Tuesday, 16 September 2008

Acne Treatment - What Is Needed For Severe Cases?

Trying to find a good acne treatment if you have severe acne can be a difficult search. Treatments are usually very harsh on the skin, or even toxic to your health. However, if you leave the acne untreated, you could end up with scars from acne.

One of the oldest acne treatments for severe acne is Accutane, or its generic counterparts, which is a derivative of Vitamin A. The prescription of Accutane is highly effective for getting your severe acne under control, and at times can pretty much bring your acne problem to an end. The downside of Accutane is it's toxicity, which results in a long list of unwanted side effects.

Essentially Accutane causes your oil glands to shut down during the treatment period, which typically lasts four to five months. Due to the fact that you aren't secreting any types of oils, your skin turns very dry, where numerous users say feels similar to a sunburn. Accutane users also report that nosebleeds are very common, as well as hair loss. There is also a inclination to make the people who use it feel very depressed. Although Accutane can get acne problems under control, the side effects make it an option that should be used sparingly.

Another treatment that is also highly effective is that of antibiotics. There are an assortment of antibiotics that are used, yet similar to Accutane, some varieties have side effects that are not wanted. Minocycline, one of the oldest antibiotics used to treat acne, has a reputation as being the most toxic. Physicians continue to prescribe it because a persons body is slow to acquire immunity to it, ye doctors are ever increasungly utilizing additional more gentle, antibiotics in spite of the propensity for people who use it to build up an immunity.

Intra-lesional corticosteroid injections, given directly into the cystic nodules are an effective and more direct acne treatment for severe acne. This injection works on the same principle as cortisone shots for the back or knees, acting as an anti-inflammatory to reduce swelling and promote healing within a week. While intra-lesional corticosteroid injection treatments work quickly, there will be some discoloration.

Lasers have also become a popular acne treatment recently. Not only can lasers treat acne, they can also remove acne scarring. However, because these lasers are currently unregulated, anyone can purchase and legally use these lasers. The risk is that a person who is an inexperienced practitioner might overexpose a person to the laser, resulting in damage that is permanent. Basically there are two kinds of lasers, non-ablative and ablative. Ablative lasers are one of the most antiquated as well as being one of the strongest, and they primarily evaporate the skins ourer most layer, very similar to removing a tattoo. When this outer layer of skin grows back, acne scars and wrinkles are greatly reduced.

The extreme heat produced by ablative lasers cause your oil glands to shrink, which prevents breakouts. Because your skin is burned off, treatment from ablative lasers will make your face red and sore for several weeks. Non-ablative lasers are newer and gentler than older lasers. A persons oil glands shrink with the use of non-ablative lasers, however because they don't vaporize your skin, typically there are no visible side effect or sorness. The growth of Collagen is induced through the use of non-ablative lasers, hence they additionally take away acne scarring. Because non-ablative lasers are less harsh, they will require more than one treatment session, while an ablative laser treatment consists of only one session.

Severe acne has never been pleasant and the acne scars reach much deeper than what a person might see on the surface. The long-term effects of acne are damaging, both physically and psychologically. There is hope and more than one type of acne treatment to choose from, though do be aware of potential risks. Talk to your dermatologist to find out which acne treatment would be right for you.

Acne is a common skin problem for most adolescents and also afflicts some adults. People of all ages and backgrounds have had to deal with acne at some point. Hence, there has long been a desire to prevent it or cure it. We will look at some of the causes of acne as well as some of the ways in which people have followed treatment. Our hope is that you will gain a better understanding of why people get acne and what they can do for treatment and prevention.  

What is acne?

For thousands of years, people have struggled with acne. Known in some cultures as a curse from the gods for immoral behavior, acne has largely been misunderstood. Only within the past century or so has the medical field been able to identify the true causes of acne. As one might expect, this has allowed those who suffer the blemishes to gain a certain sense of relief.

An inflammatory disease of the skin, acne is the result of severe changes in the skin's structure. Acne is thought to be the body's unusual response to a relatively normal production of testosterone, a male hormone. Rather than a sign that one's skin is not clean, acne is more closely associated with the hormonal and bacterial activity beneath the skin, which eventually leads to the irritation of the skin. The result is the red swelling we know as acne.


To learn more go to Acne Treatment Skin Care and at Acne Alternative Treatment also New Acne Treatment

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