The Three Ways to Treat Acne

Acne is ghastly. However, it's not something that cannot be dealt with. There are loads of acne skin care products around. We can classify acne skin care products into 3 broad categories -

1] Deterrent or all-purpose acne skin care items; 2] Over-the-counter, specialised acne skin care products; 3] Prescription acne skin care items.

The general acne skin care items are the ones that are used as an acne-prevention measure. These include cleansers, make-up removers and similar products that help prevent acne. In the real sense, these acne skin care products are those that should be part of your daily routine anyway. However, some of these are more oriented to work like an acne skin care item.

These acne skin care products act against the reasons for acne e.g. limiting the production of sebum/oil and avoiding the congestion of skin pores. Basically, these acne skin care products inhibit the oil from getting trapped in the skin and hence impede the growth of the bacteria that lead to acne. Broad-spectrum acne skin care items also take in exfoliation products like skin peels. These work by removing dead skin cells, thereby reducing the likelihood of pore-clogging and bacteria increase.

Then there are specialised acne skin care items that are available over-the-counter i.e. without the need of a prescription. These include items like vanishing creams which extract the extra oil from the skin. Most of these acne skin care products are based on benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, both of which are the enemies of bacteria (and therefore acne too). You must start with a product that has a lower concentration of benzoyl peroxide (e.g. 5%) and see how your skin responds to it.

Alpha-hydroxy-acid based moisturizers are also popular as acne skin care products. You might have to test a few, before you find the acne skin care product that is most effective for you. If nothing seems to work, you should get in touch with a dermatologist.

Prescription-only acne skin care products are the ones that are prescribed by a dermatologist. These include ointments that can be rubbed on the affected area or oral antibiotics or just any topical medication. Dermatologists might also recommend a minor surgical procedure to remove the contents of pustules. However, never try to squeeze or do this by yourself, it can lead to the everlasting damage of your skin.

Your doctor could also prescribe a hormone-based treatment (since hormonal changes are also known to cause acne). Such acne skin care items are known to be very effective in some cases. So, with all those acne skin care items, combatting acne is really not all that arduous.

Are you experiencing problems treating acne scars? If you are or you'd like to know more about acne, please go to our website called http://treating-acne-scars.com