Americans spend millions of dollars each year on the acne treatment and prevention. Next to weight loss, acne treatment is one of the most addressed medical concerns of our time. As with weight loss there are as many myths and misinformation about effective treatments as there are truths. The amazing thing about acne is that it is treatable in most people. There are many kinds of medications out there to treat acne ranging from over the counter varieties to those that are deeply and thoroughly watched and regulated. The hard part for most is finding the happy balance between what will work most effectively not only to treat existing acne but also to prevent further outbreaks.

Some common over the counter acne medications include the following active ingredients: Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic Acid, Sulfur, and Resorcinol. While you may try one and find it ineffective it is best to try all of the active ingredients before ruling them out all together as effective treatments for your acne problems. If you have tried all of these and found that nothing effectively treats and prevents your acne problems, it is time to see a doctor and find out what he might have in store for you.

Once you’ve seen a doctor, you might be surprised to find that his first course of action will often to be to try another topical treatment rather than resorting first to harsh chemicals or drugs. Oral contraceptives and antibiotics taken orally are also common and often effective treatments for acne. Occasionally there’s an acne problem that goes beyond traditionally prescribed acne treatments and will require harsher medications that carry with them significant risks in order to treat. This type of treatment should be a last ditch effort and reserved only for the most severe acne cases.

The name of this severe but highly effective acne treatment is Accutane (the brand name). This drug has the potential for very serious side effects to all who take it with the riskiest side effects being to those who may become pregnant. There are extreme measures taken in order to avoid pregnancy while taking this drug and women of childbearing capabilities are carefully monitored during the entire duration of their treatment with this medication and for a brief period of time after the treatment ends. Beyond the risks of sever birth defects to unborn babies, the health risks to otherwise healthy adults can be quite severe. This is a treatment that should only be entered into by someone who has been adequately informed of all the risks associated with this treatment and will be closely monitored throughout the process. The one resounding benefit of this drug is that it has been known in many cases to completely cure even acute cases of acne. This is not a drug that will fix all acne problems and as I mentioned it carries with it high risks, but it is by far one of, if not the most successful acne treatments on the market today.

Whether your acne problem is mild to moderate or severe and potentially disfiguring, there are many treatment options available. It is very important that you find the acne treatment that not only works best for you but fits within your lifestyle. No treatment will be effective if it sits unused in your medicine cabinet.