Acne Skin Treatments
Acne skin treatments are much sought after today, and although for many years they were dubious, today most of these acne treatments are quite reliable and safe. Earlier acne creams were mostly ineffective; some provided marginal benefits, and others were in fact liable to cause new skin problems. Most products that were promoted as acne free clear skin treatments were best ignored – you were better off using home remedies, even though they were not much more effective. Today however, most acne treatments are scientifically proven, and if used regularly and consistently, will provide results, although very slowly. The best acne treatments are creams that contain either benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, as these two ingredients go right to the cause of acne, which is the accumulation of dead skin cells and bacteria on the surface of the skin. These dead skin cells often end up clogging pores, as a result of which sebum builds up in the pores, and is then attacked by bacteria. Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid help the skin to get rid of dead cells much more efficiently, thus reducing the chances of pores being blocked. In addition, the number of bacteria on the skin is reduced, thus reducing the chances of infection too. However, you should remember that these creams do not work in a hurry – it can take a month or two before you see any signs of improvement, and up to a year for the problem to be completely solved.
Treatments For Acne
Although treatments for acne are now quite reliable and effective, many people are left with acne scars and spots that need additional treatment. Before going into acne scar treatment, you should note that acne scars and acne spots are very different. Acne spots are simply dark spots of what is known as post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. These are not scars, and will gradually fade over the next few months; there is no need for any kind of acne spot treatment.
Acne scars however last for a long time, and the most severe scars may last for a life time. Unfortunately, acne scar treatment is not simple or cheap, and cannot be done at home. There are several different types of acne scars, but they basically involve either the growth of excessive tissue (scar tissue) or loss of tissue (as in the case of the “ice pick” depressions that are sometimes left by acne). These scars also fade, but very, very slowly - only cosmetic medical procedures can get rid of them quickly.