In deciding on the very best acne medication, it is very first essential to take into account its causes. There are various kinds of acne that vary in intensity and difficulty of treatment, but all appear to have the same trigger.

Even though the cause of acne is not fully understood, it is believed to occur when the sebaceous glands increase their production of the oily sebum, which appears to be promoted by hormonal activity.  Sebum mixes with dead skin cells to block the pores in the skin and this mass turn into infected with bacteria. Your body’s immune system reacts to trigger inflammation and the formation of pus, the detritus of white blood cells that have been active in destroying the bacteria.

Basically, that is what acne is. It has nothing to do with fatty food or chocolate, but the cleaner your skin, the less likely you will be to create up skin bacteria. Even so, you cannot catch it from somebody else, and tension and hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle can make it worse.

So how does this knowledge support us to treat acne, and devise an efficient acne medication?  Let’s have a closer look at the belief that acne is caused by a combination of dead skin cells, sebum and bacteria, and the knowledge that hormonal changes can make it worse. In reality acne begins after puberty, when hormones are raging through young bodies: hence the phenomenon of teenage acne.

Sebum and Hormones
The production of sebum increases in line with the generation of particular hormones. Throughout the menstrual cycle, the production of androgens in women increases at certain times. The activity of these androgens (e.g. testosterone) is believed to be responsible for acne, so if their production could be reduced, then the incidence of acne must be likewise decreased. Androgens promote acne by increasing the rate of production of oily sebum by the sebaceous glands in the skin. This gives some women a natural healthy glow, although other people are supplied with a sticky oil slick that mixes with dead skin cells to block up skin pores.

It has been discovered that numerous women respond well to an acne medication formulated from a combination of an anti-androgen such as spironolactone or cyproterone acetate, and an oral contraceptive containing an estrogen and progestin. This outcomes in a reduction in breakouts due to a reduction in the production of sebum. There may possibly be side-effects such as breast tenderness or nausea, but these typically last for only the first month or so of acne treatment.

One more possible way to treat acne to decrease sebum production is isotretinoin (trade name Accutane), that reduces the rate of sebum production and makes it less sticky. This is an successful prescription acne medication for sever cystic acne vulgaris, and also for acne rosacea.  Chemically it is a retinoid, a form of Vitamin A.  Both of these treatments are on prescription only, so what can you do prior to you see your physician?

Dead Skin Cells
One way to stop the build of dead cells on your skin that mixes with the sebum to block your pores is to wash with an exfoliating scrub.  Obviously you need a milder scrub for your face than for the rest of your body, but it is effective in removing dead cells

Yet another acne medication that achieves this at the cellular level is Vitamin A itself.  This dries the skin and flakes off the dead cells. Another is benzoyl peroxide, found in acne treatments such as Clearasil Max and Proactive. This not only flakes off dead skin cells but also possesses mild antibacterial properties.  Nonetheless, these acne treatments can also dry up the skin of some men and women and turn it flaky.

Bacteria
Bacteria are the third factor in acne, and antibiotics are great acne medications. They kill off the bacteria that initiate your immune response that in turn causes the inflammation and pain, and your acne settles down and eventually clears up. You could also use a antibacterial soap with your exfoliating scrub to maintain your skin scrupulously clean, but do not overdo it simply because sebum possesses protective properties that prevent your skin and hair from drying out and also keep them waterproof. 

These are the 3 main forms of acne medication, created to tackle every of the three components of the plug that is blocking your skin pores. Unfortunately the underlying reason for this occurring severely in some folks, not all in other people and to a greater or lesser extent in even a lot more, is unknown in spite of a wonderful deal of research.

Nevertheless the above mentioned acne medication currently accessible to you can be effective, although you will likely have to use them for numerous months prior to seeing lasting effects.