Acne Medicine – My Experience with OTC medicine
May 28, 2009 by admin
Filed under Non Fiction
Karen Cheong asked:
Did you know that over 180,000 people search for information on acne everyday, out of which 77,000 want to know more about acne medicine ? And that there are over 22 million sites talking about acne, and acne medicine, treatment and products ? This tells me a few things. One, there are many people out there suffering from acne, and they are interested in knowing what kind of acne medicine is available to help them cure their problem. Equally, there are millions of available acne treatments and products out there. Obviously, no one acne medicine is suitable for any one person then.
First, a quick review on what acne is. It is what the layperson calls “pimples” or “zits”. There are different forms of acne, and all can occur at the same time, though one stage does not necessarily progress to the next. There are comedones, or blackheads and whiteheads, as they are usually called. Then there are acne spots caused by bacteria, leading to inflammation, resulting in a red possibly painful swelling called a papule. If the papule does not subside spontaneously, a pustule may form. This heals by discharging pus. A severe enough reaction may cause a lot of deep damage, leaving behind scars.
Acne medicine has different purposes. There is acne medicine to prevent acne. There is medicine to prevent infection of the acne. And there is medicine to prevent scarring from the acne. Finally, there is medicine to minimise the effects of acne scarring, should scars form.
Acne medicine can be divided into those that are applied to the skin – called topical acne medicine, and those that are taken orally – called systemic medicine.
Topical treatments come in the form of creams and lotions. There are two main types of topical acne medicine . The keratolytics , which act by peeling off the top horny outer layer of the skin, so helping to dislodge the comedones ( blackheads and whiteheads), and the antiseptics, which attempt to get rid of harmful bacterial action. Examples of keratolytic acne medicine include benzyl peroxide, Retin A, and sulphur. Examples of antispetic acne medicine include iodine ( eg Betadine), chlorhexidine, zinc salts, which are frequently incorporated into acne creams and lotions, azelaic acid.
One of the main problems with topical acne medicine is that they can be rather harsh. They can cause skin irritation and inflammation. Some, like retin A cannot be used during pregnancy. Sulphur containing acne medicines can be extremely smelly, like rotton eggs !
I can still remember the days when acne used to rule my life. I was so desperate for a cure I must have tried every over-the-counter acne medicine there was available. And there were plenty. That was the time when nobody thought acne was a serious problem. Everyone got it. Nobody had died from it. So it never occured to me that maybe I would need help.
It started with a few small spots. So I tried the standard sulphur-based acne medicine. I would apply it just over the offending spots and wait patiently till they went away. But they gradually got worse, with the number of red spots extending to different areas of my face. Soon it covered large areas of my face. I followed the instructions for how to use the acne medicine. I would cover my face with it faithfully every night, and went to bed smelling of sulphur. Even my pillows would smell of it. But I would hope and pray the medicine would do its wonderful work, and my acne would be gone. I always awoke the next day disappointed. I would wash my face, apply on a fresh layer of acne medicine and go about my day. I finally gave up when someone pointed out to me they always knew when I was coming, because the smell of the acne medicine announced my arrival !
I decided to try the benzyl peroxide-based acne medicine next. At least these did not smell of sulphur. The instructions seemed easy enough to follow. Just apply the acne medicine twice a day after washing the face and the acne would be gone within three to five days. It was again with great hope that I applied the new acne medicine. The first night, nothing happened. By the second night, my face was beginning to get a little itchy. By the third night, the side effects of the acne medicine were causing me to have a rather dry and red face. By the fourth night, my poor face was positively uncomfortable. By the fifth night, I gave up. The acne was still there. This acne medicine had not worked either.
Things just got from bad to worse. The small little red spots progressed to big spots. Big spots joined with other spots to form entire continents. There was hardly a clear space on my face. My confidence dipped to an all-time low. Acne ruled my life. It was the first thing I saw when I awoke, and the last thing I saw when I went to bed. Well meaning friends and relatives constantly commented on it and had lots of advice of what type of acne medicine would work best. I had tried everything.
Generally topical acne medicines work well for those with mild acne. A good number can be simply bought over-the-counter without the need of a doctor’s prescription. And for many, this may be the only treatment required for acne.
Website content
Did you know that over 180,000 people search for information on acne everyday, out of which 77,000 want to know more about acne medicine ? And that there are over 22 million sites talking about acne, and acne medicine, treatment and products ? This tells me a few things. One, there are many people out there suffering from acne, and they are interested in knowing what kind of acne medicine is available to help them cure their problem. Equally, there are millions of available acne treatments and products out there. Obviously, no one acne medicine is suitable for any one person then.
First, a quick review on what acne is. It is what the layperson calls “pimples” or “zits”. There are different forms of acne, and all can occur at the same time, though one stage does not necessarily progress to the next. There are comedones, or blackheads and whiteheads, as they are usually called. Then there are acne spots caused by bacteria, leading to inflammation, resulting in a red possibly painful swelling called a papule. If the papule does not subside spontaneously, a pustule may form. This heals by discharging pus. A severe enough reaction may cause a lot of deep damage, leaving behind scars.
Acne medicine has different purposes. There is acne medicine to prevent acne. There is medicine to prevent infection of the acne. And there is medicine to prevent scarring from the acne. Finally, there is medicine to minimise the effects of acne scarring, should scars form.
Acne medicine can be divided into those that are applied to the skin – called topical acne medicine, and those that are taken orally – called systemic medicine.
Topical treatments come in the form of creams and lotions. There are two main types of topical acne medicine . The keratolytics , which act by peeling off the top horny outer layer of the skin, so helping to dislodge the comedones ( blackheads and whiteheads), and the antiseptics, which attempt to get rid of harmful bacterial action. Examples of keratolytic acne medicine include benzyl peroxide, Retin A, and sulphur. Examples of antispetic acne medicine include iodine ( eg Betadine), chlorhexidine, zinc salts, which are frequently incorporated into acne creams and lotions, azelaic acid.
One of the main problems with topical acne medicine is that they can be rather harsh. They can cause skin irritation and inflammation. Some, like retin A cannot be used during pregnancy. Sulphur containing acne medicines can be extremely smelly, like rotton eggs !
I can still remember the days when acne used to rule my life. I was so desperate for a cure I must have tried every over-the-counter acne medicine there was available. And there were plenty. That was the time when nobody thought acne was a serious problem. Everyone got it. Nobody had died from it. So it never occured to me that maybe I would need help.
It started with a few small spots. So I tried the standard sulphur-based acne medicine. I would apply it just over the offending spots and wait patiently till they went away. But they gradually got worse, with the number of red spots extending to different areas of my face. Soon it covered large areas of my face. I followed the instructions for how to use the acne medicine. I would cover my face with it faithfully every night, and went to bed smelling of sulphur. Even my pillows would smell of it. But I would hope and pray the medicine would do its wonderful work, and my acne would be gone. I always awoke the next day disappointed. I would wash my face, apply on a fresh layer of acne medicine and go about my day. I finally gave up when someone pointed out to me they always knew when I was coming, because the smell of the acne medicine announced my arrival !
I decided to try the benzyl peroxide-based acne medicine next. At least these did not smell of sulphur. The instructions seemed easy enough to follow. Just apply the acne medicine twice a day after washing the face and the acne would be gone within three to five days. It was again with great hope that I applied the new acne medicine. The first night, nothing happened. By the second night, my face was beginning to get a little itchy. By the third night, the side effects of the acne medicine were causing me to have a rather dry and red face. By the fourth night, my poor face was positively uncomfortable. By the fifth night, I gave up. The acne was still there. This acne medicine had not worked either.
Things just got from bad to worse. The small little red spots progressed to big spots. Big spots joined with other spots to form entire continents. There was hardly a clear space on my face. My confidence dipped to an all-time low. Acne ruled my life. It was the first thing I saw when I awoke, and the last thing I saw when I went to bed. Well meaning friends and relatives constantly commented on it and had lots of advice of what type of acne medicine would work best. I had tried everything.
Generally topical acne medicines work well for those with mild acne. A good number can be simply bought over-the-counter without the need of a doctor’s prescription. And for many, this may be the only treatment required for acne.
Website content
Different Types Of Acne Problems
May 27, 2009 by admin
Filed under Non Fiction
Cindy Heller asked:
One of the ways to combat acne is to gain every bit of knowledge about it, and this article is going to offer you all about the types of acne available ranging from the least worrying to the one that requires your immediate attention.
Let’s begin with the acne that needs the least attention.
Acne Vulgaris
Vulgaris means “common”, not “repulsive”. Thus the following states the acne mild enough for you to treat at home.
Whiteheads are also known as pimples, zits or spots. This is the classic image of acne, small round pus-and-oil filled globes sticking out on your forehead or anywhere else on the face. Your pores are clogged with bacteria from dead skin cells, dirt, oil, sweat, old makeup, and grease. You need not worry much about whiteheads, but you have to clean the affected area after it bursts.
Blackheads are what you get when your pores have only gotten partly clogged. Instead of a bright white pimple, you get a smaller, less noticeable blackhead. You can treat them with some products you can buy at the store but do not squeeze or pop them.
Baby acne only happens to newborn or young babies and is a common condition. It appears to be like a smaller version of adult whiteheads. One of the safest treatments you can treat baby acne, is ionic colloidal silver.
Medium Acne
Pustules, also more commonly known as “blind pimples” are one of the most aggravating types of acne. You can see and feel a pimple occurring on your skin. The skin becomes sore, raised to a 3 millimeter lump, and can be red or pale pink.
You may feel like popping them, but that might make things worse. You have to let them heal in their own time. If they pop, they are open for infection, so you have to apply antibacterial ointment on it.
Adult Acne
The most common belief is that only teenagers have acne but the thing is, acne can happen when you have reached full adulthood and it is normally brought about by stress and hormones at any age. It is mostly because stress hormones could cause existing comedones and impactions to break down, and then be inflamed which in turn develop to red nodules and postules.
Body Acne
Most people have outbreaks of acne on the face and are not aware of what body acne is and how it is different from the regular types of acne. Acne is considered as being body acne if it occurs on the back, chest, shoulders, and even the buttocks. The following are some details of body acne.
Back Acne
Back acne is no different from zits on the face, only they sometimes appear to be more cystic and vulgar.
Genital Acne
Genital acne is the same kind of acne you get on any other part of your body, only it grows on your genitals. This can be either annoying for some people or downright painful for others. They appear to be like whiteheads or blackheads on your genitals.
Severe Acne
These forms of acne need a doctor or dermatologist for proper treatment and care.
There are mainly four different types of severe acne, which are: acne conglobata, acne fulminans, gram negative folliculitis, and nodulocystic acne.
The first, acne conglobata, is a very rare, chronic and the most severe type of acne and it is characterized by the following conditions: deep abscesses, inflammation, severe damage to the skin, scarring and blackheads. It usually feels like you have boils all over you. It normally only hits males between the ages18-30 years old.
Acne fulminans is different from acne conglobata in that it is a sudden onset highly destructive inflammation. It is characterized by symptoms of severe and often ulcerating acne, fever, inflammation and aching of joints, especially in and around the hips and knees.
Corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications are the most regular form of treatment for acne fulminans. However the outbreaks are apt to reoccur and the patient may in fact end up developing acne that needs long-term treatment with isotretinoin.
Nodulocystic acne or Cystic Acne is also one of the most severe forms of acne, and it is usually characterized by cysts. These cysts may appear singly, or they may be spread out all over the face, neck, scalp, back, chest and shoulders.
Treatment for this type of acne typically involves an insistent form of treatment, which may consist of isotretinoin and antibiotics. This form of acne is also characterized by large pus filled sores on the face or other parts of the body. These sores are usually painful and, if not treated, can lead to scarring and a pitting of the skin.
If you suffer from some of the larger cysts, ones that do not respond to medications, you may require drainage and surgical excision by a medical professional.
Gram-negative folliculitis is the type of acne which is caused by a bacterial infection that can result from long-term antibiotic treatment. In gram-negative folliculitis, the bacteria are likely to be resistant to many different types of antibiotics. Anyone with this severe type of acne should ensure that they have the proper care of a dermatologist.
The ultimate aim of this article is make you realize that whatever acne you may be suffering from has a name thus a solution to it. If you are suffering from severe acne, it is best to see a doctor or dermatologist where you will be treated properly for your acne.
Caffeinated Content
One of the ways to combat acne is to gain every bit of knowledge about it, and this article is going to offer you all about the types of acne available ranging from the least worrying to the one that requires your immediate attention.
Let’s begin with the acne that needs the least attention.
Acne Vulgaris
Vulgaris means “common”, not “repulsive”. Thus the following states the acne mild enough for you to treat at home.
Whiteheads are also known as pimples, zits or spots. This is the classic image of acne, small round pus-and-oil filled globes sticking out on your forehead or anywhere else on the face. Your pores are clogged with bacteria from dead skin cells, dirt, oil, sweat, old makeup, and grease. You need not worry much about whiteheads, but you have to clean the affected area after it bursts.
Blackheads are what you get when your pores have only gotten partly clogged. Instead of a bright white pimple, you get a smaller, less noticeable blackhead. You can treat them with some products you can buy at the store but do not squeeze or pop them.
Baby acne only happens to newborn or young babies and is a common condition. It appears to be like a smaller version of adult whiteheads. One of the safest treatments you can treat baby acne, is ionic colloidal silver.
Medium Acne
Pustules, also more commonly known as “blind pimples” are one of the most aggravating types of acne. You can see and feel a pimple occurring on your skin. The skin becomes sore, raised to a 3 millimeter lump, and can be red or pale pink.
You may feel like popping them, but that might make things worse. You have to let them heal in their own time. If they pop, they are open for infection, so you have to apply antibacterial ointment on it.
Adult Acne
The most common belief is that only teenagers have acne but the thing is, acne can happen when you have reached full adulthood and it is normally brought about by stress and hormones at any age. It is mostly because stress hormones could cause existing comedones and impactions to break down, and then be inflamed which in turn develop to red nodules and postules.
Body Acne
Most people have outbreaks of acne on the face and are not aware of what body acne is and how it is different from the regular types of acne. Acne is considered as being body acne if it occurs on the back, chest, shoulders, and even the buttocks. The following are some details of body acne.
Back Acne
Back acne is no different from zits on the face, only they sometimes appear to be more cystic and vulgar.
Genital Acne
Genital acne is the same kind of acne you get on any other part of your body, only it grows on your genitals. This can be either annoying for some people or downright painful for others. They appear to be like whiteheads or blackheads on your genitals.
Severe Acne
These forms of acne need a doctor or dermatologist for proper treatment and care.
There are mainly four different types of severe acne, which are: acne conglobata, acne fulminans, gram negative folliculitis, and nodulocystic acne.
The first, acne conglobata, is a very rare, chronic and the most severe type of acne and it is characterized by the following conditions: deep abscesses, inflammation, severe damage to the skin, scarring and blackheads. It usually feels like you have boils all over you. It normally only hits males between the ages18-30 years old.
Acne fulminans is different from acne conglobata in that it is a sudden onset highly destructive inflammation. It is characterized by symptoms of severe and often ulcerating acne, fever, inflammation and aching of joints, especially in and around the hips and knees.
Corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications are the most regular form of treatment for acne fulminans. However the outbreaks are apt to reoccur and the patient may in fact end up developing acne that needs long-term treatment with isotretinoin.
Nodulocystic acne or Cystic Acne is also one of the most severe forms of acne, and it is usually characterized by cysts. These cysts may appear singly, or they may be spread out all over the face, neck, scalp, back, chest and shoulders.
Treatment for this type of acne typically involves an insistent form of treatment, which may consist of isotretinoin and antibiotics. This form of acne is also characterized by large pus filled sores on the face or other parts of the body. These sores are usually painful and, if not treated, can lead to scarring and a pitting of the skin.
If you suffer from some of the larger cysts, ones that do not respond to medications, you may require drainage and surgical excision by a medical professional.
Gram-negative folliculitis is the type of acne which is caused by a bacterial infection that can result from long-term antibiotic treatment. In gram-negative folliculitis, the bacteria are likely to be resistant to many different types of antibiotics. Anyone with this severe type of acne should ensure that they have the proper care of a dermatologist.
The ultimate aim of this article is make you realize that whatever acne you may be suffering from has a name thus a solution to it. If you are suffering from severe acne, it is best to see a doctor or dermatologist where you will be treated properly for your acne.
Caffeinated Content
