The Mayo Clinic defines acne as whiteheads, blackheads, small raised bumps, pustules (red tender bumps with white at the tip), large painful bumps and boil-like cysts. Skin and metabolic conditions vary with each person, but a group of medical and over-the-counter acne treatments have been found to be effective with large numbers of people. Even top-rated acne treatments are ineffective if they are not used as part of a regular prescribed routine.
Benzoyl Peroxide
The Mayo Clinic calls benzoyl peroxide "...the most effective active ingredient in acne products." Over-the-counter products incorporate strengths of 2.5 to 10 percent of this ingredient, which reduces the amount of oil on the skin and dries the outer layers so that the skin cells may be shed. The advantages to its use includes rapid action and easy availability, but benzoyl peroxide also has disadvantages that include an increase to skin sensitivity to ultraviolet rays, as well as skin swelling and visible redness and scaling.
Salicylic Acid
Salicylic acid is also used in over-the-counter products in 0.5 to 2 percent solutions. This substance dries the hair follicle cells and slows the normal cell shedding process, resulting in fewer clogged whiteheads and blackheads in people susceptible to this condition. The advantages of salicylic acid match those of benzoyl peroxide, without the the downside of enhanced sensitivity to the sun. Salicylic acid stings the skin when first applied.
Sulfur and Resorcinol
Sulfur and resorcinol are used in tandem in over-the-counter products to dry the skin, remove oil and reduce the size of whiteheads and blackheads by breaking down their fluid content. The combination treatment dries the skin but may also cause excessive redness as a result of constant peeling when the product is used in large amounts.
Alcohol and Acetone
Alcohol and acetone are effective in mild cases of acne and are commonly used in popular skin cleansers. Oil and grime are removed from the skin with these products. Disadvantages include a mild burning or stinging. Experts at the National Institutes of Health warn that excessive cleansing and scrubbing increases the chance of a serious acne problem.
Medical Treatments
When the top-rated over-the-counter acne products fail to produce results in four to six weeks, the Mayo Clinic recommends consulting a dermatologist or skin specialist. A combination of oral antibiotics, including tetracycline, minocycline and doxycycline, along with retinoids (a Vitamin A product popularly-known as Retin-A), reduces oil production and kills bacteria in the hair follicle. A combination of topical antibiotics, such as erythromycin or clindamycin with medical strength benzoyl peroxide, is also used as part of a medical prescription to produce the same results. The Mayo Clinic states that these combination therapies have proved to be successful treatments.
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