Creating Your Acne-Treating Program

If you have acne in the 21st century, you’re fortunate. Why? Because there are so many great ways to treat it and there are many more to come. But there are no quick cures for acne; in fact, there aren’t really any cures. The goal of treatment is to manage your acne, help control it, prevent it from scarring, and help you look your best. The truth is that acne tends to heal itself over time, but the right therapy can make your skin look better.


Until the last couple of decades, there was very little anyone could do to treat acne. But we’ve now come a long way from the “dark ages” of arsenic and puppy blood (see the sidebar “Ye olde pimple remedies”). Now we have excellent methods to treat acne and the future looks even brighter. There are

• Over-the-counter topical (applied to the skin) products that contain such tried-and-true medicines as benzoyl peroxide (see Chapter 7 for a complete list of products, their pros and cons, and how to use them effectively)
• Topical antibiotics and retinoids (I discuss these in Chapter 9)
• Oral antibiotics (take a look at Chapter 10)
• Hormones and anti-androgens for females (see Chapter 11)
• Oral retinoids, like Accutane (see Chapter 13)
• Chemical peels, special lasers, and lights (see Chapter 14)

Some people also claim that various alternative and complementary approaches have helped improve their acne.

If you’re just starting to get breakouts or you have really mild acne with a few blemishes here and there, the over-the-counter (OTC), do-it-yourself route that I describe in Chapter 7 may be just the ticket for you. Look in the mirror. If you see a few blackheads and whiteheads or a few pimples, you can probably find ways to treat them on your own.

You can find many acne products waiting for you at your local drugstores and cosmetic counters. You can do many things to improve the appearance of your skin without a prescription if you’re a teenager just starting to get acne. Shelves are also stocked with products specifically geared toward adult women.

You can also follow some of my skin-care tips and further ideas to help you that I bring up throughout the book, like the face-washing advice I provide in Chapter 2, the tips for healthy skin in Chapter 22, or the list of things you should never do to your skin in Chapter 23.

Although going to a doctor generally costs more than buying a cream at your local drugstore, you’ll likely save money in the long run and get better results than you’ll get by running through the gamut of OTC acne products.