Acne Prescription Drugs

Due to the widespread prevalence of acne vulgaris, a number of treatments have surfaced into the market to cash in from this increasing demand. A large number of people suffering from acne choose natural treatments as these usually don’t have many side effects. Vitamin supplements and extra vitamin usage in everyday food are good examples of such treatments that usually work. Then, people also use laser acne treatments, though it’s quite a bit expensive. And another large population uses prescription drugs to get well faster. In this article, we will briefly view some of the prescription medications that are given to cure acne.

Then, prescription treatments can be classified into oral (consumed) and topical treatments (like creams). It is better not to take oral medicines if you are pregnant, though you can still take topical ones. They work by drying up the extra sebum produced inside the body by sebaceous glands and also target P. acnes, the bacterium that assists in the growth of acne. Unless your acne is in a pretty bad condition, lotions and creams can most likely cure them. But if you are a victim of severe acne, then you should consult a dermatologist or a doctor get a stronger oral drug.

The most common element of topical drugs is benzoyl peroxide, which eradicates P. acnes though it can’t treat inflammatory acne well. If you are using antibiotics for treating acne and fear that the body may develop resistance against the antibiotic, you can use benzoyl peroxide to avoid this. Though it’s pretty effective, it can cause irritation to your skin many a times. Some lotions use azelaic acid, which curbs down the growth of P. acnes and can also deal with inflammatory acne to a limited extent. Moreover, it can dry up your skin but that’s not very common. Other topical treatments use clindamycin, erythromycin and sodium sulfacetamide.

In cases of severe acne, topical creams won’t do the magic. You will have to go for oral drugs, although it may be better to use a combination of both oral and topical medicines. One of the most common oral medications is isotretinoin, which usually comes in the form of Accutane. It is highly effective even when other typical treatments fail; but due to its serious adverse effects, it must be given under the supervision of a qualified, experienced doctor. Pregnant women, for one, can’t consume it as it can cause defects in the newborn baby. So it’s better to avoid except when you can’t get results from other medications. Also prevalent are some oral antibiotics like erythromycin and tetracycline. Erythromycin can eradicate the bacterium P. acnes, but may result in some gastric issues. Tetracycline is especially good if you have developed pustules or papules, but it must not be taken by small children or pregnant women. In fact, experts forbid its usage even for breastfeeding women as it can pass on problems to the child.

To sum up, there are several prescription drugs that you can use, but never try them on your own. And try to adopt some natural treatment first, as they don’t usually have many side effects.

By: Adam Ali

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The best approach, in my opinion, is to take Vitamins for acne treatment. And read our Acne Guide for more information before you take any step.