Better Health Centre |+| Acne Treatments

Selecting the Best Prescription Acne Medication

Author: Allan Johns

There are so many different types of acne medications that can be bought over the counter.  You can buy special soaps, gels, creams, lotions, ointments, cleansers – the list is endless. 

More than often people will try two or more cures before finding that these types of acne medications are not effective on their skin.  Often these products can even end up harming your skin if you haven’t researched the ingredients before trying them.

So the best thing to do if you start to notice what looks like acne is consult with your doctor first. They will be able to prescribe for you an affective acne cure that suits your particular skin type.

If you only have a mild case of acne then most likely you will be able to find a good skin care acne treatment over the counter.  But if you have moderate to severe problems you will probably have better luck with a prescription acne treatment. 

When looking into acne treatment prescriptions, there are two types that you will want to consider.  There are the oral acne medications and the topical acne treatments.

Since antibiotics have been found to be an affective form of treatment they are often prescribed to patients with severe acne.  These antibiotics can be in the form of pills or as a lotion. 

When you are prescribed a topical acne cure, you will see that it typically contains zinc or retinoids as the main ingredients.

Tetracycline is the oral antibiotic that is prescribed the most by dermatologists. 

Not only does it get rid of the bacteria in the skin, but it also diminishes inflammation.  Some people will see results within a few weeks, whereas others may need to be on them for as long as six months before the skin has been able to get rid of all the acne producing bacteria. 

Most doctors will keep you on the medication for months after your skin has cleared up to completely get rid of the bacteria. 

If you have sensitive skin or very light skin, your dermatologist may be hesitant to put you on oral antibiotic acne medication.  This is due to the fact that it can increase your skin’s likeliness to burn badly in the sun, give you an upset stomach, cause dizziness, and make you break out in hives. 

Women can also get vaginal yeast and pregnant women and children under 12 are not supposed to take tetracycline.  If you experience any of the previous symptoms while on the medication, be sure to tell your doctor immediately. 

If you experience any of the side effects related to tetracycline or have very sensitive skin, your doctor will likely recommend ointment antibiotics instead.  These have fewer side effects and can be just as affective as tetracycline.

There are number of different oral and topical medications that doctors like to prescribe to those suffering from acne. 

It helps to research some of the acne medication treatments prior to seeing the doctor so that you can ask about certain types of prescription acne treatments and make an informed decision if the doctor recommends more than one type of treatment.