0 When to Consider Prescription Acne Treatments

For most people acne is one of those things that comes and goes, mainly through adolescent and teen years. However, many adults can also experience acne flair ups, for some it can be chronic. General acne outbreaks, pimples and even rosacea can be treated for the most part with some daily hygienic changes, by using facial cleansers and soaps. For those experiencing more severe acne most can get good results from some of the more popular acne regimens sold in stores or on the internet.The above works for most acne sufferers, but what about people suffering from acne or rosacea that just wont go away. When you are affected with a very severe case of acne and nothing else works, it is time to consider some harsher measures to eliminate it, which usually means having to use certain medications. There are many acne medications on the market, many which require a prescription and unfortunately for some, the medication will be the only thing that will work on their acne or rosacea, so lets take a look at some of the medications that are used to treat severe acne.

Corticosteroid Injections
For extremely severe acne which includes acne cysts and pustules, doctors many times will recommend an injection of Corticosteroid, the Corticosteroid commonly known as cortisone is usually injected directly in to the affected area, which reduces the cyst which will also reduce the inflammation of the lesion and help prevent scarring which severe acne cysts tend to do. The downside of this treatment is that the shot can be painful and the result of the injection may cause atrophy of the skin around the treated area. Although this is not permanent, it is one of the side effects caused by the cortisone. Applying this type of treatment will usually clear up the cystic acne or pustules within a week or so.

Cortisone shots should in no way be considered a permanent treatment for cystic acne, rather a short term solution to eliminate severe acne cysts. Once receiving this type of treatment, it is very important to look in to some kind of consistent acne regimen to prevent future outbreaks.

Isotretinoin
Isotretinoin comes in oral form as well as a topical cream or gel, isotretinoin is a strong retinoid that should be considered when normal acne treatments do not work, Those suffering from severe cystic acne may want to consider this retinoid, if an oral prescription is prescribed many times it is used no more than a six month period.

Antibiotics
Antibiotics such as Erythromycin, is an antibiotic that kills a wide spectrum of bacteria in the body that can be causing the acne outbreak, common issues if taking this antibiotic is irritation of the gastrointestinal tract.

Superficial or Topical Antimicrobials 
Azelaic acid is a popular treatment for mild to severe acne, azelaic acid is naturally produced in the skin and can be an important treatment for inflamed acne. Azelaic acid seems to clear up acne very well by reducing the number of shedding skin cells which can continue to clog skin pores. Azelaic acid has even shown to remove dark spots on people of darker skin color which is caused by the acne itself, most people tolerate azelaic acid very well with little or no side effects. The most common side effect can be dry skin or lightening of the skin in the areas where the cream or gel has been applied.

The above are just a few of the more popular acne medicines to treat acne, it is highly recommended before starting any acne treatment, that you check with your dermatologist to see what acne treatment is best suited for you and your skin type. While prescription acne medications can have side effects, sometimes it is necessary to use them initially to get your acne under control, once the acne is manageable, only then you can consider less severe acne treatment regimens to maintain your skin acne free.