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Living with severe acne can be difficult for anyone. If you have severe acne, chances are you understand all too well about the stares, comments, and snickers, which are cruel and unwarranted. Rather than spend the rest of your life just “dealing” with acne and scarring, you do have options for successful treatment. The interesting thing is that all treatment options for severe acne work with the same primary concept – cutting back on the sebum (oil) production, removing dead skin cells, fighting infection, and regenerating new skin growth. If you get on the right type of severe acne treatment, you could easily see results in as little as six weeks. Just imagine having a new outlook on life in that short of time. Many times, a person with severe acne will get some degree of relief from using topical creams containing things like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, sulfur, lactic acid, or resorcinol. However, if no change is seen, your dermatologist may recommend you try a more potent product such as Retin A, Tretinoin, or Accutane. Now, if you still do not see any type of change, then other options are available. For instance, you may be prescribed ointment or lotion containing vitamin A and antibiotics to help fight off the infection causing the acne. In addition, oral antibiotics may be suggested. Remember, unless bacteria is stopped, the ongoing outbreaks of acne will continue. Therefore, some type of antibiotic is critical. Unfortunately, this type of treatment needs to be monitored carefully in that over time, the body will become accustomed to medication, making it ineffective. One of the more powerful drugs on the market designed for moderate to severe acne is branded as Accutane. Officially known as Isotretinoin, the medication can do wonders for people who have stubborn acne, and even deep scarring. Now, because of the potency of this drug, it must be administered by a doctor and dosage followed closely. Some of the side effects include birth defects, which is why is should never be taken by pregnant women. In fact, this FDA-approved drug must be monitored by a doctor since it can increase enzyme levels in the liver and cholesterol in the blood. Because of this, patients are often required to have blood tests done to maintain the correct level within the bloodstream. Of course, if any test results show potential problems, your doctor would discontinue the drug immediately. If all else fails, you could have a number of cosmetic procedures done. For this, a chemical peel, laser treatment, or dermabrasion may be a consideration. Each of these treatment options scrape or burn away the outer, damaged skin, allowing new skin underneath to regenerate. With new technology, these procedures are quite safe but must always be performed by a trained professional.
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