For example, are you checking out the different kinds of treatment available? Would you like to compare symptoms with other patients? Are you trying to find data on the various tests done for acne or the causes and/or risk factors behind the problem? The topics can



be endless.

If you suffer from acne and have found a specific treatment or medication to have worked for you, you might want to post the results on a message board. Or maybe someone has the right answer to one of your many questions. It is just a matter of finding the right thread of conversation to join or read.

But remember, this is the Internet and anyone who has anything to say can post anything they want. There are a lot of smart Alecks out there. So it is prudent to take any advice found on a thread with a grain of salt.

When selecting an acne treatment plan to follow from a thread, it is vital that you determine your goals for your therapy. Among others, you should aim to have your face rid of acne with scarring eliminated. Also, you should aim to learn to manage the psychological impact of being an acne patient.

You must consider the following factors as well before following an acne treatment plan:

1. What is your skin type? This ranges from oily to dry.

2. Think about using a solution or gel for use on very oily

skin.

3. Select lotions or creams for very dry skin.

4. Should an additional topical be applied to a patient's skin, one should be applied in the morning and another at night.

5. Should multiple agents be applied, these should come from different classes.

6. Treatment should be adapted for the idiosyncrasies of each patient to improve adherence.

There is no available cure for acne. All you can hope for is to keep it under control through the different treatments and treatment combinations that are now available. Anyone who tells you otherwise is out to fool you.

For some people, keeping their acne under control and preventing breakouts will be a given throughout their life. For others, acne is only prevalent during their teen and young adult lives. It can be influenced by genetics, the environment, diet, lifestyle, and the products that you use on your face.

However, bear in mind that no matter what kind of advice you receive from an acne forum, and regardless of how bad your acne problem actually is, there is no substitute for examination and prescription by a dermatologist. Only a certified dermatologist can actually say which treatment is advisable for you and what the duration of treatment should be. Following a stranger's advice on an acne forum to the letter without a doctor's assistance is foolish, to say the least.