Will vitamins help to clear up my acne?
A topical preparation made from vitamin A (tretinoin) may be useful in treating acne where simple conventional therapy is not enough. It can cause irritation if not carefully used. Another derivative, the prescription drug Roaccutane, may be useful in severe cystic acne, but it causes fetal deformities so it must not be used by women who are pregnant or not protected by contraception. Vitamin A in itself does not help to clear up acne.
Are antibiotic treatments effective?
Antibiotics can help by attacking the skin bacteria that accumulate in the comedones, which are a characteristic of severe acne. These bacteria turn the oil in the plugged pores into fatty acids that act as irritants. When enough oil collects, the blocked sebaceous gland ruptures and bacteria and fatty acids seep into the adjacent skin. The result is irritation, inflammation, pimples and permanent scarring in severe cases.
Can anything be done to remove acne scars?
Dermabrasion is one technique used to modify acne scars. The patient must be prepared, however, for a relatively prolonged period (usually 3 weeks) of recovery from side effects. Dermabrasion does not completely remove all acne scars, but it does tend to make them less noticeable. Also, the procedure does not help all types of scars, nor does it help all scars to the same degree. Finally, there are a number of risks involved, including infection and changes in skin color.
So what does work?
With one conventional acne treatment not any better than the other, it's about time a sure-fire method is considered. The answer is here...
