I have a few scars left on my face from acne. I am using Retin-A right now and don’t see that much of a difference. I can’t use cocoa butter/Shea butter because it gets too oil/greasy and has clogged my pores in the past. I’m looking for something else……not that expensive. Any ideas?

There are many acne treatments available and finding the best acne treatment for your condition can be a very difficult. You may have tried one or two over-the-counter acne treatment products touted as miracle cures for acne and saw no results, and decided that those products and all other products of the same ilk are no good.

If over-the-counter acne medications have not worked for your acne, you might want to consider giving natural acne treatments a try. Many acne sufferers have turned away from

acne medications due to concerns over possible side effects of using chemicals on their skin and are discovering effective natural alternatives to preventing and getting rid of acne.

Many pharmaceutical companies and natural remedies companies are meeting the meets of these people by providing acne products that are formulated using natural ingredients. However, it is important to keep in mind that just because something is natural does not automatically means that it is 100% safe.

In addition, commercially marketed natural acne treatments also tend to be expensive. However, there are natural acne treatments that do not involve spending money buying specific products to treat your acne.

Here is a look at a few of the simple and effective ways that you can go about preventing acne breakouts and getting rid of acne when breakouts occur.

Diet: While specific foods have not been linked to acne breakouts, your day-to-day diet has an impact on your mental attitude, your energy level, your health and even your skin’s appearance. Fruit and vegetables will help strengthen your immune system and make your skin clear up, while processed and junk foods contain ingredients that often make acne worse. A good way to prevent acne breakouts is to include plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Eliminate as much processed and junk foods from your diet as possible.

Vitamins: If you have a healthy, balanced diet, you should be meeting your recommended minimum daily allowance of essential vitamins. If you think you are not getting enough vitamins every day, consult with your doctor about taking a good multivitamin. Your doctor may recommend taking pantothenic acid, vitamin E and vitamin A supplements, which will help maintain healthy skin and reduce the risk of acne scars. Water: One of the most recommended natural acne treatments is probably water. You may have heard that you should drink at least eight glasses of water a day to maintain your good health. This is also true when it comes to preventing acne. Water helps the body purify itself of toxin that can lead to acne breakouts. One way to check to see if you are drinking enough water is to look at your urine. If your urine is yellow, then you know you are not drinking enough water. This simple act of drinking water, which you do everyday any way, can do much to prevent acne and improve the appearance of your skin.

One shortcoming of treating your acne the natural way is that cleaning up your acne takes longer than if you were to use chemical acne treatments. However, in the long term, the natural treatments not only minimize your acne flare ups but also improve your overall health. Natural acne treatments also limit the risk of any side effects associated with pharmaceutical acne medications.

A skin condition that is present in both males and females is acne. It generally shows up during the ages of puberty however it sometimes continues into adulthood too.  all ages starting withteenagers to working adults, acne has proven to be a common opposition. The effects of acne can be categorized as, both mental and physical, such as, depression, low self-esteem and skin scarring. Several different kinds of treatment are obtainable for the treatment of acne and probably the most frequently used is the acne scar cream.Currently, there are numerous brands of acne scar cream available in the market. Most of these can be bought over the counter at any local supermarkets or pharmacies. However, there are several brands of acne scar cream that is particularly stronger and need a prescription from medical personnel. As the skin varies from person to person, one should always refer a dermatologist before using any acne scar cream. Before applying any acne scar cream, it is strongly advised you conduct a skin analysis incase of allergies and disagreements with skin types. The scar screams used for oily skin is different that for dry skin and applying the wrong cream on one’s skin could sometimes worsen the acne status.Even though oily skin may appear to stay softer longer, more youthful and require less moisturizer it also has a downside to it too such as the buildup of bacterial infections. As a Therefore, oily skin tends to be more than prone to acne. Therefore, an oil removing product should be used before the application of the actual acne scar cream. Usually, dry skin isn’t prone to acne outbreaks because the skin is not exposed to much bacteria as oily skin, but outbreaks does appear often.Generally acne scar cream products work by tackling almost all the issues that contributes to the formation of acne such as, blocked pores, bacterial infections and excessive oiliness. Some acne scar cream products even carry an exfoliating effect in which the weakened layer of skin is removed and the resulting new layer of skin would tend to be less inclined to acne that would appear subsequently. Even though some acne scar creams come with an exfoliating effect, separate cleaning and exfoliating products will be required prior to the application of the scar cream.The usage of scar creams should be conducted with care as many brands of acne scar cream can initiation different side effects of the body. These include, but are not limited to, dry skin, skin irritation, redness and skin peeling. Acne scar cream products provide an obtainable and effective way to deal with acne. As with any medical product, the careful and correct usage would hopefully deliver the desired effect.

There are a few acne scar treatments on the market to help win the battle over this left behind problem of acne. None of the treatments will give you immediate results, but they will lower the visible scars and, eventually take them away for good. This will depend on the severity of the scar. The main idea of the scar treatment is to remove the scar tissue so new cells can grow in its place. Some topical scar treatment options are on the market but it is better to discuss it with your doctor first if you want to remove deep scars. When you determine the best acne scar treatment for your situation, you will find that what works for one does not work for another. You must take into consideration how bad the scarring is, if you will have an allergic reaction, how much you can spend on treatment, and the response you might have after the treatment is completed.

Dermabrasion Acne Scar Treatment

Dermabrasion is a deep exfoliation technique that freezes the patient’s skin while a high powered rotating brush removes the dead skin cells. It can hurt and needs anesthesia for comfort. The skin is aggravated with this procedure and can actually take months before it heals completely.

Microdermabrasion Acne Scar Treatment

Microdermabrasion is similar to the dermabrasion as exfoliation, but is not as harsh to the skin and not as difficult to perform. This procedure removes the top layers of the skin. It is best used for scars that are fresh or not as severe. This can be done at home with an over-the-counter kit.

Chemical Therapy

Chemical peels are solutions of acidic mixtures that are put directly on the skin. This solution disintegrates the outer layers of skin away so they can be peeled back to allow the fresh skin underneath to show through. A chemical peel can vary in degree from deep to mild penetration levels. It will just depend on the severity of the acne you have. Chemical peels can be done at home if you prefer. It can also be purchased through your dermatologist or local salon. The over-the counter products are mild but the dermatologist’s procedure is best for more severe cases.

Laser Therapy For Acne Scar Treatment

Two types of laser therapy is available. They are ablative or resurface and non – ablative. When the ablative procedure is used, the scar tissue is burned away allowing the collagen to tighten around the wound. This reduces the visibility of the scar. This is a very invasive procedure requiring months for healing. The non-ablative laser treatment does not cause damage to the top layer of skin. This is more popular and can be completed at lunchtime allowing the individual to go back to work.

Surgical Therapy For Acne Scars

Deep scars that roll over the skin as a result of acne can be treated with surgical therapy. This works best by separating the skin tissue from the scarred tissue and allowing the blood to pool underneath. The deep rolling scar tissue becomes level with the rest of the skin. The skin can then be resurfaced, chemically peeled, or undergo microdermabrasion.

Conclusion

Many types of acne scar treatment options are available for removal of scars. If your scarring is mild or has just occurred, an over-the-counter product will work. If you do speak with a doctor about it because of severe scarring, work together to find the treatment that is best for you. 

For millions of people, acne medicine represents one of the best and most effective ways to treat this irritating skin condition. However, the decision to use acne medicine to combat at outbreak of acne raises a number of important issues, such as which form of treatment is best, are there any side-effects etc. All that creates quite a problem. After all, there are so many different acne treatments available you can quickly become overwhelmed by the sheer number of options.
So before you go any further, here are the most important issues to bear in mind before you select your acne medicine. 1) The Cause Of Your Acne
Make sure you take steps to discover the exact cause of your acne. This is because there are various causes of acne and treatments that may work well for one person may not work as well for you. It’s only after you know the cause of your acne that you can select the best tye of acne medicine to treat your condition. So at this stage it’s a good idea to consult your doctor or dermatologist for help if your acne is any worse than slight. 2) Determine Your Skin Type
As already mentioned, acne treatments that may work well for one person may not work as well for another, so it’s important to take account of your skin type. For example, certain people and certain skin types are sensitive to some of the chemicals typically used in acne medicine.
So it’s a good idea to check whether you’re allegic to any of the ingredients in the treatment that you select. This will help to avoid more serious allergy problems midway through your treatment.
As always, the more natural your chosen acne treatment, the less likely you are to suffer a reaction to it. For example, if you find that you can’t use a number of mainstream acne medicines, you may want to consider various treatments prescribed by homeopaths or herbal medicines which can be highly effective and are generally less likely to cause an adverse reaction. 3) The Types Of Acne Medicine Available
Acne medicine can be divided into two main types, topical and oral. a) Topical Acne Medicine – Topical medicines are those which are applied to the surface of the skin, usually in the form of lotions, creams, ointments, gels or foams. These treatments can be divided into two main sub-categories antimicrobial and retinoid. i) Antimicrobial
The aim of these treatments is to destroy the acne causing bacteria that lives on the surface of the skin. This helps to prevent the development of further pustules and reduce the inflammation associated with acne. These antimicrobial medicines have shown to be quite effective in mild to moderate cases of acne.
As a general rule, if your skin type is dry or sensitive, topical acne medicine in the form of a cream or a lotion will provide the best results. This is because treatments that take the form of foam or gel are typically alcohol based, which tends to dry the skin. However, these options are best if you have oily skin. ii) Retinoid
In moderately severe cases of acne, retinoid treatments are available on prescription from your doctor or dermatologist. This type of acne medicine which is a relative of vitamin A, aims to unblock the skin pores and remove the potential for acne to exist.
However, due to their increased strength, these medicines, which are available in gel, liquid and cream forms, can cause skin irritation and photosensitivity. b) Oral Acne Medicine – These treatments can be divided into two main sub-categories antibiotics and contraceptives. i) Antibiotics
These are prescribed for more severe and persistent cases of acne with the aim of destroying the acne causing bacteria to reduce the level of inflammation. Due to the increased strength and potency of these acne medicines it’s vital to follow the instructions of the prescription, otherwise it could lead to the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria on your skin.
The use of antibiotics can also place a strain on your immune system leaving you more vulnerable to various other diseases. So always consult your doctor before taking any antibiotics to treat your acne. ii) Contraceptives
It has also been discovered that oral contraceptives can provide long term acne treatment by reducing the amount of oil created by the sebaceous skin glands. This reduces the chance of skin pores becoming blocked which can lead to acne.
However, there are fairly serious side effects linked to the long term use of oral contraceptives, including heart attacks, strokes and blood clots, so it’s vital to consult with your doctor before selecting this form of acne treatment. 4) The Severity Of Your Acne
The severity of your acne will also play a major part in the type of acne medicine that you finally select. As mentioned in the last section, mild to moderate acne can often be successfully treated with a wide variety of over the counter medicines. However, moderate to severe acne often requires a more powerful form of medicine that has to be prescribed by your doctor or dermatologist. 5) Other Considerations
And finally, there are certain other considerations that may affect your ultimate choice of acne medication. For example, pregnancy will limit the number of treatments that are safe to use.