Severe Acne Treatment

Any type of acne, whether it is mild, moderate, or severe, can be devastating for those who suffer from it. If you have severe acne, it is characterized by inflammation on the skin, very deep cysts, damage to your skin, and even scarring that lasts for a lifetime. Severe acne treatment has to be very aggressive and you usually will need a dermatologist to prescribe the intensive treatment that you need for acne this severe. If you have severe, disfiguring acne, then you may actually need years of treatment to help you get rid of your acne and there may even be some treatment failures along the way. However, with so many available treatments available, more than likely you will find that there is some type of treatment that will successfully treat your acne problem.

Various Methods of Treating Severe Acne

There are a variety of different methods of severe acne treatment available today. You have several options available, including prescription medications and physical methods that are used by dermatologists to treat acne that is very severe. The following are just a few of the methods that a dermatologist may use to treat a severe acne problem.

-    Surgical Excision and Drainage – In some cases, if you have severe acne, you may have some very large cysts on your skin that do not respond to any type of prescription medication. So, you may find that they are going to need to be drained and then extracted. This is basically known as acne surgery and it is important that you have a trained professional doing this type of surgery for you.

Your dermatologist is trained to do surgical excision and drainage and it will be done in sterile conditions so the acne will not spread. If you try to do this on your own, you may end up with an infection or the acne may become worse and leave nasty scars.

-    Isotretinoin – One very powerful drug that is often used to treat severe acne that has not responded well to other medications. This drug is basically a retinoid that is man made and it comes in the form of a pill. You take this pill either one or twice each day for a period of four to five months. This is one of the severe acne treatments available today that are most effective, since it works on clogged pores, P. acnes, excessive oil production, and even inflammation.

Most people only require one course of the isotretinoin therapy, and the effects can actually last for years. However, it is important that you realize that there are a variety of side effects that come with this drug that can be serious. So, before you start taking this drug, be sure that you discuss all the possible side effects with your doctor first.

-    Oral Antibiotics – One very common form of treatment that is used for people who have very severe acne is oral antibiotics. These antibiotics work to help reduce the amount of P. acnes, which then helps to reduce the amount of inflammation. If you take oral antibiotics for acne, more than likely you will begin taking a dosage that is quite large; however, over time the amount that you take will be reduced as it begins to effectively treat your acne problem. In some cases, the P. acnes can actually become immune and resistant to these antibiotics, and if this happens, you will have to take another type of antibiotic for your acne problem. A few of the oral antibiotics that are used include erythromycin, tetracycline, doxycycline, and minocycline.

-    Oral Contraceptives – For women that are suffering from severe acne, often oral contraceptives are used to help treat the severe acne problem. Oral contraceptives work by actually helping to suppress sebaceous glands that are overactive. These contraceptives can be used long term; however, they should not be used by women who are smokers, who are over the age of 35, who have migraine headaches, or who have problems with blood clots.

Even if you are suffering from very severe acne, there are many treatments available that can help. If you have severe acne, be sure to speak with your dermatologist about the severe acne treatment options that are available for you.