acne, but also decrease the infection caused by the condition itself. It also works to indirectly keep the pores open.

Topical antibiotic products have been around for a number of years with little change to their formulation, and have usually been very successful in treating various forms of acne.

Clindaamycin is the most frequently used antibiotic for treating acne. It is available as a solution, lotion., or gel at 1% strength. It is applied twice a day to all acne prone areas, and is commonly well tolerated but may cause some irritation. There are several skin conditions where use of this product is advised against, so consult your physician about these conditions before using it. This medication must be prescribed.

Erythromycin is the second most common topical antibiotic used to treat acne. It is available as a gel, solution or ointment at 2% strength. It must be applied twice a day to all acne prone areas, and is also generally well tolerated, though some irritation may occur. It is also safe for use for women who are or may become pregnant.

Metronidazol is used frequently for acne caused by rosacea. It is available as a gel at .75% strength. It must be applied once or twice a day, and like the others mentioned above, is usually well tolerated but can cause some irritation.

Tetracycline is not often used as a topical treatment, but rather as an oral antibiotic. It is available as a solution and ointment at different strengths. It contains sodium bisulfite, a sulfa derivative, and has been known to cause allergic reactions. It may also cause yellowing of the skin. It is, however, a popular oral antibiotic for dermatologists to prescribe, but the same side effects may happen.

There are many other products used to treat acne that must be prescribed by a physician. Many factors go into determining which product is right for you such as skin type, type of acne, and the severity of your condition. Your physician will help you find one that is right for you.

Soap is one of the most common products used to cleanse the skin, and for some people is okay to use on acne afflicted areas. It can, however, aggravate these areas depending  on one’s skin type, skin sensitivity, and actual acne condition.  That is why it is important to use a cleanser that will work best with these factors.  This will help you avoid further irritation to the skin and will promote faster healing.  If you have sensitive skin, stay away from fragrant soaps, as the chemicals in them can cause breakouts. If your skin is oily, use soaps that are virtually oil-free, as products containing a substantial amount of oil will add oil to your skin, causing the pores to become clogged and subsequent breakouts to occur.

Cosmetics can cause acne to worsen. Certain makeup products contain chemicals that while on the skin, clog the pores and irritate the skin, causing breakouts.  If you are suffering more breakouts than normal, or if you feel something is irritating your skin, you may want to find out what is in your cosmetic products that might be causing this to happen.

Instead, use cosmetics that are non-cometigenic, meaning they won’t clog your pores. If a product irritates your skin, stop using it and find one that doesn’t.  Product containers now contain information about what is in the product, and what it should be used for, and often times, what skin types it works best on.  You can gain information by reading these labels.

As mentioned above, remember not to over wash your skin, as this can cause it to become irritated and breakouts to occur. Also, wash gently. Harsh scrubbing will not remove any more dirt and oil than gentle scrubbing, and will also cause irritation.

Be sure to choose your acne products carefully. You might even try sticking to one brand for your daily regimen, as this will help you be consistent. Often times, a specific line of products is engineered to work together, and will promote healing and prevention in the same way.

Stay away from harsh products that can irritate your skin, and change products if what you are using is not working for you. Consult a physician if use of over-the-counter hygiene products isn’t working properly.

Acne cleansers ar gennerally used to remove excess oil, dirt, and sweat from the surface of the skin. When this happens, it makes absorption of topical acne treatment easier. Topical products are those used on the surface of the skin to combat acne. Excessive cleansing with such products can dry and irritate the skin, therefore, making the acne worse, it is advised to only cleanse with these products once or twice a day.

There are different cleansers for different skin types. People with oily skin should use cleansers that rins off well. This is so the excess oil common to oily skin will be properly removed, leaving the skin smooth. Both bar soaps and liquid cleansers have been specially formulated for this purrpose.

For dry skin, the use of hard-milled products and gentle cleansers are appropriate.  You may wish to use synthetic detergents if you have this skin type.  Such cleansers do not necessarily need to be used often, as they are sometimes stronger than other products.

Most people with normal skin can cleanse daily with bar soaps. Synthetic detergents do, however, react better to hard  water.

If you have sensative skin, you are more proned to react to fragrant products, and those with grains or scrubbing agents. Stay away from the use of such products.  Instead, use gentle cleansers and be careful how hard you wash. Wipe, do not scrub when removing dirt and oil from your skin.

There are many gentle cleansers availabl for use for skin that is easily irritated or aggrivated. There are also several types of acne cleansers appropriate for daily skin care that are available for acquire over-the-counter.

There are also cosmetics that have been developed to promote acne healing and daily prevention. Like many cleansers, many of these are oil-free and some contain a small amount of acne medication.

No matter what type of cleanser you select, whether it be soap or a special cleanser especially developed to help combat acne, be careful in how you use it.  Follow the directions on the bottle or box, and be sure not to over wash.