How to Control Acne ?

by Paul E. Web

Where do you start to control acne?

Acne is a skin condition that virtually every human on the planet will have to cope with in one form or other at some point in their life.  Some people will be lucky and only suffer from an occasional pimple; others will be less fortunate and will suffer from severe rashes that leave scars.  Even if you don’t suffer from acne at the moment, you can develop it at any point in your life. The question on how to control acne is therefore a subject of interest to just about everyone.

Most people start with topical cleansers to help them control acne outbreaks they are having.  Topical cleansers use a number of chemicals that are designed to breakdown and remove the sebum plug from the affected sebaceous follicle.  Since acne rashes are all a result of sebum plugged follicles, cleansers are a good place to start in a battle to control your acne.  Some commonly effective cleansers use benzyl peroxide, other use salicylic acid. 

These cleansers are almost always at least partially successful in controlling acne.  Regardless of what kind of acne you suffer from, or what is behind the root cause of it, all acne results from sebum plugged pores, and therefore cleansers should be an integral part of any regime designed to control acne.  I have found the best success using cleansers with benzyl peroxide as the main active ingredient, but with acne control what works for one person may have poor results for another.  Try a few different types until you find one that works for you.

Cleansers can take days and even weeks before they begin to significantly help to control acne rashes from occurring, or treating ones that have occurred.  However, there are no known acne treatments that work immediately, and any effort to control your acne is going to require patience and persistence. 

It is important to carefully read the instructions on whatever cleanser you use.  Also, be sure to clean your skin gently.  Rigorous scrubbing, overuse of harsh cleansers or anything that causes damage to skin cells may only make your acne worse. 

Some more severe forms of acne may require medications beyond the topical cleansers available over the counter.  There is an array of prescription medication available today to help you control acne.  If you are suffering from moderate or severe acne and have had little success with over the counter cleansers, you should ask a doctor or dermatologist about prescription options.

Useful article on how to cure your acne?, also learn about acne causes and prevention.