Acne inflammation and infection causes acne to grow in to the stage of cysts and nodules. The bacteria P. acnes that infect acne should be controlled at an earlier stage otherwise the acne damages the skin cells deeper inside and causes scars. If you control your acne at the stage of pimples, your acne will get resolved without any scarring. This prevention is done by using antimicrobials. Antimicrobials kill the P.acnes bacteria and inhibit their growth. Let us look at the topical antimicrobials that are commonly used to treat acne.

Common Antimicrobials-

Clindamycin, Erythromycin, Benzoyl Peroxide, Azelaic acid, Sodium sulfacetamide are some of the topical antimicrobials. Let us look at each of them.

Benzoyl Peroxide-

This is one of the oldest acne medications. This is still the most popular medication and is available in various strengths and in all forms such as - washes, gels, creams, lotion etc. Benzoyl Peroxide kills the bacteria P. acne but does not reduce the inflammation. One important property of Benzoyl Peroxide is this- if used along with antibiotics; it enhances the effects of antibiotics and also reduces the possibility of body developing resistance to antibiotics. That is why it is used along with other topical medications such as Clindamycin and Erythromycin.

Clindamycin-

One of the common antibiotics, it effectively kills the P.acnes bacteria. It also reduces inflammation and does not have many side effects. It should be used as directed otherwise body develops resistance to it.

Erythromycin-

Erythromycin is used to treat acne inflammation and infection. It is a broad-spectrum antibiotic and quickly controls the growth of bacteria P.acnes. It should be used as directed otherwise body develops resistance to it.

Sodium sulfacetamide-

Sodium sulfacetamide is an effective medication to treat acne. It kills bacteria P.acnes, reduces inflammation and opens the clogged pores.

Azelaic acid-

Azelaic acid is another effective medication to treat acne. It kills bacteria P.acnes, reduces inflammation and opens the clogged pores. Azelaic acid has bleaching properties and needs to be used with care.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.