The term Acne Vulgaris is often misunderstood, Vulgaris means ?common? in Latin. Acne is a common problem the world over, and every year millions of teens are trying various acne treatments to combat acne. Interestingly, no one really knows what causes acne, there are various hormonal and environmental theories but the exact mechanism is still unknown. There is a variety of acne treatment available today and common acne treatment includes:

Bactericidal creams and soaps

Creams and soaps have been used for acne treatment for a long time now. Apart from exfoliating dead skin and removing excess oil, bactericidal soaps also help keep the skin free from any surface bacteria that might cause inflammation of the skin. As mentioned earlier, it is still unclear how acne occurs but it is believed that keeping the skin clean and free from bacteria can help reduce inflammation and reduce further infection of the skin thus preventing acne. In fact, all modern day acne treatment is centred on antibiotics and proper hygiene. Common topical acne treatment involves benzoyl peroxide creams and other antibiotic creams.

Antibiotics

Oral antibiotics are usually prescribed in conjunction with bactericidal creams/soaps and are part of any standard acne treatment programme. Antibiotics used in acne treatment are erythromycin, tetracycline, doxycycline, minocycline or lymecycline. Dermatologists usually recommend continued use of antibiotics even after acne clears as acne has been known to reappear once acne treatment stops.

Hormone therapy

Although hormone therapy is a relatively new development in acne treatment and control, women all over the world have started using hormonal treatment to reduce acne. Hormone therapy is still experimental and there are various side effects caused by the abnormal surge of hormones in the body. In rare cases, dermatologists directly inject large pimples with cortisone to reduce inflammation almost immediately. Cortisone injections and hormone therapy are a relatively new and experimental acne treatment.

Laser treatment

Lasers are the latest in acne treatment and are used to reduce acne as well as remove scars left behind by acne. Lasers are used to:

?Burn away the follicle sac from which the hair grows

?Burn away the sebaceous gland which produces the oil

?Induce formation of oxygen in acne causing bacteria, killing them

Since lasers are essentially high powered light, there has been considerable debate on their safety. However, people that have undergone laser acne treatment have reported considerable improvement and even the FDA has approved the use of lasers for acne treatment. Since laser treatment is in the embryonic phase, the full impact of laser treatment in acne control is expected to be visible over a period of time.

Before laser acne treatment, phototherapy has also been used for acne control. Phototherapy works on the principle that bacteria start developing free radicals when they are exposed to intense violet light and continuous exposure to intense violet light results in the death of acne causing bacteria. Red visible light has also been successfully used for phototherapy.

For more information on acne and for the latest in acne treatment visit www.acnetreatmentcontrol.com