Acne pimples do not affect everyone the same way or with the same level of severity. While it is true that majority of the people will or have experienced acne pimples at one point or another in their lives, their experience with acne will certainly differ to a great extent. For some pimples will be noting more than minor annoyance during prom or first date, for others it will become a life long battle. This is the reason why there are many different types of acne pimple treatments on the market including prescription and non-prescription.
The first thing to understand about acne is that not all acne is the same. In fact acne is graded on a scale of one to eight, with one being very minor and eight being quite severe. Minor acne such as small pimples known as Whiteheads or blackheads can be treated with various types of scrubs or skin exfoliants available of the counter at your local supermarket or drugstore whereas large acne lesions known as cysts will require specialized treatment, surgery or extra strong acne medicine to bring it under control.
Over the counter acne treatments available at your local drug store, super market or online for that matter are generally comprised of either one of two main ingredients including Benzoyl Peroxide or Salicylic Acid. Neither seems to have an huge advantage over the other, however treatments containing salicylic acid tend to be preferred by people with sensitive skin over BP based treatments. Salicylic Acid appears to be far gentler on sensitive skin than its counterpart. Regardless of the treatment type, the ultimate goal of any acne treatment is to accelerate the skin exfoliating process so that the pore can be cleared quickly and acne can be prevented or minimized.
While minor to moderate amount of acne can be treated or controlled with over the counter treatments, it is not the case with extreme cases of acne lesions. Large lumps or cysts emerging from deep within the skin can only be treated with professional medical help. This is where acne medicine such as Accutane come to the rescue. While Accutane is know to have many dangerous side-effects it is one of the best known medications for treating severe cases of acne.
Minor to moderate acne can be treated with store bought treatments, but when it comes to treating severe acne, it is your best bet to consult with your doctor and have her determine the best course of action for you.
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