There are countless treatments available to shed off acne blemishes root and branch. If you really have a solid understanding about acne and your own skin, it could easily guide you the right path in picking out the perfect acne medication amongst the slew of a variety of treatments.
Understand Your Options
Before going for any acne treatment you need to perceive and comprehend the nature of your present acne situation and the type of your affected skin area. The following points might help in figuring out the best treatment for acne.
a) Things to grasp before going for the best acne medication
- The rigorousness of your acne condition
- Your skin type—is it mild, normal, sensitive, or combination type
- Your personal preference about the approach of medication, e.g., whether you prefer a oral treatment or
- a topical application
- The efficacy of the medication and possible side effects
- Whether you are sensitive to any specific chemical or element
b) Some specific circumstances to be considered for women
- Whether you are pregnant or willing to conceive during the acne treatment
- Would you breast-feed your new-born baby during the course of medication
- Whether you have polycystic ovary syndrome
Different Acne Medications
Depending upon the severity of the acne your dermatologist might advise you to go for either a topical acne treatment or an oral medication or a combination of both if needed. Let us figure out each of them briefly:
Topical Acne Medication
Topical acne treatments mainly consist of over-the-counter preparations including gels, creams, lotions, face washes, soaps, etc. which does not require any prescription from a professional medical practitioner to purchase from the store. Nevertheless, some topical acne medications need proper prescription in order to purchase from the pharmacies.
A brief account of some popular topical acne treatments are given below:
Acne Cleansers
Myriad of acne cleansers are available over the counter in the form of handmade and natural soaps, creams, face washes, lotions, etc. Most of them contain salicylic acid, zinc, tea tree oil, aloe vera, and so forth various mild synthetic and natural components which are essentially effective in treating mild to moderate acne conditions.
Benzoyl Peroxide
This miraculous chemical efficiently annihilates Propionibacterium acnes bacteria proliferated inside the inflamed acne lesions. A combination of benzoyl peroxide and a topical exfoliator like salicylic acid could work like wonder in alleviating mild to moderate acne conditions.
Topical Retinoids
These are natural derivatives of vitamin A which are found to be quite useful in unclogging pores and clearing up the path for antimicrobial agents. Topical retinoids are best known for non-inflamed comedones like blackheads and whiteheads.
A few popular topical retinoids are:
- Tretinoin
- Adapalene
- Tazarotene
Topical Antibiotics
Topical antibiotics could be combined with topical retinoids to kill bacterial invasion at the infected acne sites. These antimicrobial chemicals not only open up the blocked gateways to the core of acne pimples but also wipe out P. acnes bacteria root and branch. A few effective antibiotics which are often preferred by physicians are:
- Clindamycin
- Erythromycin
- Â Sulfacetamide
- Tetracyclin
- Metronidazole
Oral Acne Medication
Oral acne treatments are usually applied for moderate to severe acne conditions. These are mainly comprised of oral retinoid, oral antibiotics, and oral birth control pills.
Oral Retinoid
Synthetic retinoid or isotretinoin is usually prescribed to treat severe cystic acne conditions. This wonderful drug plays a key role in assuaging almost all the factors associated with cystic acne condition. It helps to cut back sebum secretion inside pores, acts to promote the turn over the production of total follicular cell lining, and all the more it puts an end to the bacterial proliferation by blotting out P. acnes bacteria.
Oral Antibiotics
These oral acne medications are antibacterial as well as anti-inflammatory in nature. If your acne pimples or zits have turned into inflamed lesions and are not responding to any other topical medications or if you have got acne at most of the parts of your body then oral antibiotics should be your right choice which are efficient, easy to administer, and more expedient.
A few most frequently used oral antibiotics are:
- Tetracycline
- Minocycline
- Doxycycline
- Erythromycin
Oral Birth Control Pills
Oral contraceptive pills are immensely useful for the female hormonal acne treatment. These are not only convenient method to stop the likelihood of unwanted pregnancy but also helps to slack off the drive of sebaceous glands to minimize sebum discharge.
Contraceptive pills along with isotretinoin could be an excellent combination to treat severe acne successfully.
All most all the acne medications might come up with some mild or severe side effects. It is always advisable to take the valuable suggestion from a professional medical practitioner before taking any final decision about your acne medication.
