Feel Your Acne Needs Something Stronger? Prescription Acne Treatments…

Posted by admin on November 6, 2009 under Clear Acne | Be the First to Comment

Prescription Acne Treatments
Tetracycline, Doxycycline, and Minocycline
Antibiotics have been used for decades to combat acne by inhibiting the p. acnes bacteria from producing a certain protein it needs to live and multiply. By killing p. acnes, these antibiotics treat the cause of acne, ending the infection and clearing your complexion. These antibiotics can also reduce acne scarring because they speed up the healing process.
However, like most acne medications, these antibiotics do have side effects; some of them can be severe, especially those from Minocycline. Tetracycline and Doxycycline are gentler, and their potential side effects include nasea, diarrhea, blurred vision, and increased sensitivity to the UV rays, either from the sun or tanning beds.
Side effects of Minocycline include the development of very serious conditions, such as heart and respiratory difficulty and failure and Minocycline use has been linked with at least two deaths. Minocycline can also affect your ability to operate a car and can cloud your judgment. It is also very dangerous for pregnant women to use Minocycline, as it can cause skeletal defects in their unborn child. Also, children under eight years old cannot take Minocycline because it can cause permanent graying or yellowing of the teeth and can impair their growth and development. Outdated Minocycline must be disposed of, as it can cause kidney damage if taken.
In addition, the use of any antibiotic can reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills, which can make the use of antibiotics to treat acne risky for many women.
Although the body does not build a resistance to Minocycline quickly, experts are increasingly recommending other antibiotics because reduced risk of serious side effects.
Accutane
Accutane, also known as isotretinoin, Amnesteem, and Clarvis, is a prescription acne medication used to treat moderate to severe acne. It comes from a family of chemicals called retinoids, which are a derivative of vitamin A. Accutane has been for over twenty years to treat and, in many cases, completely cure acne. Accutane accomplishes this cure by stopping your body from secreting oil while you are taking it, which is generally about 4-5 months. Unfortunately Accutane is a toxic substance and has a long list of potential side effects, especially concerning women who are pregnant or may become pregnant. There are several birth defects that may result from Accutane use, including mental retardation, facial abnormalities, heart problems. There is also an increased risk of infant mortality and premature birth. Because Accutane is so dangerous to unborn children, the manufacturer has set up a rigid program to regulate Accutane’s use and distribution. Before a woman can be prescribed Accutane, she must pass a pregnancy test and begin taking birth control pills. It is also required that she must use an additional form of contraception while she is taking Accutane and for a period of time afterward.
In addition to severe birth defects, other common side effects include hair loss, soreness, dry skin, nosebleeds, dry eyes, and chapped lips. There is also significant evidence that Accutane can cause users to become depressed and attempt suicide.
Accutane is very effective for permanently clearing acne, but it has several serious medical and cosmetic side effects. Before taking Accutane you should first try some other, safer acne treatments.
Retin A
Retin A is a Retinoid like Accutane, but Retin A is much less toxic and is applied topically instead of taken as a pill. Retin A works by causing the skin to shed cells more quickly, which clears pores and gives acne less chance to develop. However, like Accutane, Retin A has some bothersome side effects.
Because Retin A essential causes your skin to become thinner, it is more sensitive to light, gets dried out easily, and can become irritated. Retin A also carries a risk for birth defects and must be avoided by women who are pregnant or may become pregnant.
Many people find that their skin gets very dry when they first begin using Retin A, and discontinue use. However, you must use Retin A for 1-2 months to see noticeable results.
Birth Control Pills
Some birth control pills claim to reduce the appearance of acne because of the effect it has on hormones. Although many women say that birth control has cleared their complexion, many others say it has no effect or made their acne worse.
Although birth control pills have several benefits, they may not be the most effective treatment for acne, and should be considered carefully before using, since it does alter your hormonal imbalance. Many women report than the pill does help ease cramps, but weight gain and reduced sex drive are also fairly common.
Interlesional Corticosteroid Injection
This treatment is injected directly into cystic nodules to help them heal. The fluid injected is very diluted, but is similar to anti-inflammatory injections use to help knee and back problems. In addition its anti-inflammatory effects, this injection helps to dissolve the cyst and begin healing within 3-5 days. Interlesional Corticosteroid Injection must be done by a trained physician.
Conclusion
No matter how severe your acne is, there is a treatment option that will work for you. Your skin type and acne type will determine what treatments are effective and which have little effect. For most people, using some type of over the counter acne treatment will improve their skin, although it may not clear their acne altogether. However, some people may elect to seek the help of a dermatologist, especially if their acne is more severe. Although dermatologists are trained professionals, you should learn and understand any treatments they suggest, and be familiar with any side effects. In some acne treatments, side effects are a possibility, but in others, like Accutane, you are almost guaranteed to experience several of the known side effects. Before beginning any treatment, you need to know the risks and decide if being acne free is worth the risks that come with your acne treatment.

Cystic acne and junk food

Posted by admin on October 25, 2009 under Clear Acne | Be the First to Comment

In order to get rid of cystic acne, it’s an excellent idea to avoid junk food. Some people, no matter what they do in terms of diet, exercise, and general lifestyle changes, continue to have cystic acne that requires medical treatment. You may be an example of the extremely fortunate individual whose skin responds just to changes in diet. It’s unfair, however, to suggest that an improved diet will be a panacea for all people with acne.

Obviously, if an individual notices a connection between eating a certain food, for example, chocolate, shell fish, spinach, fried foods, and breakouts, he or she should avoid those foods. But not everyone has such clear flags.

But food is not the only cause for cystic acne. Frankly I sometimes wonder if more people don’t have adult cystic acne because of our toxic environment, including our food.  Or maybe part of it is that everybody didn’t feel as great a need to be perfect in the past. Maybe more people are seeking acne treatment now than in the past, I’m not saying that seeking treatment is necessarily a bad thing; if help is available, why not take advantage of it?

My advice is to press the doctor for something else and if it doesn’t work seek a new doctor who will prescribe Accutane or something similar for a five-month course. Cystic acne is just too unpleasant a condition to be lived with if there is a medication that can control it and the risks are reasonable.

How cystic acne affects our emotions

Posted by admin on October 24, 2009 under Clear Acne | Be the First to Comment

I have noticed that most people talk about their cystic acne in a clinical sense, but don’t really talk about the emotional toll their acne has on them.

Those of us who know what real cystic acne is are so frustrated because we know that washing the skin is not going to solve the problem.  Those of us who have had acne for a while get even more frustrated when we realize that people are going to look at you as though you don’t take care of yourself or you lack personal hygiene when in reality your about 20 times more free of germs than the next guy.

Unfortunate we live in a society where we should feel less secure about ourselves because our skin is bad. The weird thing is that supposedly 80% of the society suffers from cystic acne in adolescence. I have seen people with very mild acne react much stronger than people with worse acne though – and that shows how it does depend on the person generally.  However, I have never encountered a soul who has cystic acne and is completely fine with it. It’s frustrating to be encountered by those blessed with clear skin who tell you that all you need is to wash your face. Acne is much more than a fleeting teen affliction. It is in fact a disorder that really affect ones self-esteem, self-confidence, and happiness, to minimize this only serves to minimize the anguish that many suffer on a daily basis.

The solution for those bad feeling is not easy but you can still try to deal with it. You can have cystic acne and still enjoy your social life. Try to take it as if the acnes aren’t there, and everyone else don’t bother bout your acnes too when socializing.

Cystic acne and your immune system

Posted by admin on October 23, 2009 under Clear Acne | Be the First to Comment

Cystic acne is a clear indication of a well functioning immune system. Concomitant with a well functioning immune system, cystic acne sores provide a means of aerosol and other means of natural vaccination from a variety of diseases. These two factors seem interrelated and may indicate that males with acne have a more adaptable immune system which is clearly adapted to inoculation and vaccination, through acne sores, from natural exogenous sources.

The ability to survive epidemics, immunity, both partial and complete from a variety of diseases, an immune system exposed to a great variety of exogenous disease causing viruses, bacteria and etc through acne sources and thus more adapted to combat the same through cross immunity and specific immunity and increasingly adaptive immunity mechanism, and related processes, can explain the survival benefit of acne in men with the resultant increasing ability to pass this survival mechanism to future generations through mere survival itself despite the disfiguring effects of cystic acne.

Proper skin care, a proper diet and exercise. I know it seems kind of obvious, but washing your skin twice daily and using the proper skin care items do wonders. Eating properly and exercising will also help clear up your cystic acne, as well as make you appear better all over. Eating properly doesn’t mean eating till you’re 100 pounds, either, but getting actual good nutrition.  If your acne is bad, and a month or two of skin care and diet doesn’t help, go see a dermatologist.

Some people experience a miracle when they use medication and formulas, for others, other prescriptions are needed. Also, try to see what triggers blemishes for example, if you’re stressed out, try to relax some more.  There are some foods which can aggravate acne by making your produce more sebum, you may want to avoid those foods if you figure out what they are. Keep in mind that your skin is not going to become clear over night, it’ll take months or years. Most likely if your acne is really bad, it won’t ever clear up completely, you’ll have to always keep it at bay with various products, and if you miss a day or two, some pimples will form.