Acne Skin Care

If you are one of the people who suffer with acne (Zits) then you are well aware of the distress and problems it causes; but things are gradually improving for sufferers. Research into skin care treatment has been advancing for some time now; gradually more effective topical treatments are being discovered and made available. Although the number of acne skin care products and treatments might at first seem endless, they can actually be categorized into three areas:

• Internet or Drugstore: Treatment that helps prevents condition
• Internet or Drugstore: Treatment to help relieve the condition
• Prescription only: doctors or dermatologists prescribe special treatments

General acne products are used as a preventative measure and include cleansers, make-up removers and other similar products that can help prevent acne. This is a market where many people use this type of product every day to condition their skin. They use these products to protect their skin from the environment even if they do not have the acne condition.

Many of these cleansers act in almost exactly the same way as acne skin care products which have been formulated to limit the amount of oil or sebum forming in the pores. Excess oil needs to be stopped from clogging the pores as this oil make it easier for bacteria to grow, exacerbating the condition.

Other skin care treatments can help exfoliate the skin and are easily obtainable in any drug store. This type of peel helps reduce the chance of oil clogging up the pores as well as removing other skin impurities; this can reduce the bacterium growth on your skin.

There are specialized acne skin care products available over-the-counter, they do not require the need of a prescription. Products that contain the chemical benzoyl peroxide and the naturally occurring salicylic acid are used in vanishing creams. They work by removing the excess oil from the skin and halt the growth of acne.

Although benzoyl peroxide works well, it is possible you may have a reaction, it is suggested that any benzoyl peroxide skin care product should not contain the active ingredient at more than 5.5 percent. Because we all have different types of skin, more than one type of acne skin care product may need to be tried. This is quite normal, however, if it is proving to be a problem then consult with your doctor, or skin care specialist.

Products that your dermatologist or doctor will recommend will only be available on prescription, they may include a course of antibiotics or topical ointments. Your doctor can recommend that in order to extract the contents of the pustules that a small surgical procedure could be carried out. Some specialists recommend the sufferer never tries doing this on their own as it can cause permanent skin damage.

Another effective course of skin care treatment is hormone therapy, hormone changes are know to be one cause of acne. Constant research has paid off, and whilst they cannot cure the condition, it is becoming easier to treat.