According to most medical experts, teenagers tend to develop acne at a higher rate compared to adults or to any other age groups.
The major reason for this risk is the increased output of hormones during puberty, the production of sebaceous glands and the continuous increase of skin cell turnover within the skin follicles. It is also noted that increased stress also affects the development of acne and that the condition tends to get worst if the patient undergoes rigorous work loads.
Dermatologists also believe that improper diet contributes a lot to the development of acne. Poor dietary habits like taking in foods with too much sugar and fat content affect your skin follicles. Although there is no concrete clinical evidence to support this hypothesis, most doctors still advise their acne patients to balance their diet and develop good eating habits.
What Can You Do? Studies have shown that there is a proven genetic tendency or pattern for acne especially if other family members of the acne patient have developed acne. Naming propionibacteria as the most common bacteria that cause acne and other skin infections, medical experts agree that these bacteria, when present on the skin, can lead to adolescent, persistent, or adult onset acne.
Due to recent science and medical developments, more and more acne treatments have been discovered. Some are quite effective than the others depending on the patient's condition. Effective acne and treatment are sometimes recommended by dermatologists in single or various combinations depending on the stage and development of the acne the person has.
One of the most effective ways to
acne is by using topical treatments such as acne lotions, acne creams, and gels that are applied on the skin. These topical antibiotic medicines that are formulated to terminate acne-causing bacteria, can help in the reduction of acne.
Medical experts have categorized the types of topical antibiotics to erythromycin, clindamycin, and sulfa drugs. The application of topical medicines is believed to be quite effective in curing acne because the medication is applied directly to the affected area in controlled dosage.
And since there is no need for patients to swallow the medicine, the components of the drugs do not have to travel through the body, thus lessens the possibility of side effects. Retinoid, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic and glycolic acids, are the most common ingredients that respond well to severe blackheads and whiteheads.
Although topical medication is effective in curing acne, it also has minor disadvantages like the possible tolerance of bacteria to the medicine that leads to resistance to the medication over time.
Another way to acne is through oral medications. Unlike topical medication that is applied to the surface of the affected area, oral medications are taken orally to be distributed throughout the bloodstream. This is known to be a systemic treatment because the drug is taken to all of the body's functioning systems and is quite useful when acne develops on the skin on multiple stages. The most common oral acne medications include tetracyclines, minocycline, doxycyclin, and isotretinoin, or retinoic acid.
Other ways to acne include hormone therapy that aims to restore the normal balance of hormones in the patient's body, and acne surgery for severe and persistent acne that cannot be cured by topical or oral medication.
Before using any medication or before undergoing any treatment to acne, make sure that you have consulted with your dermatologist or physician first to avoid further complications.
