The Best Acne Treatments for Stubborn Pimples and Zits
You've just about tried everything on the drugstore's acne shelf and yet your pimples still keep coming back. Some acne products simply do nothing. Others provide only temporary relief. A few even make flare-ups worse. Before throwing in the towel and accepting that acne is just your fate, here are three very effective acne treatments you should try:
Treatment 1: Antibiotics
The pus you see in stubborn pimples is a byproduct of bacteria that happily thrive in your pore's clogged condition. That's why antibiotics are one of the most effective ways to remove nasty acne. Topical antibiotic gels, ointments, or solutions can be applied on acne twice a day. Erythromycin and clindamycin are common topical antibiotics. To see results, you need to apply these religiously for at least one week. You also have to watch out for dryness, peeling, and irritation.
The second way to go antibiotic is by taking them orally. Doxycycline, minocycline, and tetracycline are the usual candidates. While relatively effective, oral antibiotics weaken your body's defense against future bacterial attacks. For women, this means yeast infections as well as less effective birth control pills. Stomach pain is also common as you get used to this treatment. Significant results may take at least 2 weeks to appear.
Treatment 2: Isotretinoin
Many people have reported miraculous results from isotretinoin. More popularly known as Accutane, this treatment shuts down oil gland production while controlling the rate that the skin sheds off dead skin cells, thereby effectively minimizing acne-forming conditions. It comes in pill or capsule form taken twice a day with meals over a course of several months. While it poses the most promising results, it also comes with dramatic side effects. Depression, anorexia, premature births or spontaneous abortion, high cholesterol, and osteoporosis are among its major side effects. Granted, this does not happen to everyone, but be sure to read the fine print if you are at high risk for these conditions. Excessive dryness of the skin, eyes, mouth, lips, and nose is also a common downside. Be sure to talk everything through with your doctor or dermatologist before going through with this mode of treatment.
Treatment 3: Vitamin B5
Antibiotics and Accutane require a prescription and are very costly to maintain. A cheaper yet effective alternative is the use of vitamin B5. Like isotretinoin, this vitamin controls oil production without totally shutting down the oil glands. With this you get clear skin without the excessive dryness. It can also reduce the size of pores. The best thing is that this has very minimal side effects - so trying it poses the least damage to your body. Plus, you can get it without a prescription.
Most vitamin B5 formulations require you to take 2-3 pills or tablets 3 to 4 times a day. This would be a hassle and cost you more, so look for a formulation that uses time-release capsules to make your life easier. These release the dosage gradually over the course of the day so you'll need to take it once. Other acne-fighting minerals like biotin, chromium, selenium and zinc can help you get the maximum effect.
There you have it - three most highly recommended solutions to treating stubborn acne. You can learn more about acne treatments by reading these acne product reviews.
Treatment 1: Antibiotics
The pus you see in stubborn pimples is a byproduct of bacteria that happily thrive in your pore's clogged condition. That's why antibiotics are one of the most effective ways to remove nasty acne. Topical antibiotic gels, ointments, or solutions can be applied on acne twice a day. Erythromycin and clindamycin are common topical antibiotics. To see results, you need to apply these religiously for at least one week. You also have to watch out for dryness, peeling, and irritation.
The second way to go antibiotic is by taking them orally. Doxycycline, minocycline, and tetracycline are the usual candidates. While relatively effective, oral antibiotics weaken your body's defense against future bacterial attacks. For women, this means yeast infections as well as less effective birth control pills. Stomach pain is also common as you get used to this treatment. Significant results may take at least 2 weeks to appear.
Treatment 2: Isotretinoin
Many people have reported miraculous results from isotretinoin. More popularly known as Accutane, this treatment shuts down oil gland production while controlling the rate that the skin sheds off dead skin cells, thereby effectively minimizing acne-forming conditions. It comes in pill or capsule form taken twice a day with meals over a course of several months. While it poses the most promising results, it also comes with dramatic side effects. Depression, anorexia, premature births or spontaneous abortion, high cholesterol, and osteoporosis are among its major side effects. Granted, this does not happen to everyone, but be sure to read the fine print if you are at high risk for these conditions. Excessive dryness of the skin, eyes, mouth, lips, and nose is also a common downside. Be sure to talk everything through with your doctor or dermatologist before going through with this mode of treatment.
Treatment 3: Vitamin B5
Antibiotics and Accutane require a prescription and are very costly to maintain. A cheaper yet effective alternative is the use of vitamin B5. Like isotretinoin, this vitamin controls oil production without totally shutting down the oil glands. With this you get clear skin without the excessive dryness. It can also reduce the size of pores. The best thing is that this has very minimal side effects - so trying it poses the least damage to your body. Plus, you can get it without a prescription.
Most vitamin B5 formulations require you to take 2-3 pills or tablets 3 to 4 times a day. This would be a hassle and cost you more, so look for a formulation that uses time-release capsules to make your life easier. These release the dosage gradually over the course of the day so you'll need to take it once. Other acne-fighting minerals like biotin, chromium, selenium and zinc can help you get the maximum effect.
There you have it - three most highly recommended solutions to treating stubborn acne. You can learn more about acne treatments by reading these acne product reviews.
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