People who suffered with long term effects of severe acne can be devastating in both mentally and physically. Harsh drugs, strong antibiotics and steroids are easily prescribed by doctors but are they really the only answer to effective acne treatment?
Finding a good acne treatment for severe acne can be very difficult. Because of the nature of acne, severe acne treatment methods can be extremely harsh, or even toxic. However, if severe acne is left untreated, it may result in acne scarring which remind you long after acne has gone.
One of the oldest acne treatments for severe acne is Accutane, or its generic counterparts, which are a derivative of Vitamin A. Accutane is very effective for getting control of severe acne, and can sometimes virtually bring an end to acne breakouts. But people also get drawback from the toxicity of Accutane, which causes a long list of undesirable side effects.
Essentially Accutane causes your oil glands to shut down during the acne treatment period, which normally lasts four to five months and because of that you are not secreting any oils. So your skin becomes very dry, which many users explain as feeling like a sunburn. Accutane users also report that nosebleeds are very common, as well as hair loss. It has also a tendency to make users feel very depressed. Although Accutane can get acne problems under control, the side effects make it an option that should be used sparingly.
Minocycline, one of the oldest antibiotics used to treat acne, has a reputation as being the most toxic. Doctors still prescribe it since the body is slow to build up immunity, but they are increasingly using other, more gentle, antibiotics despite the tendency for users to build up immunity. Antibiotics as an acne treatment are also very effective. There are a variety of antibiotics used, but, like Accutane, some forms have some unwanted side effects.
If you suffer from severe acne, you might opt for a more direct acne treatment. Intra-lesional corticosteroid injections made directly into the cystic nodule have proven to be most effective for sever acne treatment. The injections act very quickly in order to helping to reduce the swelling much in the same way cortisone injections would for an injured knee or back, though they do create discoloration. Although the treatments work well, intra-lesional corticosteroid injections are only successful on existing cystic nodules.
Lasers have also become a popular acne treatment in these days. Not only can lasers treat acne, they can also remove acne scarring. However, because these lasers are currently unregulated, anyone who is not a profession can purchase and legally use these lasers. The danger is that an inexperienced practitioner may overexpose a patient to the laser, causing permanent damage.
There are two types of lasers, ablative and non-ablative. Ablative lasers are the oldest and strongest variety laser acne treatment, and they essentially vaporize the outer layer of skin, much like removing a tattoo. When this outer layer of skin grows back, acne scars and wrinkles are greatly reduced.
The extreme heat produced by ablative lasers cause your oil glands to shrink, which prevents oil glands to increasing the production of oil on your skin that cause the breakouts. Because your skin is burned off, treatment from ablative lasers will make your face red and sore for several weeks. Non-ablative lasers are newer and gentler than older lasers, Ablative.
Non-ablative lasers also shrink the oil glands, but since they do not vaporize your skin, there is usually no soreness or visible side effects. Non-ablative lasers also promote collagen growth, so they also remove acne scarring. Because non-ablative lasers are less harsh because of that they will require more than one treatment session, while an ablative laser treatment consists of only one session.
Severe acne has never been pleasant and the acne scars reach much deeper than what a person might see or expect to happen on the surface. The long-term effects of acne are damaging, both physically and psychologically. There is hope and the good new is more than one type of acne treatment to choose from, though do be aware of potential risks of some side effect . Talk to your dermatologist to find out which acne treatment would be right for you.
Tags: Acne, Acne Treatments