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Treatments

There is a vast variety of treatments for acne. However, it does not mean that a certain treatment works every time someone use them. For some people it work for others it  don't. Here is an overview of different types of treatments. Treatments also depend on how severe is the acne of the person being treated.
Over the counter medication ( without prescription):

This type of medication is mostly effective against mild acne. Mild acne is the less severe form of acne; people with mild acne have only a few pimples which can be whiteheads, blackheads, papules and/or pustules. Any medication containing benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid can help when treating mild acne.

Medication that works throughout the body:

This type of treatment is mostly used to treat severe acne and most of the time are prescription based. This type of treatment is usually use to treat cyst and nodules which can be consider a more severe type of acne. Some example are:

  • Antibiotics (helps to kill bacteria and reduce inflammation).

  • Birth control pills and other medicine that works on hormones (can be helpful for women).

  • Isotretinoin 

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Topical Treatments:

This type of treatment is applied directly to the skin surface. There is a vast variety of topical acne treatments. However, some of these work by killing the bacteria involved in acne. Others work by decreasing the amount of oil (sebum) produced the glands in the skin. Some of this treatments can be  sell without a prescription. For a stronger treatment a prescription might be needed.

Professional treatment:

This type of treatment is preformed by professionals such as a dermatologist. For this type of treatment specialized equipment might be required. Some example of these are the following:

  • Lasers and other light therapies: These devices reduce the p. acnes bacteria. Your dermatologist can determine whether this type of treatment can be helpful.

  • Chemical peels: You cannot buy the chemical peels that dermatologists use. Dermatologists use chemical peels to treat 2 types of acne — blackheads and papules.

  • Acne removal: Your dermatologist may perform a procedure called “drainage and extraction” to remove a large acne cyst.

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