When people reach puberty, hormones cause glands within hair follicles to produce more oil. As a result, acne starts to appear when people reach their teens. People with minor acne cases can likely use over-the-counter medications which contain benzoyl peroxide, a compound which helps kill bacteria on the skin.
Acne medications with benzoyl peroxide come in soaps, creams and gels, so people can choose the correct medication for their skin type. Gels are good for people with oily skin, while creams are better for people whose skin tends to dry out.
Over-the-counter acne remedies work well for many people, but their effects are limited. If a person’s acne is not improving with non-prescription treatments, there is a range of prescription antibiotic creams and pills that can normalize oil production inside hair follicles. Some people suffer from severe acne which antibiotics cannot cure. Cystic acne, which affects 350,000 people, is the result of a huge oil build-up inside the hair follicle that breaks the follicle wall and causes a cyst to form under the skin.
Until recently, there was no treatment for cystic acne. Cystic acne can be psychologically devastating. Patients can become depressed because of their acne.
But a new drug which successfully treats cystic acne was introduced recently. The drug, accutane, shrinks oil glands and can clear acne in a lot of cystic acne patients.
Accutane is taken in pill-form for a four-month period. Most patients continue to see improvement from this new form of acne treatment even after they have stopped taking the drug,
Because accutane is so drying, patients may also feel dry lips and mouth.. And, since the drug caused birth defects in laboratory animals, pregnant and nursing women should not take accutane.
Though there may be side effects of this acne medication, doctors and dermatologists feel the benefits outweigh the risks for many cystic acne patients.
