Various medical remedies are available for the treatment of acne. It is not unusual to find that the first remedy that a person tries does not work. For that reason, physicians may have to prescribe more than one treatment for a person before the condition is resolved.

Acne is often difficult to treat. The reason is that every person’s acne problem is unique. Large amounts of experimentation with treatments, and some trial and error, are the only way to find the treatment that will work. Stubborn types of acne illustrate this well. The professional experience of a doctor or dermatologist, especially one with significant experience treating acne, offers the most benefit.

There are some strict “no no’s” when dealing with acne. One should never scrub skin that is affected by acne. Doing so will irritate and inflame the acne, causing more pimples and prolonging the healing process.

The treatment prescribed for you will be determined by the symptoms that are exhibited. The emphasis of your treatment will be in one or more of the following areas: unclogging pores; eradicating bacteria through use of antibiotics; reduction in the quantity of oils by using medications such as Accutane; or changing the balance of hormones that affect the sebaceous glands, perhaps by using oral contraceptives.

Topical creams are most doctors’ first line of approach. These creams are not a cure, but like most treatments, will help control symptoms. If these prove ineffective by themselves, topical creams may be combined with antibiotics (to be taken orally).

Topical creams usually contain benzoyl peroxide, which is effective, but should only be used in small doses. Originally this was considered safe, but studies have shown that prolonged use or overuse can result in premature aging of the skin.

To get rid of acne, it is essential that you work with someone you trust who is a trained professional. Treating yourself for acne is not advised. Pimple removal should be done by a doctor in a sterile environment.

Being patient is also necessary. Acne does not clear up overnight, even in the best of cases. As a matter of fact, even after you find a treatment that works, your skin is likely to get worse prior to improving. Most of the time doctors recommend continuing a treatment for at least four to six weeks before you can expect to see results. You can expect to try several different treatments before finding the one that works for you, so don’t give up if the first one doesn’t work.