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There are millions of people around the world who suffer with acne (Zits); fortunately treatments are improving all the time. Medical investigation and research is ongoing and making interesting discoveries; as a result there are a variety of new products available to help prevent and treat skin conditions. Despite the number of acne skin care products currently available on the market, they are broadly categorized into three distinctly separate groups: *Preventative: Creams, lotions etc. to help cleanse and tone the skin *Internet or Drugstore: Treatment to help relieve the condition *Prescription only: Requires visit to doctor.
Preventative products are formulated to treat the skin in an effort to control the occurrence of acne; products like skin cleansers and toners fall into this category. This is a market where many people use this type of product every day to condition their skin; many use these products to protect their skin from the environment even if they do not have the acne condition. Many of these cleansers act in almost exactly the same way as acne skin care products; devised primarily to limit the amount of oil or sebum forming in the pores. These types of products are reducing the chance of oil staying in the pores and aiding the growth of harmful bacteria which assists the formation of the skin condition.
General skin care treatments also include special exfoliation products like skin peels; these can be bought easily over the counter or on the internet. This type of peel helps reduce the chance of oil clogging up the pores as well as removing other skin impurities; this can reduce the bacterium growth on your skin. There are specialized acne skin care products available over-the-counter, they do not require the need of a prescription. These formulations contain the chemical benzoyl peroxide and the naturally occurring salicylic acid; they work by removing the excess oil from the skin and halt the growth of acne.
Dermatologists recommend any product should have low concentrations of the active ingredient benzoyl peroxide (no more than 5.5 parts per hundred) if there is an adverse reaction; should a reaction occur, products containing alpha hydroxy acid are generally safer. It is not always possible to find an acne skin care product that works first time; however, if finding an effective remedy it is proving to be a problem then consult with your doctor, or skin care specialist. On-prescription treatments are prescribed by a dermatologist and can include ointments that can be applied on the affected area or oral antibiotics or just any topical ointment.
In more serious cases your skin care specialist may decide that a small surgical procedure can be used to remove the oil and infection from your pores; this is not something you should ever attempt yourself. Your doctor may even suggest a course of hormone therapy as a skin care treatment; this type of skin care treatment has been very effective in many cases. Tackling this skin condition is not the problem it once was and if treated properly permanently marked skin does not have to happen.