Common Acne Treatment Review
The common acne affects millions of young people and although does not present a hazard to one's health, it causes negative impact on the emotional state. It is responsible for social withdrawal, low self-esteem and depression. Acne does not affect young people only – women and men well into their thirties can have face or body acne; however, the majority of the cases occur during adolescence, which is caused by the increased levels sex hormones. Acne is a condition that is especially difficult to manage and some cases are so stubborn that they require months or even years of treatment.
Fortunately, severe cases are rare, but if they occur, the acne is usually inflammatory and can affect the face, the back or the upper part of the chest. These cases are very difficult to treat and when it comes to treatment not all patients respond the same way to the same medications. All treatments require time and perseverance – today's drugs and topical creams are much more effective than they used to be even a few years ago, but in the majority of the cases they take at least three months to work and often even longer. Every treatment should be discussed with a dermatologist since the age of the patient, the type of the skin, the severity of the outbreaks, and other factors should be taken into consideration.
For the time being, the most common ways to manage acne can be divided into four groups, according to the way that they work: medication that kills the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes, hormonal manipulating medication, medication that prevents the skin pores blockage and anti-inflammatory medication. As a rule, the first treatment prescribed is Benzoyl peroxide, as long as the patient can tolerate it; still, when the case is severe and when other treatments produced no result, a drug called Isotretinoin is used.
It is appropriate when nodules are presented and the number of nodules is great; this is a very powerful medication that can cause unwanted side effects and this is why it is used as a last resort if the patient did not respond well to most convenient treatments. On the other part, when prescribed and used under qualified doctor's supervision, Isotretinoin has worked really well for most patients and its success rate is almost 80%.
The lowest available dose is Isotretinoin 5mg; 30mg, 20mg and 10mg are also sold; the drug is sold under many trade names, but is known to most as generic Accutane and Accutane. Generic Accutane is cheaper than the brand-name drug, found in the local pharmacies and is readily available online, while still having the same characteristics. The Isotretinoin treatment takes a few months and at the beginning some patients experience increased breakouts; however, after that initial period, most have found the drug extremely effective and have reported clearing.
As with other medication, a treatment with Isotretinoin should only be started after consulting a dermatologist and followed as directed and for as long as needed.