Acne and Acne Treatments

Editor: Miss Fitness More About Acne   Acne Prevention   Coping with Adult Acne   Cystic Acne   True Cause of Acne   Dealing with Teen Acne   Green Tea: Acne Cure?   Determine Your Skin Type   How to Treat Back Acne   Hygiene Products   Laser Treatments for Acne   OverTheCounter Treatments   Products To Avoid   Makeup to Cover Acne? Cystic Acne, What causes It and How Is It Treated? Cystic acne is probably the harshest form of acne and the hardest to treat. Nodules (a large, solid painful lesion) form under the skin, then later harden into painful cysts. A cyst is a large pus filled lesion. Nodules and cysts form when there are excessive amounts of oil or bacteria trapped underneath the skin...

Though your body has its own way of clearing oil and bacteria, most do not consider it to be attractive, and its usually downright embarrassing. Cystic acne requires medical attention, and usually persists for long period of times, often weeks or even months

Cystic acne is often treated with a drug called Accutane. The Accutane acne treatment is an oral medication usually taken once or twice a day for 16 to 20 weeks. It is believed to reduce the size of the oil glands so that less oil is produced. This lessons the chance for clogged pores because the body is not producing as much oil. When this occurs, the formation of pimples and cysts is reduced, and the pre-existing ones are not further irritated.

Accutane acne medication also helps to reduce cell shedding and the stickiness in the follicles, which helps prevent the development of this painful type of Cystic acne.

The advantages of using Accutane to treat Cystic acne: it is a very effective medication that can help prevent extensive scarring in many patients. After one to 20 weeks of use, acne is reduced, or in some cases, almost completely goes away.

The disadvantages of treating Cystic acne with Accutane: If the patient stops taking the medication, the acne often returns and may need to continue taking the drug. Accutane is very expensive, and also linked to side effects.

Possible side effects include: inflammation of the lip, inflammation of the mucous membrane on the eyes, dry mouth, nose, or skin, itching, and muscle aches.

More serious side effects of using Accutane to treat Cystic Acne include decreased levels of blood cholesterol, lipid, and triglyceride levels, and abnormal liver enzymes. Patients taking Accutane are usually monitored by a physician to make sure these side effects don’t occur, and to stop the drug if they do. These side effects usually go away after the medication is stopped, it is crucial to tell your doctor immediately if you have side effects.

The most serious adverse effect of this drug is that it can cause serious birth defects. Women who are taking this drug are advised to take a pregnancy test each month to be sure the drug is stopped should they become pregnant.

Cystic acne is one of the most painful types, and, perhaps, most difficult acne to cure. Find a treatment that works for you, and consult your physician about its effects.

Questions and answers about Acne