Acne is a disease - characterized by skin pimples and blemishes - that affects almost everyone at some point in their life, and especially in their teens.
Acne is also known to affect some adults, especially expectant mothers and those who have recently delivered.
The condition is known to have a strong correlation with changes in body hormone levels, the very kind of changes that take place during puberty, pregnancy and the post natal period.
Acne can be a very distressing condition, seeing that it tends to affect the face and other highly conspicuous parts of the body.
For this reason, acne patients are known to go to great lengths in search of treatments for the condition.
Acne treatments vary in sophistication from the use of simple domestic substances (substances used around the home) which have been shown to be of some help in the treatment of acne, to the use of herbs and to the use of some medications that have shown efficacy in the treatment of the condition.
Non substance acne treatments too, like phototherapy and laser treatment have been used in the treatment of the condition with considerable success, as have been indirect therapies (for instance psychotherapy and counseling) which are used to help the acne patient come to terms with the condition.
Now the idea of using psychotherapy in the treatment of acne can seem far fetched, until you come face to face with the worst forms of the condition, where it ends up affecting ones appearance significantly, and potentially affecting one's self image - which is an important component of self esteem and happiness.
But even the milder forms of the condition have been known to affect people's happiness significantly, especially in the extremely common form of the condition (the form that affects teens), seeing that it strikes its victims when they are most sensitive about their looks and how others perceive them.
Common herbal treatments employed in the treatment of acne include tea tree oil (which has an anti-bacterial quality) and the versatile herb, aloe vera.
Both tea tree oil and aloe vera have shown indisputable efficacy in the treatment of acne, though it is worth noting that acne treatment using both of these herbal cures takes some time, sometimes even up to a month, before the patient can experience noticeable changes.
Medications employed in the treatment of acne on the other hand include the whole range of antibiotics, from topical antibiotics (applied where the acne blemishes and pimples are) like triclosan to oral antibiotics - these being those that are ingested through the mouth but whose effects gradually manifest on the skin, common examples being minocycline and trimethoprim.
Since acne has a hormonal root, hormonal treatments might also be (occasionally) employed in its treatment, especially for the more severe cases.
Non substance treatments for acne include phototherapy and laser treatments - and these too have shown good efficacy in the treatment of the condition.
These come with the additional advantage of their fast working, seeing that the speed of treatment is one of the factors that acne patients tend to be very particular about.
Both phototherapy and laser treatments can, however, be significantly more expensive than the other acne treatments, with their cost often pushing them out of reach for a significant portion of patients.
The equipment used in both of these treatment can also be scary or otherwise putting to some patients, though doctors say that both phototherapy and laser treatment are among the safest acne treatments.
Acne is also known to affect some adults, especially expectant mothers and those who have recently delivered.
The condition is known to have a strong correlation with changes in body hormone levels, the very kind of changes that take place during puberty, pregnancy and the post natal period.
Acne can be a very distressing condition, seeing that it tends to affect the face and other highly conspicuous parts of the body.
For this reason, acne patients are known to go to great lengths in search of treatments for the condition.
Acne treatments vary in sophistication from the use of simple domestic substances (substances used around the home) which have been shown to be of some help in the treatment of acne, to the use of herbs and to the use of some medications that have shown efficacy in the treatment of the condition.
Non substance acne treatments too, like phototherapy and laser treatment have been used in the treatment of the condition with considerable success, as have been indirect therapies (for instance psychotherapy and counseling) which are used to help the acne patient come to terms with the condition.
Now the idea of using psychotherapy in the treatment of acne can seem far fetched, until you come face to face with the worst forms of the condition, where it ends up affecting ones appearance significantly, and potentially affecting one's self image - which is an important component of self esteem and happiness.
But even the milder forms of the condition have been known to affect people's happiness significantly, especially in the extremely common form of the condition (the form that affects teens), seeing that it strikes its victims when they are most sensitive about their looks and how others perceive them.
Common herbal treatments employed in the treatment of acne include tea tree oil (which has an anti-bacterial quality) and the versatile herb, aloe vera.
Both tea tree oil and aloe vera have shown indisputable efficacy in the treatment of acne, though it is worth noting that acne treatment using both of these herbal cures takes some time, sometimes even up to a month, before the patient can experience noticeable changes.
Medications employed in the treatment of acne on the other hand include the whole range of antibiotics, from topical antibiotics (applied where the acne blemishes and pimples are) like triclosan to oral antibiotics - these being those that are ingested through the mouth but whose effects gradually manifest on the skin, common examples being minocycline and trimethoprim.
Since acne has a hormonal root, hormonal treatments might also be (occasionally) employed in its treatment, especially for the more severe cases.
Non substance treatments for acne include phototherapy and laser treatments - and these too have shown good efficacy in the treatment of the condition.
These come with the additional advantage of their fast working, seeing that the speed of treatment is one of the factors that acne patients tend to be very particular about.
Both phototherapy and laser treatments can, however, be significantly more expensive than the other acne treatments, with their cost often pushing them out of reach for a significant portion of patients.
The equipment used in both of these treatment can also be scary or otherwise putting to some patients, though doctors say that both phototherapy and laser treatment are among the safest acne treatments.
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