Different Types of Acne Treatments

For some people acne is considered an adolescent right of passage. For other it follows them from puberty all the way into adult hood and can be quite distressing. This skin disease affects millions across the country and there are thousands of treatments for it. This article will examine what acne is and the different treatments that are available for it.

Acne is a skin condition that occurs as a result of the overproduction of oil by the oil glands of the skin. For acne to occur, the oil that your skin naturally produces becomes logged in oil ducts. As a result of this we will have the formation of whiteheads, blackheads and pimples. This is essentially what acne is and there are different levels of this condition. You may have pimples that contain pus, or blackheads, whiteheads and finally cysts that can have the skin looking broken.

There are different ways to treat acne, but some people use various natural products. One such product is Azelaic acid. This product is often used in many skin creams, lotions and gels. It is especially good at treating acne because of its efficiency at killing bacteria and also its anti inflammatory properties. Azelaic acid is also attacks bacteria that infects the pores and inhibits the production of keratin which can also lead to the break out of acne.

Another product that is good at treating acne is Tretinoin. It is a Vitamin A derivative and it is very useful at getting rid of acne, whiteheads and blackheads. No one really knows how tretinoin works but the way it works on the skin is remarkable. It will unclog pores and also aide in the peeling of skin. This product has been approved by the FDA since 1971 for the treatment of this type of acne. It is available in a topical liquid, gel or cream. For this product it is best used everyday. If used properly, the individual should see some positive changes in the skin between six to eight weeks. One thing about the tretinoin treatment is the fact that acne will get worse, before it starts to clean up.

Treating Acne Scars with Simple Home Concoctions

Looking for a cheap yet effective way of how to treat acne scar? Here are some things that you can concoct in the comfort of your own home:

1. Squeeze the juice out of fresh lemons or limes. Apply the juice directly on your acne scars using a cotton ball. Let your skin soak up the lemon juice for a while before washing it off with water. Lemon juice improves the appearance of dark acne scars and blemishes by lightening them.
2. Mix sandalwood with a few drops of rosewater to make a paste. The sandalwood and rosewater paste can be used as a facial mask and can be directly applied on the scarred area. Leave the paste on for more than an hour. Wear it overnight if you can. Wash off completely with water. This is an effective method of how to treat acne scar because of sandalwood’s soothing and cooling effect on the skin.
3. Slice up a tomato and place it over your face. Tomatoes are rich in vitamin A that hinders overproduction of sebum that causes acne. Vitamin A also has antioxidant qualities that refreshes and renews scarred and damaged skin.
4. Olive oil does not only improve the taste of food, but can also improve the appearance of acne scars. Massage olive oil on the scarred skin. Olive oil has a moisturizing quality that softens the skin’s texture and reduces visibility of acne scars.
5. Honey is another natural moisturizer that can help in treating acne scars. You can use honey as a mask or orally take a specially formulated honey acne scar treatment.
6. To treat acne scars, use this mixture as a face mask: 1 tablespoon of sour cream, 1 tablespoon of yogurt, 1 tablespoon of oatmeal, and a few drops of lemon juice. Pat the mixture onto acne scars, leave on for 10 minutes, and rinse off.
7. A popular way of how to treat acne scar is to use a face mask made out of tomatoes and cucumbers. These two combined can greatly reduce the visibility of acne scars. Using a tomato and cucumber face mask also tightens the pores of the skin giving it a nice, even texture.
8. To get a quick relief from acne scars, rub some ice cubes in a pack on the affected area. This soothes the irritated skin and also shrinks the size of pores.
9. Fenugreek is an effective solution to how to treat acne scar. You can make a paste out of fenugreek leaves and use it as a face mask. You can also boil Fenugreek seeds in water and use the solution on acne scars after it cools down.
10. Saturate a cotton ball with a few drops of acne-fighting essential oil such as lavender oil. Apply it on acne scars at least two times a day.
11. Use cucumber juice or fresh cucumber paste as a face mask. Cucumber soothes inflammation, refreshes the skin, and heals acne scars.
12. Egg whites are a cheap yet effective way of how to treat acne scar. Dab some egg whites onto acne scars using a cotton ball and leave on overnight to prevent acne and treat acne scars.