Acne is a condition arising from problems with the skin’s oil glands (more commonly known as sebatious glands). The sebatious glands open into follicles (or canals) under the surface of the skin where body hairs are rooted. The sebatious glands produce and secrete an oily substance known as sebum. The main function of sebum is to act as a lubricant helping to stop the skin drying out by retaining moisture, thus keeping skin free from dryness and irritation. The secreted sebum passes into the follicle around the hair and then reaches the skin’s surface through the small hole located in the surface of the skin at the end of the follicle, which is known as a pore.

Acne occurs when the pore becomes clogged or blocked, usually due to dead skin cells sticking together and then sealing or capping the pore. The sebatious glands continue to secrete sebum, so the blocked or capped pore starts to swell because the sebum has nowhere to go.

Some of the bacteria (Propionibacterium acnes) that occur naturally on the skin and live on sebum are trapped inside the blocked pore. These multiply in this protected environment and secrete chemicals that start to eat away at the walls of the pore, allowing sebum to seep out into the lower levels of the skin and spread the infection further.

The body, of course, reacts to this and sends white blood cells to fight this infection, which results in further swelling, redness and pain. The pore and nearby infected areas keep swelling until there is only one way it can expand, which is out onto the skin, and lo and behold, a spot or zit appears.

When the cap on the zit is unbroken, the sebum inside remains a creamy white colour and is known as a whitehead. Once the cap of the zit explodes, the sebum reacts to the air and turns black, forming a blackhead.

When a larger area suffers from this infection, many of these ‘spots’ link up and can cause wider wounds or lesions. The word lesion comes from the Latin ‘laesio’ meaning attack or injury.

Acne usually occurs around the face or neck although it can occur anywhere on the body. Acne is a very upsetting condition to have, especially when suffering from a bad attack. The sight of spots and blackheads is not considered very pleasant and can leave those who suffer feeling very self conscious and embarrassed. The irony is that almost everyone suffers with acne to some degree during their life, so far from being the exception, acne is in fact, the rule.

It is almost always the case that if you do have acne, it will eventually go away. However, nowadays, if you are fortunate, you can usually minimise or eradicate acne within weeks once you have found a treatment that works for you.

Acne is most commonly associated with teenagers and puberty but it is estimated that almost 90% of adults suffer from this condition at some point in their life. So why don’t you see more people with acne on a daily basis? Well, thanks to modern medicine it is know easy to get rid of acne fast so as not to let it disrupt your day to day lively hood. However, there are some with severe cases of acne that the traditional creams and face washes just can’t help. This article aims to explore the top three ways to get rid of acne fast for those who have a severe case of it.

#1 Way to Get Rid of Acne Fast

The newest and best way to get rid of severe acne is through the use of photothearpy. Photothearpy is the use of a certain wavelength of light that is aimed at the affected areas of the skin. It works by making the acne causing bacteria generate an excessive amount of free radicals which basically kills the bacteria. Because of its highly effective results, and absolutely no side effects Acne light treatment is considered the best acne treatment to date.

#2 Way to Get Rid of Acne Fast

Laser resurfacing. This is another fast and successful way to remove your acne and scar tissue. It works by vaporizing unwanted tissue, clearing the way for new healthy skin cells to grow. However it is not the cheapest method which makes it out of reach for many who suffer from acne.

#3 Way to Get Rid of Acne Fast

Talk with your dermatologist to see if antibiotics might help your situation. There are several popular medicines he/she can prescribe. Erythromycin, clindamycin and tetracycline are used usually in conjunction with benzoyl peroxide. There are also prescribed dietary supplements full of anti-oxidants like vitamin E & C, that help nurture the skin to prevent any further outbreaks. It should be noted that a healthy diet rich in raw vegetables, whole grains and Omega 3 fatty acids is essential to a healthy body and acne free skin.

All the above treatments will get rid of acne fast but some may not be as effective as others depending on the severity of your acne. Also depending on the amount of money your are willing to spend you might want to spring for some more natural cost effective cures. Nevertheless, these are the fastest acne treatments to date.

Use of a topical acne cream during pregnancy should be done with caution and only on the advice of a medical practitioner. Although topical lotions and any skin cream used for treatment of acne are less absorbed by the body than those taken orally, the potential risk that these medications have on the unborn fetus must be weighed carefully before application.

During pregnancy, elevated hormone levels can bring a variety of skin changes, including troublesome acne. Since there are both topical as well as oral acne medications available aplenty, it is possible for a pregnant woman to be advised a combination of medications that is successful in treating the acne without putting the pregnancy at risk.

Studies Linked To Use Of Acne Creams In Pregnancy

Studies show that there is no case report of use of benzoyl peroxide cream linked to birth defects in pregnant women. Erythromycin is also used topically for acne, and studies indicate that this usage shows no significant risk to the fetus during pregnancy, as it is absorbed into the fetal bloodstream only minimally and is quickly metabolized.

Salicylic acid is also typically used in creams and lotions to treat acne, warts and other dermatological problems, but there are no well-defined investigations specifically aimed at evaluating the risk of the use of topical salicylic acid in pregnancy. Research on pregnant women exposed to clindamycin throughout pregnancy did not show an increased risk for major malformations to the fetus.

Prescription creams containing Tretinoin that are applied to the skin to treat acne, carry warnings of use for women who are pregnant or contemplating pregnancy. The risk of the use of Hydrocortisone to treat acne and other dermatologic conditions in pregnant women is also not clearly defined.

While there are many acne treatment products on the market, most of them tend to be very expensive and don’t give you the natural healthiness that some other alternatives offer. Products like Accutane contain so many chemicals that may be hazardous to your health in one way or another. It’s always a good thing to explore certain alternatives. On many over-the-counter acne medications, there are so many ingredients sometimes it may be difficult to know which are working and which aren’t. But there are natural ways of treating acne.

Baking soda is one completely natural way to go about getting rid of your acne. Baking soda is something just above everyone has sitting around at home, so it’s very convenient and inexpensive. What you do is scrub it on you face. It acts like an exfoliator, unclogging the pores in your skin and ridding them of the bacteria that causes the acne in the first place. Baking soda has also been known to be a good alternative to traditional tooth pastes as well. Just mix it with some water and you’ll have yourself a good old fashion facial scrub.

Apple Cider Vinegar is another way of dealing with acne that is all natural and risk free. It balances the PH level of your skin and fights off bacteria that gets in. Some people use regular vinegar to kill acne, which is also all right although less traditional.

Using lemon juice to treat acne is another good method. It is high in citric acid and exfoliates the skin very effectively. It helps skin heal and stops acne dead in its tracks.

Tea Tree Oil, otherwise known as TTO, is a widely accepted method of combating acne. It’s an all natural method which you can pick up from any of your local drugstores. You simply have to apply the TTO to any effected are of acne on your skin and watch it go away. It may be simpler to use than oil as it is created for the larger spots on your skin.

Aloe Vera is a good way of treating not just burns, but acne and acne scars as well. It’s a time-old all natural method that shouldn’t be cast aside.

Deciding on clearing your acne naturally is a very good decision, but one you will need to weigh against other more traditional, store-bought and prescribed methods as well. Make sure you keep your mind open to all things.

If there’s one thing teenagers dread, it’s waking up in the morning and finding a pimple lurking under their nose or on their chin. It’s guaranteed to damp their exuberance. No teenager wants to ask if they’re a target for acne, in case it somehow jinxes them and makes it happen.

Despite all the myths and legends you might have heard, acne is basically caused when dead epidermal cells and excess sebum clog up the pores of the skin. Once that happens, bacteria move in and start to breed, which is what causes acne eruptions. Acne can appear in the form of white heads, black heads, pustules or pimples.

Although the face is the most common location for acne, because the skin is so sensitive, it’s also possible to get acne on your neck, upper back and chest. The facial region contains a high concentration of oil glands, particularly in the notorious “T” zone, which covers the forehead, nose and the chin. They’re the oiliest, and so that’s where acne most commonly occurs. Often the first sign of acne outbreak is a pimple in the crevice of your nose or at the very tip.

Your skin type has a big influence on how severe any acne outbreaks are likely to be. Both oily and dry skin are more susceptible to acne breakouts than other skin types. There are other factors that also have an effect on the frequency and severity of acne attacks, including dietary habits, lifestyle and your genetic makeup.

Hormonal changes play a part in the development of acne, which is why the teenage years are often when acne is at its worst. The more you touch, rub or pop pimples, the more you aggravate the condition and make it worse. Squeezing or popping a pimple is a bad idea, because that often pushes the bacteria further into the follicle. This makes it easier for the bacteria to spread into other follicles as well. Plus your hands always have bacteria on them, which you can transfer into a pimple when you touch it, and make the infection worse. This can just mean that the pimple takes longer to heal, but it can also increase the chance of a permanent scar.

Unfortunately, there’s no actual cure for acne, but you can certainly reduce its severity and frequency if you look after your skin properly. In the winter, it’s common for the skin to become dehydrated and flaky. Bacteria love flaky skin and multiple, which increases the risk of acne. The skin also becomes very sensitive when it’s lacking essential oils. So you need to hydrate your skin regularly with a good moisturizer.

During summer, the humidity and heat cause the skin pores to open up, which makes bacterial infection easier. You tend to sweat, which mixes with dirt and debris and helps to clog up the pores. Make sure you use a mild cleanser to wash your face twice a day, and avoid wearing make up. It’s also important to use an antiseptic solution to wash your hands before you touch your face.

Acne has traditionally been treated through one of three ways. Antibiotics are one, being a time honored way to deal with acne which is, after all, an inflammation on the skin caused by bacteria. A second method employs facial cleansers and skin wash, which are often designed to clean a person’s skin all the way down to the pores, washing out the substances which cause acne. Lastly, the most radical method is to employ surgery to cut out the acne, though this may sometimes lead to heavy scarring if the acne problem of the patient is severe. These methods are the most traditional means of dealing with acne, and while they are effective and proven, outbreaks of acne still occur and none of these methods are 100% guaranteed to work. Modern dermatologists have been experimenting with newer forms of acne treatment which hopefully will lead to a permanent effective solution.

Laser therapy is one form of acne treatment which is being studied and is meant to eventually replace classic surgery as a means of removing acne. Laser surgery for acne employs several different types of heat and light emitters at the moment. One form of laser therapy employs low energy blue light lasers. These have been shown to destroy acne slowly but effectively without harming the surface skin in any way. This procedure is painless, and the only known side effect is a temporary dryness of skin afterwards. This dryness is in itself anti-acne as well, since oily skin also likewise causes acne.

Regular diode laser treatment of acne has been proven likewise effective in fighting acne. Controlled energy emissions from a diode laser can literally burn out acne under the skin while causing no surface damage beyond a certain amount of redness like a temporary sun burn. However, unlike the slower and gentler blue light lasers, this form or treatment is more painful and requires anesthetics. However, this more aggressive form of laser treatment is more effective in fighting severe acne cases than blue light therapy.

Aside from lasers, cosmetic dermatological procedures are also being studied as means to fight acne. Chemical peels for acne are being designed, quite like classic black-head removers. These peels are applied to the skin, and the chemicals on the peel act to weaken and adhere to the acne. Then, when they’re removed they take a majority of the acne-cores with them. This process works. However it is only recommended for mild cases of acne because it causes skin scarring if used on severe acne cases. Of all the new acne treatment procedures, this is one that most people will be able to use by themselves with little or no guidance from a dermatologist.

Lastly, another cosmetic procedure being developed is mild dermatological abrasion. If you’ve ever heard of the joke about using sand paper to wipe off pimples, this is essentially what this treatment method does. However, it does it a lot gentler, by spraying softening liquids on the skin, then sprinkling a fine coating of abrasive dust on the acne spots, followed by a gentle scrub to remove the acne without scarring. This method is still being refined, but it’s actually one that a lot of dermatologists are considering using. The main reason for this is that after the acne is removed, the treatment method is one that is most conducive to applying medication for acne prevention and skin healing post-operation.