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Acne Basics

Why Do Pimples Have White Puss

Acne

Everybody, at some stage in their life, will have to deal with some form of acne. On some of the lucky ones, acne will be very mild and infrequent on some others it will be so severe it will seem like the closest thing to “hell on earth.” The vast majority of people will, however, be in the middle somewhere. Acne may be aggravated by factors such as stress, diet, air quality and life-style choices but it is caused by two things only: hormonal imbalances and genetics. Everyone, at some time in their lives will go through a period of time when their hormones seem to get messed up (puberty and pregnancy are prime examples) and if acne is your genetic trait -- you're stuck with it.

Fortunately, there are many over the counter (OTC) medications available to help people deal with acne. How well they work for you will pretty much be determined by three factors: the product's active ingredients, the cause of the user's acne and the user's skin type.

Active ingredients: Not all acne products will work the same way because of the different ingredients used. The active ingredient benzoyl peroxide, for example, works by reducing the P.acnes bacteria (a naturally occurring bacteria in the skin) while the active ingredient salicylic acid works by reducing the amount of dead skin the body sloughs off.

Following are descriptions of the active ingredients you will find used in most over-the-counter acne medications:

Alcohol and acetone: Alcohol and acetone are used together in some over-the-counter acne medications. The acetone makes the skin less oily and the alcohol kills external bacteria.

Benzoyl peroxide: Benzoyl peroxide is the “wonder drug” in the acne treatment industry; it works by reducing the natural P.acnes bacteria and reduces the quantity of dead skin cells. By performing these two actions, benzoyl peroxide manages to lessen the effects of two of the main causes of comedones (the large, deep, pus-filled pimples that are the trademarks of acne). Benzoyl peroxide has been used for years in acne treatment medications since being discovered to be very effective in treating mild acne. You will find (on the Internet) many “personal” recommendations for benzoyl peroxide and details about how it was used to successfully treat acne but, as with all medications, use an acne product with benzoyl peroxide as instructed on the product label or as instructed by a physician. Benzoyl peroxide, when over-used, has the side-effect of drying out your skin and can also discolor any fabrics or materials it comes into contact with, e.g., shirts, towels, sheets, etc.. Benzoyl peroxide is available as a lotion or gel and can be used as a preventative acne treatment even after your acne has cleared up.

“Herbal,” “organic” and "natural" products: You will find some OTC products with labels such “herbal,” "organic" and "natural;" these products are generally put on the market to appeal to the people who are attracted to products with those labels. The products themselves may or may not be beneficial for acne and should be considered untested.

Resorcinol: The active ingredient resorcinol has been found to work well on small acne blemishes and can be found in some OTC products combined with sulfur.

Sulfur itself has been used in a number of OTC medications for decades, usually in combination with active ingredients such as alcohol, salicylic acid and resorcinol. Sulfur has been found be an effective acne treatment for some people but it does not seem to be known exactly how it works to clear up acne. Products with sulfur will tend to have an unpleasant smell.

Salicylic acid: The active ingredient salicylic acid is generally effective for acne blemishes when there is no inflammation present. Salicylic acid acts by unclogging clogged-up pores to reduce the number of acne blemishes formed -- it does this by minimizing the amount of dead skin cells; it has no known effect on the production of sebum or the production of the P.acnes bacteria. Just as is recommended with products containing benzoyl peroxide, products with salicylic acid as the active ingredient should be used even after the acne clears up to prevent its return. One possible side-effect of salicylic acid is skin irritation in some people.

Considering your skin: Everyone's skin is a bit different. Some people have generally dry skin, some have generally oily skin and most people have a combination of the two on different areas on our bodies. In general, acne in areas of oily skin will respond better to a gel based acne product while areas of acne on dry skin will respond better to a cream.

If you have sensitive skin don't use a real strong acne medication �" it will just lead to irritation and possibly make your acne worse.

Some of the milder acne treatments can be used as a preventative measure and some (like those with benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid) are recommended as post-acne preventative measures but many are too strong and will irritate your skin.

If you have anything but a mild, seemingly manageable case of acne, an OTC medicine may control it and eventually get rid of it. If, however, your acne seems out of control or painful or too stressful to handle by yourself -- don't play doctor -- get to a doctor!