Acne Skin Care

There will probably come a time in the not too distant future where the condition of acne (Zits) will be completely curable; but things are gradually improving for sufferers. Research into the causes, and possible treatments, for the condition is ongoing; now, some of these skin conditions are gradually being conquered. Most acne skin care products can be broken down into three main areas:

• Drugstore or Internet: Preventative medication
• Over-the-Counter: Treatments for conditions that do not require prescription
• Prescription: Dermatologist or Doctor, specialist cream or ointment

General or preventative acne products form a large section of the skin care market; this sector deals with skin creams, lotions and cleansers that can help stop the problem. Many people use products similar to this every day as part of their skin care regime; often this is irrespective of whether or not there is a problem condition. More specialized cleaners are designed in the same way as acne skin care products; they ensure the facial pores (and other areas) remain free of oil. When the pores become clogged with this oil, bacteria which can cause the problem begin to grow.

This type of skin care treatment also includes those which exfoliate such as skin peels; there is now a variety of this type of product available over the counter. The peels clean the skin by removing all surface pollution and dead skin cells which can block the pores. The growth of the skin care market has allowed even more specialized acne skin care products to be available without the need to visit the doctor. These formulations contain the chemical benzoyl peroxide and the naturally occurring salicylic acid; these include products which extract the unwanted oil from the skin.

Generally it is best to start using this type of product with only a small amount of benzoyl peroxide (less than 5.5 percent is recommended), just to see how the skin reacts; an alternative to this includes products which contain alpha hydroxy acid. It is not always possible to find an acne skin care product that works first time; if none of them work then you would be advised to contact your skin specialist. On-prescription treatments are prescribed by a dermatologist and can include ointments that can be applied on the affected area or oral antibiotics or just any topical ointment.

In more serious cases your skin care specialist may decide that a small surgical procedure can be used to remove the oil and infection from your pores; specialists never recommend the sufferer tries this themselves as it can cause permanent skin damage. Your doctor may even suggest a course of hormone therapy as a skin care treatment; hormonal changes are known to cause acne and such skin care treatments often effective. The end result is dealing with this skin complaint is not the problem it once was, there are now a huge range of products specifically formulated for the task.