Acne Medication List

Acne, a common skin problem in teens, leads to development of pimples, whiteheads and blackheads. Hormonal imbalance and over production of sebum (oil), that blocks the skin pores, are some of the common causes of acne. People with acne should be aware of various treatment methods that are available to cure this skin disorder.

Topical Creams
Topical creams that are specially formulated for acne is the best treatment when the skin problem is not severe. For mild to moderate acne, topical creams containing 2.5% of benzoyl peroxide is usually recommended. If no improvement is seen, acne skin care products that have higher concentration of benzoyl peroxide may be prescribed. Acne medication list also includes topical products that contain salicylic acid. Basically, these products are exfoliants that stimulate growth of new skin cells. Acne creams that have salicylic acid in the range 0.5-2%, are usually applied on the affected area for clearing acne fast

Antibiotics
People with minor to moderate acne are not required to take any antibiotics as use of over the counter topical creams is enough to cure acne. Topical antibiotics available in the form of creams are effective to treat blackheads and whiteheads associated with acne. Erythromycin and clindamycin are the prescribed topical antibiotics that work to kill the bacteria causing acne.

Oral Contraceptives
Birth control pills, have also proven to be a good remedy for acne. Most importantly, oral contraceptive pills have received FDA approval to treat acne. When hormonal imbalance is the reason behind acne, then taking birth control pills can be an option. These pills contain hormones like estrogen and progestin that help to restore normal hormone balance, which in turn reduces acne. However, using oral contraceptives alone is not a recommended strategy to treat acne. One should always use these pills along with other treatment options for clearing up acne.

Isotretinoin
Also known as Accutane, this oral medication is given to people suffering from severe form of acne (cystic acne). When over the counter acne products and antibiotics fail to heal acne, isotretinoin is used. This medication is synthetically prepared from vitamin A and is a popular remedy for severe acne.

Surgery
This is the last treatment option to get rid of acne. In this procedure, incision is made using a sterilized needle to open up the pimples, thereby allowing to drain the pus (bacterial infection). This method has to be done by a professional dermatologist. Nowadays cortisone injections are administered in the affected area to drain the pus and reduce the inflammation.

Diet For Acne

People suffering from acne need to keep a close eye on their diet. There are foods, consumption of which can actually aggravate this skin problem. Exclusion of these foods from the diet is necessary to speed up healing of acne. Being a skin disorder, acne responds quite well to foods that promote a healthy skin. On the whole, people diagnosed with acne should stop eating fried foods as they worsen acne. Be it junk food or fast food, they only make matters worse and in no way help to clear acne. So, what should one eat in a regular diet to tackle acne diet? A list of foods that help treat acne can be really long, hence some of the foods are given below:

Vegetables
Food cooked from fresh vegetables is a pre-requisite to cure acne. Eating the right vegetables everyday can be useful to reduce acne. Vegetables like cucumber, cabbage, celery, radishes, carrots, broccoli and tomatoes are high in vitamins and antioxidants, hence their inclusion in the diet will surely assist to improve acne. A salad of the aforementioned vegetables too can contribute to reduce acne. So make sure to have ample servings of fresh vegetable salad during lunch or dinner.

Fruits
Intake of fruits ensure a healthy bowel movement, which is essential to cure acne. Fruits that can help to reduce acne are given below:

• Grapes
• Apples
• Oranges
• Avocado
• Grapefruit

Water
Even if patients follow their acne treatment religiously, with insufficient water intake, the skin disorder won't get cured for sure. Increasing water consumption is necessary as it helps to flush off the toxins and the bacteria responsible for causing acne. So ensure that in a day, water is consumed in ample amounts (7-8 glasses). Also, beverages like coffee and tea can worsen acne. Therefore, it would be beneficial to minimize intake of these popular beverages.

Caution

Although fruits help to treat acne, one cannot forget that they can be high in sugar. So limiting fruit intake is essential to prevent acne from worsening. It is observed that eating high sugar foods such as pastries and cakes promote growth of acne causing bacteria. Also, as long as acne does not go away, one should stay away from milk products, fish, meat and eggs.

On the whole, acne medication list is long, but in most cases over the counter creams and antibiotics work to cure acne. This skin disorder can be worrisome if a healthy diet for acne is not followed. So, eating the right food and having plenty of water coupled with intake of prescription medicines is the key to overcome acne.