One of the most frustrating and embarrassing skin conditions faced by nearly every teen, and many adults, is Acne. This condition is caused by pores in the skin becoming clogged, and the skin's natural oils becoming trapped. The pores usually clog up due to skin cells shedding too quickly, and then blocking the oils in the skin from draining properly. Then bacteria trapped in the skin begins to grow, and whiteheads, blackheads or other lesions form.

There are quite different levels of severity of acne, the most common being Acne Vulgaris, which is simple pimples, whiteheads, and blackheads. It is a common form of teen acne, and is usually easy to treat.

A more common variety of adult acne is Acne Rosacea, which can cause blood vessels to burst under the skin, as well as whiteheads, but is recognizable by a lack of blackheads. Treatment for this adult form is quite different than treatment for teen acne, so a doctor should be consulted.

Much more severe is Acne Conglobata, which is rare, but usually strikes males under 30. Symptoms include large lesions, and extensive blackheads. It can cause permanent skin damage including infections and scarring, to say nothing of the psychological damage. It needs to be treated by a doctor.

However it happens, acne can be embarrassing and awkward, to say nothing of the potential for scars and permanent damage. So what to do?

There are several commercially available Acne medications available by prescription. Some of these include Adapalene, Benzol Peroxide, and Isotretinoin treatments like Accutane. While Benzol Peroxide is available through many over the counter treatments like Oxy Clear, generally Isotretinoin treatments are considered the most effective.

Accutane, the most popular of these Acne solutions, is a pill taken for 15 to 20 weeks. It is generally prescribed for severe cases of Acne that do not respond to other treatments. Because of the strong likelihood of severe deformities in children born to women taking Accutane while pregnant, many women are asked to take birth control by their doctors when taking this medication. Other side effects may include dry cracked lips and skin, and muscle and joint pain. Don't want to risk or endure the side effects, then you may want to consider a natural health remedy discussed in part 2 of this topic.

About the author:

Martin Stephens writes for Acne-Treatment-Steps.Com PART 2 of this article discusses natural remedies, available at http://www.acne-treatment-steps.com