Cystic acne is a common type of skin infection that is commonly found on teens.
Understanding what cystic acne is can help you to better treat this condition on your own body. For many individuals, it is traumatizing in the way that their outward appearance is flawed by these small but powerful infections. The skin becomes inflamed here and it may even hurt. The irritants are likely to be bacteria as well as a combination of other factors. The bottom line is, though, that people want and need results when it comes to treating cystic acne.
What Causes It?
Cystic acne is caused by when the oil ducts in the skin become clogged. This will lead to the ducts (or pores) becoming infected. The oil ducts are over producing oils that are generally need to help keep the skin moist as well as to help the hair follicle to ease out of the skin. Yet, for many teenagers, hormones are all out of control and this can cause these oil glands to simply produce too much oil. Eventually, bacteria find there way into this area and irritate it enough to cause the infection on the skin. This is what cystic acne is.
Treatments For It
While the causes of cystic acne are important, the treatments for it are just as important to those that are suffering from it. Many individuals, mostly teenagers will deal with this type of acne for at least several years of their life if they do have the right conditions for it. But, the good news is that there are acne treatments that really can work and work well for them. The best acne treatments are those that provide for all aspects of the condition.
1. They should treat the bacteria that are infecting the skin.
2. They should stop or slow down the production of oils through either destroying oil glands or through controlling hormone levels.
3. They should protect the face from new infections forming through methods such as cleansing and exfoliation.
Acne products are available that can do any and all of these things. If you are like most, you’ll want to get started on it right away. Start with natural acne products and then work on the acne treatments that are not working. You will soon see that cystic acne can respond to medication and treatment.
At one point all of us have been trying to find ways on how to be completely acne-free. Here are some natural and not so natural acne treatments that are proven to be effective.
1. Witch Hazel Astringent
This astringent comes from the plant with the same name. It is widely spread from Nova Scotia in Canada down to Texas and Florida. Simply steam the twigs of this plant and voila! The extract you get from it serves as your astringent. Remember to cool it though. What’s good about this is that it occurs naturally and even the process it has undergone is all natural. You can be assured it is less harsh compared with commercially-produced astringents.
2. Commercially Produced Astringents
There is no doubt that astringents we can buy over-the-counter are also effective. There are lots of variants to choose from with additional ingredients that promote better skin. The only downside is it can be a little harsh because of the chemicals added to produce this formula. Use them with extra care as they can dry the skin.
3. All-Natural Treatments
Kitchen and acne are two enemies we may not be aware of. Scout your kitchen for stuff like oranges and lemons, fresh garlic and raw potatoes.
- Oranges and lemons just need to be squeezed on cotton balls. Apply the extract on affected areas and wash it after about 20 minutes.
- Fresh garlic is used much easier. Just remove its peeling and rub it on your face.
- As for raw potatoes, peel them and rub its flat surface on your face.
The natural extracts from these fruits and vegetables can help minimize the redness at the same time can clean the skin.
4. Oral Antibiotics
For severe cases, antibiotics are prescribed. These medications are orally taken to reduce the amount of bacteria inside and around skin follicles. They also decrease the exasperating chemicals that the white blood cells produce. Lastly, antibiotics diminish the concentration of the free fatty acids found in sebum, also creating an anti-inflammatory action. Consult your dermatologist for the right antibiotic and dosage.
Tetracycline is still the most commonly prescribed antibiotic for acne treatment. Most of this antibiotic should be taken on an empty stomach. Also, this shouldn’t be used by pregnant women and children under 9. Usually, the starting dose is initially 500 milligrams twice daily and is continuously taken until prescribed, or until a considerable dropping off of lesions is visible.
Erythromycin comes close second and can be prescribed to pregnant women. However, it can cause nausea and even upset stomach. Compared to tetracycline, which can only kill bacteria, Erythromycin has both anti-inflammatory and bacteria-killing properties. Also, this antibiotic needs to be taken in a food-filled tummy. You may discuss other possible antibiotics with your doctors regarding the effects and side-effects of each.
5. Topical Treatments
Externally applied creams are also proven effective for acne treatment. However, it results to drying and flaking but it is said to be the most effective treatment for severe acne. Benzoyl peroxide is one very common and effective topical acne treatment.
