Acne Treatment

There has been a lot of new information in the field of acne treatment in the last few years, so one of the first things we should do is dispel some of the myths around the topic. Did you know that acne has almost nothing to do with your diet? There is no evidence that eating chocolate, seafood or fried foods will cause or worsen acne. The only effect diet has is that eating a healthy variety of foods aids your general resistance to infections.

While it is true that acne is caused by excess oil (sebum) on the skin, you won't help by vigorously scrubbing your face several times a day. In fact, you are likely to irritate your skin and make it worse. The excess sebum is produced from within your skin, so taking it off the surface doesn't help.

Standard recommendations for acne treatment are that you wash your face twice a day with a mild cleanser. Use your fingertips, not a washcloth or scrubber. Rinse very thoroughly with cool to lukewarm water and apply a mild nonprescription acne cream.

When to Seek Professional Acne Treatment

If you have large, solid cysts that don't come to the surface, you should seek medical acne treatment to avoid scarring. Your doctor can prescribe antibiotic creams, retinoid creams and/or an oral antibiotic. And even if you have the common variety of non-scaring acne blemishes, seek professional treatment if it's serious enough to affect your self-image and your attitude. After all, just being a teenager is hard enough to deal with.