Prescription Drugs for Acne
While mild acne may be completely treatable with some homemade natural remedies or with herbal treatments, moderate to severe acne often needs medical treatment.
In severe acne the infection may be too deep rooted and too persistent, and without medical treatments you may not be able to see any visible difference. Also, at times the acne may be not because of infection but because of hormonal problems, where again medical treatment may be the only option.
Be it topical or oral, acne treatment medication should never be had without a doctor’s prescription. But let your physician or your dermatologist decide on what medicines are best for you.
Anyways, just to give you an idea about what kind of medication may be recommended by your doctor to help you with your acne problem, we have listed here some of the most commonly used acne medication.
Topical treatments
For topical use your dermatologist may prescribe one of the following medications.
Retinoid ointments: These are basically a special form of vitamin A, which works as a cortico steroid to calm the inflammation and destroy the pustules. Their steroidal action involves unplugging of the follicles and loosening of the damaged tissues.
Topical antibiotics: Antibiotics like erythromycin and clindamaycin, are often recommended for topical use to treat acne. These are available in various forms like lotions, ointments and gels and these treat acne by destroying the bacteria and the sebum buildup.
Commonly prescribed oral prescription drugs for treating acne, when topical acne treatment fails to deliver positive results, your physician may put you on the intensive therapy which involves supplementing topical treatment with oral drugs.
Some of the oral prescription drugs for treating acne are:
Antibiotics: These may be prescribed for a few months, so as to treat the infection from inside. The dosage and the length of time for which you will have to take these antibiotics will depend on the severity of the problems.
Isotretinion: This is again a derivative of vitamin A, and is usually prescribed in extreme cases, where all other medication fails. It helps in slowing down the sebum producing glands and in soothing the inflamed follicles.
Hormone regulators: In women hormonal imbalance is a common reason for sever acne outburst, and this type of acne can be treating only by administering hormone regulating pills.
