For people who suffer from acne, oral antibiotics, such as Tetracycline and Erythromycin, are often the next treatment option after topical medicines (ones applied directly to the skin), have failed to give the desired results. They are often used in conjunction with other medications, like benzoyl peroxide, to improve the chances of a successful outcome. Like topical versions, oral antibiotics are used to fight bacteria and reduce inflammation; however, they tend to work more quickly. These treatments are not available over the counter and must be prescribed by your doctor. Also, you should avoid taking them if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Some of the disadvantages of using oral antibiotics

All drugs have potential side-effects and you should be aware of any which might affect you before you start taking them. Probably the main issue to consider with oral antibiotics is resistance. Bacteria can become resistant to a particular antibiotic and the drug can become less effective or stop working altogether over a period of time. For this reason, it is considered wise not to take them for extended periods. Some studies have also suggested

there may be a link between antibiotic use and an increased tendency to develop respiratory infections. Tetracycline, which is the drug most commonly prescribed for moderate to severe acne, can cause staining of the teeth. This is usually temporary in adults, but can be permanent in children; which is why they are not generally prescribed to children under 10.

The advantages

Oral antibiotic treatments have been used for controlling acne for a long time, and they are generally considered safe. There is no doubt that they are one of the most effective solutions available, and particularly if your acne is quite severe and likely to result in scarring, their advantages probably outweigh the potential downsides. Depending on how severe your acne is, improvements in your condition can be seen in as little as a few weeks. However, it can take several months for the full effects of the treatment to be noticed, so it’s important not to stop taking the medication if it doesn’t seem to be working fast enough.

For those who find topical treatments alone are not sufficient to control their acne, a course of antibiotics closely managed by a physician can dramatically improve their condition.

The author writes articles online on health, food and other topics. She has a website about homemade pasta, where you can find the best pasta dough recipe, and information about using a pasta maker machine.

There is no doubt that the last thing that will be on a young lad’s life is dealing with skin problem, but unfortunately the greatest challenge that ruins their teenage fun is the challenge of dealing with skin acne. Imagine the stress of high school, dealing with essays, geometry tests, algebra, chemistry and others coupled with other all important social life in school there would hardly be any cause for him to have room for skin care in his mind.

The most unfortunate thing is that a social life is a major factor in high school. To have a fulfilled social life, confidence among your peers and colleagues is a major point. To someone suffering from acne, one of the major problems he has is loss of self confidence, lack of self esteem and ability to raise high his head among his peers with all sports over his face.

I have good news for the young folks that are embarrassed with acne infection on their skin, by letting them know that there are various products that can help to remove infection with little or no side effect.

The various products will be discussed as follows:

The mildest form of acne treatment is topical benzoyl peroxide.This could be found in face wash, soaps and creams. You will see that benzoyl peroxide is mild bleach that operates by getting rid of dirt, oils, and bacteria that clog pores. This could be very effective in removing mild to moderate acne. Essentially you are to apply the benzoyl peroxide to the affected area at least twice a day. The major disadvantage of using benzoyl peroxide is that it can dry out the skin and this could be addressed with oil-free moisturizers.

In a further development topical antibiotics could be an immeasurable product to arrest and destroy bacteria that can be harbored in clogged follicles. It have been discovered that topical antibiotics such as erythromycin, clindamycin, or stiemycin, or tetracycline could also be as effective as oral antibiotics. The noticeable advantage of the topical antibiotics it that it is devoid of the nasty side effects that can accompany oral antibiotics like upset stomach and it won’t deactivate your contraceptive pill.

It is worthy of note that as quickly as two to three days after you stop application break outs will occur. Oral antibiotics works in the same manner with the topical antibiotics. except in the case when you stop treatment. Oral antibiotics will continue to work for weeks after treatment has ended.

There is option of hormonal treatment for the women. There is an overwhelming amount of hormonal contraception available. A good example is Cortisone which is an injection that immediately gets rid of the redness and swelling of really stubborn pimples.

There are many things that could be taking advantage of from using topical retinoids like its ability to regulate the cell follicle life cycle. Many of them are generally related to vitamin A and have mild side effects. Some times topical retinoids could result skin in irritation. If it is diligently taken over the period of 4-6 months, it has been confirmed that you can achieve long-term results.

It is necessary that doctors have to closely watch acne sufferers that decided to take oral retinoids as a form of treatment because of their side effects. There are some side effects that sometimes accompany oral retinoids. Some of these side effects are dry skin, dry mucosa, and nosebleeds..

Finally phototherapy could be used in removing acne infection. This involves using violet light (405-420nm) two some times a week. These two times acne treatment per week could results in 64% reduction of lesions. It is possible to achieve phototherapy with red light that is also known as visible light which has longer wavelengths than violet light.

Regular exposure of the acne skin to 660nm daily may achieve up to 76% reduction. There are rare side effects and you are going to enjoy clean skin for longer periods after acne treatment than both oral and topical bacterial killers. It is terribly difficult to deal with bad skin except for the fact that there is more than just one way to deal with it.

If you found the article helpful you can Click Here to sign up for 7 days free course on how to permanently cure acne.

The best time to research safe acne medication during pregnancy is before you’re pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant. Obviously, you can’t control the unexpected and planning isn’t always exact. But it helps to be prepared so you can avoid using harmful medications.
Some medications still linger in the body even after prescriptions have ended. This is important for expecting mothers to know since the greatest risk to a baby is during the first month or two. This is the stage when his or her organs are still forming.
Many women are uncertain what acne treatments are pregnancy safe. Make sure you discuss all medications with your doctor before using anything.
Safe Medication During Pregnancy for Acne
Acne medications considered safe for expecting mothers include erythromiycin, clindamycin, azelaic acid, and oral contraceptive pills.
Erythromycin and clindamycin can be used in both topical creams and oral prescriptives. The oral forms of these are antibiotics for severe acne. Since bacteria are able to build resistance to antibiotics, however, erythromycin and clindamycin, though safe, may not be very effective.
Azelaic Acid (Azelex, Finacea, Finevin) is a topical cream for moderate acne with antibacterial properties. There is little risk to the fetus, but there haven’t been any human studies to provide any useful information.
Despite general belief that oral contraceptive pills for acne will harm the baby if continued, there is no evidence showing women to be at a higher risk for defects.
Unsafe Medication During Pregnancy for Acne
Acne medications to avoid during pregnancy include topical and oral retinoids, various antibiotics, and other prescription medicines.
Topical Retinoids like tretinoin and adapalene are derived from Vitamin A and should be avoided during pregnancy. Tretinoin is related to isotretinoin (accutane). There is risk of these ingredients being absorbed into the skin and bloodstream and causing birth defects.
Oral retinoinds like isotretinoin (accutane, roaccutane) are extremely dangerous and should be avoided like the plague during pregnancy. Isotretinoin is commonly used to treat cystic acne. It is banned during pregnancy because it causes malformations to the fetus. Besides a slew of fetal defects, this drug increases the chance of miscarriage and infant death.
If you find out you are pregnant and on this drug, stop taking the drug immediately. If you’re trying to get pregnant, you should stop the drug a month before you start, as recommended by the Organization of Teratology Information Services (OTIS).
Oral Antibiotics
As a general rule of thumb, oral antibiotics are generally not safe medication during pregnancy, with the exception of oral erythromycin.
Both tetracycline (Sumycin, Achromycin V) and Doxycycline and Minocycline are oral antibiotics for acne that are frequently prescribed for acne. However, they should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding because of the risk of interfering with bone growth in fetuses.
Other Prescription Medication
Sodium Sulfacetamide is a topical anti-infective medication used to treat acne and seborrheic skin conditions. If taken orally it can affect the fetus. Topically, it likely won’t harm the fetus, but its risk in pregnancy is unknown.
For more information check out www.your-best-acne-treatment.com, a complete information resource on acne.
Yvette Chau is a freelance writer based in Edmonton, Canada. She provides carefully researched information about acne treatments on http://www.your-best-acne-treatment.com/

Acne could easily be described as one of the most common skin complaints, it may also be the most annoying. Acne usually begins in adolescence and can continue throughout life. There have always been treatments available but recently, there is a growing concern regarding a number of recent therapies.

An overproduction of naturally occurring oil and cells inside the skin follicle causes the development of acne. This causes a blockage of the pore, causing the follicle underneath to swell. The buildup of oil and dead cells allows the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes to grow unchecked. The result is an infection. The infection can present itself as a blackhead, whitehead, a tiny pimple barely visibly, larger pus-filled nodules, and even fluid-filled cysts embedded deeply in the skin.

For years, doctors and dermatologists have treated acne with both a pore cleanser (benzoyl peroxide) and topical antibiotic to kill the bacteria. For mild to moderate acne, this is still a very effective treatment. It is both easy and economical and works well for most people. Prices range from $5 to $20 depending on the type of treatment you prefer. The drawback is that these treatments have a tendency to dry out the skin leading to irritation.

Oral antibiotics like minocycline, doxycycline, and tetracycline have been used for a number of years with good results. The monthly cost for these antibiotics is relatively inexpensive at about $20. Retin-A (about $40 an ounce) and oral antibiotics, once quite popular, are now being used less and less frequently. Retin-A has been shown to cause skin inflammation and redness while taking oral antibiotics long term may contribute to drug resistant bacteria.

Other prescription topical products like Azelex, Finacea, Benzaclin, Benzamycin, Cleocin, or A/T/S can cost between $20 and $60 per ounce depending on the medication.

Recently, a product known as ProActiv Solution has hit the market. This treatment was developed due to the complaints of dry and irritated skin. With infomercials and celebrity endorsements, it quickly became the most popular and asked about acne treatment on the market. The solution used is not as drying as the creams and ointments found in traditional treatments and the concentration of benzoyl peroxide is lower. These adjustments make ProActiv less irritating to the skin. ProActiv does not require a prescription and costs about $40 for a one month supply.

Another brand new product for acne is Nicomide-T. The cream or gel derived from vitamin B has been shown to reduce the redness and inflammation associated with acne. It has also been shown to be equally effective as the topical antibiotic clindamycin. The cost for Nicomide-T is about $40 a month.

The latest acne treatment is neither a cream nor an antibiotic but rather a device for electronically killing the acne causing bacteria. It is marketed under the name Zeno and literally heats up the pimple for two to three minutes killing the bacteria. To completely destroy the pimple, one to three treatments in 24 hours are needed. This treatment is best for the occasional acne breakout and not for a severe widespread problem. The unit sells for about $210.

For those with severe acne, one can choose to use several different laser options. The professional lasers work similarly to the Zeno product but can be used over the entire problem are. These specialized lasers not only destroy the acne causing bacteria, but shrink the oil producing glands. The procedure is relatively painless but requires several treatments. With each treatment session costing between $500 and $800, this option is certainly not cheap. The results are also not permanent.

Another option is called “Photo Dynamic Therapy.” The procedure involves pulsed light or lasers combined with a topical product known as Levulan. The light activates the Levulan causing it to destroy the bacteria and shrink oil producing glands. The good news is that the therapy has been shown to remain effective for three years after treatment. The bad news is that it makes the skin very sensitive to the sun, requiring sun block. This regimen is also expensive at between $500 and $800 per session with a minimum of six sessions.

Accutane is an oral medication used for severe acne. It has recently gained publicity due to its two serious side effects, birth defects and suicidal thoughts. Females receiving Accutane must have a negative pregnancy test before each prescription and it must be dispensed with seven days. Dry skin, eyes, and nose are common other side effects. The cost for Accutane is high at about $600 a month.

Accepted treatment step guidelines for acne are as follows:

Step 1. benzoyl peroxide 2.5% – 10% for a period of at least 4 weeks,

Step 2. benzoyl peroxide and topical antibiotic cream or Retin-A for a period of at least 4 weeks,

Step 3. add oral antibiotics like minocycline, doxycycline, or tetracycline for at least 8 weeks,

Step 4. Accutane

Step 5. surgery to remove or drain the infections

From the common teenage acne to midlife acne, the condition is treatable. Using the above step therapy generally follows the less expensive to most expensive schedule. Begin therapy with inexpensive cleansers containing a small amount (2.5%) of benzoyl peroxide for at least a month. If there is still acne present, see your doctor or dermatologist for topical antibiotic creams. Cleocin and A/T/S both are available in generic form and cost about $20. The next step is to add oral antibiotics. The least expensive is tetracycline at only about $10 a month. After another 8 weeks of unsuccessful treatment, you may consider Accutane. Be sure to discuss the side effects and significant cost ($600 a month) with your doctor.

The newest, non-traditional laser treatments may be of interest to those who do not prefer the medicinal options. These options are just coming into their own and you must weigh the advantages and disadvantages.

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