We all know about the side effects that conventional medicine and drugs produce in our bodies, acne is not exempt of such effects. Conventional treatment for acne can have good and terrible results, but I thought it was best to show you the different conventional treatments used and the side effects that you should be willing to endure in some cases. Below you will find a list with some of the most popular conventional treatments for acne.

1- Cleansers and topical agents are usually tried first, and may be sufficient to control mild cases of acne. You should thoroughly cleanse your skin in the morning and at night using a mild medicated soap. Avoid scrubbing, irritating, and drying out your skin.

2- Alpha- and beta-hydroxy acids are gentle exfoliants that can help people with very mild acne. They are available in many different over-the-counter lotions designed to help the skin shed surface cells, open blocked pores, and keep sebum moving evenly onto the skin’s surface.

3- Benzoyl peroxide is an ingredient in many nonprescription and prescription gels, creams, lotions, and soaps. It helps to open and clean out clogged pores and limit the growth of bacteria on the skin and in the pores, and thus is useful for pimples and pustules. It can be very drying, however, especially in the gel form, and may cause redness, scaling, and irritation. It is therefore best to start with a low-strength water-based cream and apply it only once every other day at first to make sure that there is no irritation from the benzoyl peroxide product. If there is none, you can slowly increase the strength and frequency of application of the benzoyl peroxide cream to whatever level your skin can tolerate without getting itchy, red, flaky, or inflamed.

4- Drying agents, such as those containing sulfur or lime sulfur solution, salicylic acid, resorcinol, and benzoyl peroxide are used to cause a continuous mild drying and peeling of the skin. This may work quickly and effectively if you have mild pustular acne and are reluctant to try anything stronger.

5- Topical antibiotics available with a prescription, including topical erythromycin (Erygel, Erythra-Derm, and others), clindamycin (Cleocin T), meclocycline (Meclan), and tetracycline (Achromycin, Topicycline), are particularly useful for mild pimples and pustules. They help to get rid of Propionibacteriurn acnes.

6- Tretinoin (Retin-A) has until recently been the topical medication of choice for blackheads and whiteheads. Many dermatologists prescribe it for pimples as well. It works by increasing skin-cell turnover in normal hair follicles and blackheads and whiteheads, thus opening up and pushing out the debris from blackheads. The solution and gel forms can be drying and irritating. Either form makes the skin more susceptible to sunburn and sun damage, so you must take care with other drying agents and sun and heat exposure. The lowest strength (0.025 percent) cream is quite mild and is better for dry skin with acne. Start by using only a small amount every other night, after washing your skin and drying it thoroughly, for twenty minutes. You may increase the strength and frequency of application as tolerated. Tretinoin increases the penetration of other topicals by temporarily thinning the skin and dilating the capillaries, so there is a beneficial synergistic effect when it is used in combination with other topical medications. However, benzoyl peroxide may inactivate tretinoin, so those two medications should not be used together. Recently, the patent on tretinoin expired, so generic formulations have become available. In addition, several better formulations of tretinoin cream have entered the marketplace. For example, Retin-A Micro 0.1-percent gel contains microspheres that deliver full- strength tretinoin in a gentler way, without as much irritation. It can be put on the face directly after washing, instead of after waiting twenty minutes as with Retin-A. Avita is another newer formulation of tretinoin cream or gel that has the same efficacy but causes much less irritation than the most potent Retin-A gel (0.025-percent strength). It is intended to be used for acne only. Most people start to see improvement in their acne within two weeks, and the improvement continues for about six weeks.

7- Adapalene (Differin) gel is a newer high-strength retinoid therapy that is much gentler than tretinoin. It is best for blackheads and whiteheads.

8- Tazarotene (Tazorac) gel is another topical retinoid treatment. It is excellent for deep whiteheads and blackheads, oily skin, and inflammatory acne papules and pustules that have not responded to milder therapies. It is not as unstable as tretinoin in the presence of light, and therefore not as photosensitizing. However, it can still be irritating, and a noncomedogenic (non-pore-clogging) moisturizer and sunscreen should also be used daily. Tazarotene gel should not be used by women who may become pregnant, so if you are a woman of childbearing age, you must use a reliable method of birth control. With nightly use of tazarotene gel, you should see improvement in your acne starting at four weeks and continuing for twelve weeks.

9- Azelaic acid (Azelex) cream may be prescribed for mild to moderate acne. Azelaic acid is a natural compound found in wheat. It works to normalize the keratinization process in the skin that blocks the pores, and also has antimicrobial activity. It is most effective when used together with topical benzoyl peroxide, erythromycin, or tretinoin, although acne does improve when azelaic acid is used alone. Azelaic-acid cream should be applied to blemishes twice a day for twelve weeks to determine its maximum effectiveness.

As a Naturopathic Doctor Im not in favor of most of these drugs or treatments for acne, I recommend a more natural approach to treat acne, I have seen many times how natural acne treatments have outperform conventional treatments. If you want to learn the 12 step natural treatment for acne that has everybody talking, click the link below.

http://www.acne-naturaltreatment.com