Acne Advice at Its Best

Acne Care You Can Live With

Acne care is a big business, and one that can be frustrating for people who suffer from severe acne. What cure might work for the average person might not work for an individual with cystic acne. Acne scars run much deeper than the surface of the skin, too. Chronic acne can batter a person's self-esteem and greatly alter the way other people react to him or her.

Acne can strike at any age and many people go to great lengths to ensure proper acne care. Despite any number of best efforts, some people find no relief, no miracle cure that will eliminate acne forever, and these individuals have the acne scars to prove it. Acne is more than a physical affliction; it can eat away at a person's self-esteem and change the way that others react to him or her.

 

Severity of your acne

Depending on the severity of your acne, your complexion, and how oily your skin is, a dermatologist has a wide variety of acne care options to control cystic acne or even remove acne scars. Oral medications are the oldest type of treatment for severe acne, but many of these medications are very harsh and have some very undesirable side effects. If a dermatologist does suggest an oral acne medication, you should inquire to the side effects and possible alternatives.

Laser Treatment

Lasers are becoming a more common solution for severe acne care. Lasers can even be used to remove acne scars, if used properly. However, an inexperienced laser operator can cause permanent scarring.

There are two types of lasers used to treat acne, called ablative and nonablative lasers. Ablative lasers are the oldest type and the most potentially dangerous. Both types of lasers shrink the oil glands, which slows oil production and prevents acne breakouts, but ablative lasers destroy the outermost layer of your skin. This causes the area treated by ablative lasers to be very red, sensitive, and painful until the skin fully heals. Because the scar tissue is destroyed, the skin that grows back will lack acne scars or wrinkles.

Nonablative lasers

Nonablative lasers, on the other hand, do not harm the outer layer of skin, but get rid of acne scars by stimulating collegen growth. However, nonablative lasers, because they are gentler, require multiple treatments, while ablative lasers only require a single treatment.

Azelaic acid

Azelaic acid is one product that might help reduce the appearance of acne scars. This type of acid comes in the form of a moisturizer and is easily obtained over the counter without a prescription for acne care. Azelaic acid might not work for everyone, but many people have attested to seeing some reduction in their acne scars.