Acne Medications
Acne medications come in many forms, and are usually categorized
in two ways: over-the-counter or prescription and topical or
oral. Most acne
medicines (in contrast to acne cleansers) are used to control
inflammation and fare-ups. Others target the acne causing bacteria
P. Acnes, thereby lessening the chance of acne. Most medications
have a scientific name (the active chemical compound or agent)
and a brand name. Here are some common acne medications:
Topical Medication:
Benzoyl peroxide:
Used in many acne medications, benzoyl peroxide is one of the
most common chemical agents used to fight acne. Clearasil and
Oxy-10 are two common brand names that use benzoyl peroxide
as their active ingredient. Benzoyl peroxide kills P. Acnes
bacteria and dissolves keratin-clogging pores. Benzoyl peroxide
is one of the most common acne
solutions.
Two very popular acne medications are Exposed
acne treatment and ZenMed,
which both work to penetrate pores and remove sebum, keratin
and debris, clearing the skin.
Topical Antibiotics: There are prescription
antibiotics available as acne medications and used as a topical
treatment. Enthromycin, clindamycin and tetracycline are examples
of antibiotics used as acne medication. Although antibiotics
kill the P. Acnes bacteria, they do not cure any dermatological
issues (overproduction of sebum, over production of dead skin
cells) and therefore acne usually reappears days after the
treatment has stopped. Because antibiotics tend to be less
effective after prolonged use, the use of antibiotics as an
acne medication is becoming less and less common.
Retinoids: Retinoids
can be taken orally or used topically. Retinol is closely
related to isotretinoin and Vitamin A and is used to regulate
or speed up the skin cells lifecycle which in turn, inhibits
keratinisation of the cells, decreasing the chance of follicle
blocking. Retinoids can have adverse side effects including
skin irritation, additional inflammation and patchy rash areas,
but work quite well to control
acne.
Oral Medication:
Oral retinoids: Are used for the same reason
as topical retinoids, but can have less side effects relating
to the skin. Oral retinoids are usually taken for a prolonged
period (4-6 months) for the treatment of acne. Relapse from
oral retinoids can occur, where further treatment is necessary.
Orally ingesting retinoids as an acne medication can have
much more serious side effects than topical retinoids. Some
examples are liver damage, and damage to fetuses in pregnant
women. In many cases a doctor will prescribe mandatory birth
control to a woman while prescribing oral retinoids.
Oral Antibiotics: Oral antibiotics are used
as an acne medication in cases where other treatments fail.
Like topical antibiotics, they can have less of an effect
over prolonged periods of time. Examples of oral antibiotics
are doxycycline, minocycline and lymecycline. Differin is
an example of a product that uses doxycycline.
The above examples of acne medications are classified very
strictly. There are many other options for treating acne than
the ones described above. For example, there are thousands
of topical acne products that, although they are not necessarily
‘medication’, they do work for many people.
Examples include topical products that heal the skin or light
cleansing acne
products. Exfoliating and masking products are also available
world wide. Products also differ in efficacy depending on
the type of acne you have; teenage
acne, adult
acne, etc.Talk to your doctor or dermatologist to find
out what acne treatment is right for you.
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