What Is The Best Treatment For Acne

Acne is a condition that affects millions of people all over the world. It is due to various reasons that include hormonal imbalances, lack of proper diet and nutrition, stress levels, and external factors such as pollution, hormonal changes, or even sweat. If you experience acne, it can be devastating for your self-esteem and confidence because no one likes getting stared at in public when there is red inflammation on their face.

You have probably tried many remedies for your acne problem that wouldn’t work out for you, including products ranging from cream cleansers to astringent lotions. What most people are not aware of is that treating acne takes time.

Causes of acne:

However, if your acne is caused by external factors such as pollution or stress levels, you would need to find ways to protect yourself from these external factors, especially since some of these external triggers could become permanent in your life. Here is the list of common causes of acne:

1. Hormonal Imbalances: Acne is caused when androgens, or male hormones, are too high. Hormonal imbalance is the most common cause of acne in teens and adults. Most teens who show signs of severe hormonal imbalance suffer from severe acne outbreaks alongside sweating, the extreme release of oils, and worsened moods, all of which may be blamed on increasing testosterone levels.
2. Changes in Diet: The first and foremost reason for acne is changing your diet. If you are playing with your food and experimenting with different things, it can cause havoc on your skin. Your diet should be simple, with less spicy food. Pizza, burgers, ice creams, etc., are not suitable for acne-prone skin.
3. Genetics: If you have a first-degree relative with acne, you are more likely to get it than someone with no such history. This suggests a genetic factor may be at play.
4. Stress Levels/Emotional Problems: There are definite relationships between stress and acne. Stress causes the adrenal glands to increase their production of androgenic hormones, which can lead to problems like severe cystic acne or breakouts in almost any form. Because of this, many people find that their skin is much worse when they’re under stress for some reason (e.g., an exam, a relationship breakup).
5. Pollution: Pollution is a significant contributor to acne. It does not directly cause acne, but it can make your skin more sensitive and allow bacteria to cause you breakouts in combination with other factors. Pollution contains many harmful chemicals that get absorbed by the skin and enter the bloodstream via sweat. The body’s immune system then reacts to these chemicals by releasing extra sebum, which clogs pores and causes pimples.
6. Sebum Production (Oil): Acne develops when the sebaceous glands in pores begin to enlarge and produce an excessive amount of sebum. Hair follicles get blocked because of this, which causes inflammation and a plethora of other problems. Excessive sebum secretion has been implicated as a cause of acne
7. Dehydration and Lack of Vitamins/Nutrients: Your skin will dry if your body is dehydrated. If you are deficient in any necessary vitamins or nutrients, it could cause the oil glands to overproduce oil so that they can dilute the toxins and feed themselves. It leads to clogged pores and causes acne.
8. Excessive Sweating During Exercise or Physical Activities: It also contributes to acne. Excessive sweating can cause several skin problems, including pimples. If you sweat excessively during exercise or other physical activities, the extra sweat will seep into your pores and flush out the natural oil that it produces. Because of this, bacteria can flourish on your face and increase acne breakouts.

What could be the best acne treatment?

Most patients with acne can be treated successfully in the primary care setting. Treatment of acne should follow a stepwise approach based on the patient’s symptoms and personal preferences. The acne treatment program assures adherence, minimizes adverse reactions, and prevents unnecessary visits to healthcare providers. This disorder most often affects adolescents; therefore, management strategies may differ from adults or children. However, appropriate regimens for all ages are listed below.

Topical Ointments for acne:

Topical ointments for acne are derived from various sources, including antibiotics, herbal preparations, and synthetic drugs. Topical antibiotics are currently available in three primary forms, including

Creams: Containing either erythromycin or clindamycin.

Gels: Contain antibiotics. Each of these topical medications is equally effective.

Soaps and Face wash: It contains salicylic acid primarily and benzoyl peroxide. These are the most widely used drugs for treating acne. The face wash should have both of these ingredients to treat acne effectively.

The most common side effect from the topical use of acne medication includes irritation and burning sensation at the application site. Rarely more severe consequences such as photosensitivity can occur with prolonged. Discontinuance of therapy is the best option in that case.

“Using topical acne medications daily may cause the development of bacterial resistance to that drug. If this happens, your dermatologist will switch you to a different topical antibiotic.”

Oral Medications for acne: 

Systemic antibiotics: This is not a first-line treatment for acne, but it can be helpful in some cases of severe acne. Except doxycycline and minocycline have been associated with the development of resistance to this group of drugs. Systemic antibiotics may cause stomach upset, pain or cramps, diarrhea, and yeast infections that may occur from wiping off the sweat from skin treated with tetracyclines (doxycycline-minocycline) or other medications mentioned above. Dermatologists also use some oral antibiotics as second-line treatments, including clindamycin (Cleocin), Erythromycin, Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim (Bactrim-Septra), and Tetracycline.

Combined oral contraceptives: Combined oral contraceptives (COCs) are the hormone-based birth control pill used with a synthetic version of progesterone and estrogen. The estrogen component will affect acne; however, its use is not recommended as a first-line treatment for mild to moderate acne due to increased side effects and blood clot risk. There has been some recent evidence that this group of drugs should only be taken by women with no history of depression or other mood disorders, although these results were inconsistent. Some combined oral contraceptive pills may also interact with isotretinoin.

Common side effects of combined oral contraceptives are nausea, irregular menstrual periods, breast tenderness, headaches, and blood clots. Serious side effects such as hypertension (high blood pressure), thrombosis (blood clots), or liver tumors may rarely occur in some patients on certain brands of the pill; however, there is no direct evidence that the medication caused these.

Isotretinoin: Isotretinoin (also known as Accutane and Roaccutane) is a very effective treatment for severe acne, but it has many potentially serious side effects. It can cause congenital disabilities in pregnant women if taken during the first trimester. Therefore, it requires mandatory patient registration with our pregnancy prevention program, which monitors patients using this medication. Isotretinoin reduces oil production by up to 95%. One course of treatment involves a daily dose for five months followed by one month break before starting another course if necessary.

The main side effects are dry skin, reduced night vision and eye problems due to thinned corneas, headaches related to the brain’s blood supply being lowered, muscle pains or weakness related to bone softening (osteoporosis), and depressed mood. Other less common side effects can include back pain, stomach or bowel problems, hair loss (alopecia) due to the drug causing the body to expel hair faster than normal, liver problems, and rare blood disorders or skin infections from bacteria in the bloodstream (sepsis).

Procedures to treat acne:

Chemical Peel: This procedure uses chemicals to dissolve the damaged skin cells in areas of acne. A chemical solution is applied to your skin, and then layers of dead skin are removed. Chemical peels are typically done on an outpatient basis in a skin doctor’s office or clinic. The procedure often takes about 30–60 minutes. Chemical peels may cause mild side effects that last for a short time after treatment, such as healing and crusting of the treated area or temporary redness or swelling around the eyes. Chemical peeling, also called resurfacing, is a cosmetic surgery with medical and surgical applications to improve cancerous lesions, benign neoplasms, dermatological conditions (such as acne scarring), and aging skin.

Drainage and Extraction: This procedure is usually done when acne cysts and nodules aren’t responding to other treatments. It’s a simple process that removes the clogged pores or infection with tiny needles, tweezers, or vacuum devices. This type of acne surgery should only be performed by a doctor experienced in performing this operation. The surgeon enters an incision about 1/8 inch (3mm) wide into the skin just deep enough to reach your sebaceous gland to draw out the fluid.

Steroid Injections: The procedure may be done in a doctor’s office, and you can often go back to work afterward. Your doctor will inject the steroid solution into inflamed areas using a very fine needle. Both doctors and patients like using steroids for acne because they are easy to use, inexpensive, and have relatively few side effects compared with other medications.

Lifestyle changes and home remedies for acne:

The best way to cure acne is by improving your skincare routine. In addition, you should also start following some of these tips mentioned below to prevent future breakouts.

Care for your Skin: You must change the way you treat your skin to avoid unnecessary breakouts. Wash your face with a good cleanser and pat it dry using a soft cotton towel. Avoid washing or scrubbing your face hard because it will only irritate the skin further and cause more pimples on your skin.

Start Using Anti Acne Skin Products: Now that you know the causes of acne breakouts, it is time to start treating them too. It is best to use anti-acne skincare products containing benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, which treat active blemishes by preventing other bacteria build up in pores and help remove dead cells from the skin surface for quick healing. You should also look for moisturizers with SPF to protect your skin from harmful sun rays that can irritate the existing pimples and make new spots appear.

Start Exercising More: Regular physical activity helps with reducing stress, balances hormones levels in the body, along improving blood flow which promotes healthy skin. Try exercising at least three times a week for about an hour each session to get rid of acne naturally.

Home Remedies For Acne Treatment: There are specific home remedies for acne that you can try for natural healing of the spots. Use warm water to treat minor pimples and apply aloe vera gel to treat large or severely infected ones. You could also use apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, and toothpaste on painful acne blemishes prone to infection from bacteria.

Maintain Healthy Diet:  A healthy diet with a regular intake of fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, fish, and whole grains, along with avoiding foods rich in trans-fats, is good for your skin. Make sure that you drink plenty of water every day and keep yourself well hydrated. Avoid eating junk food, which causes rapid weight gain due to excess calories and increases stress levels due to high sugar content in these processed carbohydrates.

Anti-Acne Diet Plan and Foods to Eat: A diet with lesser sugar content and more anti-acne foods help boost your immune system, which reduces the risk of getting a breakout in the future. It is best to include high-fiber fruits and vegetable juices along with lean protein sources in your diet. You should also start adding probiotics-rich foods like yogurt to regular meals for preventing skin infections. Try eating fewer dairy products as they cause acne breakouts when consumed excessively due to their high glycemic index levels.

Dietary Supplements For Acne:  Certain dietary supplements can help you fight acne from within by boosting your immunity against bacteria while providing essential nutrients that promote healthy skin.

Yoga Asanas For Improving Skin Health: Certain yoga poses help improve blood flow in the body which is essential for keeping the skin healthy and glowing without pimples on the face orlenium, and certain herbs like aloe vera, Asian ginseng, and green tea are known for their benefits in reducing acne breakouts.

Filtered Water To Treat Acne: Drinking plenty of water helps to detoxify the body from within by removing excess toxins that can lead to skin infections. It is recommended that you drink filtered water or bottled spring water as it improves skin tone while preventing acne breakouts due to the chemical content present in regular tap water.

Best Homeopathic Acne Treatment:

• When it comes to acne, homeopathy offers a fast, safe, and effective solution. The term acne means a pimple or any skin inflammation caused by the clogging of pores in your skin with excess oil secretion.
• You can visit Dr Batras clinic treatment given by homeopathy doctors there targets the root cause of acne. It works on the whole body and gives long-lasting results. Also, it treats the disease in its initial stages.
• Homeopathic medicine also helps to restore the hormonal balance and thereby prevents further acne breakouts.
• Certain homeopathic medicines can be used as a holistic cure for acne. I am listing them here: Zinc Sulph 30, Berberis aristata, Petroleum benzine sulph, Bovista, etc. You can take a detailed consultation with a homeopathic doctor at Dr Batras and get a treatment plan for acne. Book an appointment today through OHO Homeopathy!