Posts Tagged ‘Severe Acne’

Treating Adult Female Acne

February 1, 2010 by mastenk · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Health 
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prescription acne
Matt Adler asked:


If you are a woman suffering from acne it may be the cause of mild hormone changes, or it could be from a prolonged hormone imbalance. Regardless of the cause, there is a female acne treatment available.

Over-the counter products are available at any drug store or grocery store. These non-prescription acne treatments often contain benzoyl peroxide as an antibacterial cleansing agent. These include products such as Oxy 5 and Neutrogena. These are often used to treat mild forms of acne.

Birth control pills are a standard prescription used to help treat female acne, such as OrthoTryCyclen and Estrostep. Birth control does not always clear all female acne, and may need to be used with other treatment options, whether over the counter or by prescription.

If you have a hormone imbalance causing your acne, a doctor will be able to identify the cause. When your body has an elevated androgen level, increases in the testosterone hormone, it can cause acne. Hormone treatments can help stop the acne before it occurs.

Hormone treatments can help with the most severe acne. It blocks the androgens from stimulating the oil glands. Increased oil in the skin can clog pores and cause acne. Only a doctor can administer hormone treatments as it requires blood tests and also a prescription for oral medication.

Accutane is a prescription drug that is a concentrated form of Vitamin A and has been shown to help treat serious acne. This is a last resort, as it has serious side effects, such as birth defects if you are pregnant or may become pregnant. While this can be an effective treatment method, hormone treatment is often a better option.

The first step to any treatment is to visit a doctor or dermatologist. They can help identify the cause and recommend the right female acne treatment for you. Stop living with acne and start having clear skin.



Acne Treatment – Prescription Medicines

January 30, 2010 by mastenk · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Acne, Acne Prevention, Non Fiction, acne treatment 
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prescription acne
Steve Welker asked:


While it is true that in most cases acne can be safely and effectively treated with over the counter treatments any time you have an unusual skin condition it is advisable to consult a dermatologist. The doctor can provide you with valuable advice on treating the condition even if it is only acne.

Severe acne should always be treated by a dermatologist, they can provide prescription medication that is effective at treating the more sever acne outbreaks. Moderate and mild acne can usually be treated without the advice of a doctor but even with moderate acne prescription medications may be able to treat it better and faster then over the counter solutions.

Medications for treating acne are given in one of two forms; oral or topical. In many cases the doctor will use a combination of both types to treat the outbreak. Antibiotics are frequently used to treat acne and can be provided in either form. Other topical medications will usually include ingredients such as zinc and retinoids.

The most common antibiotic for treating acne is tetracycline. It works with a dual action both killing the acne causing bacteria as well as helping to reduce the inflammation. Antibiotics are not an immediate fix and will usually have to be taken for weeks or even months before the acne clears up, you will also have to continue the antibiotic even after the acne clears up to prevent a re-occurrence. There are some side effect reported with the use of tetracycline, with extreme sensitivity to the sun being the most common one. Any one taking tetracycline needs to be very careful about exposure to sunlight to avoid severe sunburns. Some people may also experience nausea, hives and even dizziness.

Women undergoing treatment with tetracycline may notice an increase in vaginal yeast infections. Young children and pregnant women cannot take tetracycline because it can cause discoloration of growing teeth.

Ointments that contain antibiotics have a lower rate of reported side effects. These ointments will kill the bacteria and but there can be some cases of the bacteria becoming resistant to the antibiotics. Combining other medications such as; benzoyl peroxide with the antibiotic lotion can greatly reduce the chance of such problems.

Retinoids are a derivative of vitamin A and are usually applied directly the skin in the form of a lotion or crème. The use of topical retinoid medications is very effective in treating blackheads and whiteheads. It produces the positive results by cleaning out the pores that cause the acne; the only common side affect is dry skin.

If the acne is severe and is not responding to other treatments then an oral retinoid medication may be used. This will cause the top layer of skin to peel off which will also open the pores. The oral retinoids also cause the body to create less sebum, which also reduces the acne issues by reducing the oil on the skin.

There can be some rather serious side effects associated with using oral retinoid medications. Since they can cause serious birth defects any woman on oral retinoids should use two forms of birth control to avoid the possibility of pregnancy. They can also cause depression and liver damage so anyone using these medications must be closely monitored by their doctor.

There are some other medications that have the side effect of helping with acne. In some women birth control pills help reduce acne by changing the hormone levels and reducing the testosterone levels. Zinc can also be used to treat acne.



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