Treatment Options for Severe Acne

When acne is classified as severe a doctor should be consulted.  It is very important for a doctor to treat severe acne.  It can be difficult to control and can require many treatments if bad enough.  Severe acne consists of redness, cysts, and extreme damage to the skin.

A common way to treat acne is oral antibiotics.  This can be very effective.  These have been used for many years and are still very popular.  Doctors usually prescribe the antibiotics in a high dosage at first, which is lowered once the acne is improving.

Oral contraceptives are prescribed to women to help reduce acne.  This has a combination of estrogen and progestin, which help reduce oil gland secretions.  This is a great option if you have an acne problem and need to be on birth control.  Hit two birds with one stone!

Another very popular way of treating severe acne, which has been around for many years, is the use of Accutane.  Accutane does have side effects that should be taken very seriously.  Side effects can include: shortness of breath, no energy, slurred speech, dizziness.  It is common to become depressed while taking this pill or after stopping dosage.  There are also drugs that can interact with Accutane, so be sure to inform your doctor of any other medications being taken.

If you suffer from severe acne, possibly large cysts, an injection may be more up your alley.  Injections start acting very quickly, which is a reason this is popular.  Injections do have to be repeated often to maintain the proper result. The cysts may need to be drained by your dermatologist.  The reason for the drainage may be so that further treatment is easier and more effective.  Do not try to do this yourself.  It can cause the situation to become much worse and infected. 

Another popular way of treating acne is lasers.  This can also help reduce acne scarring, along with acne itself.  This is an expensive way of taking care of your acne, but can help dramatically.  Laser acne treatment is revealing more potential as it is used more.  There are many different types of lasers that can be used depending on your skin type.  Ablative lasers are more invasive than non-ablative.  These are reduced by evaporation or melting. Ablative lasers are not used on darker skin colors of patients.  The danger in this would definitely be overexposure.

The last resort to severe acne treatment would be surgery.  This is not common for many people because other treatments normally work.  If your acne is bad enough and does not show improvement with other treatments that are available, surgery may have to take place, but should be nothing to worry yourself about.

Sever acne is a developing problem.  It is something no one wants, but it can be cured.  The long-term effects can be damaging if not taken seriously.  There are side effects to think of when deciding on which treatment to use.  Be sure to follow dosage instructions by your doctor, overdosing will only make it worse.  Do not be afraid to ask questions about your condition.  You need to be well informed of your condition and all treatment options available to you.