Acne is the single most common skin condition in the U.S, with as many as 50 million people affected every year. As you’d expect from such a common problem, there are many ways of treating acne.

To help you manage an outbreak, we’ve created an overview of how some of the most common acne treatments work, including azelaic acid, Duac gel, and birth control pills.

Recommended reading: SCIENTIFIC REASONS TO USE GERANIUM OIL FOR HEALTHY GLOWING SKIN

How Exactly Do Common Acne Treatments Work?

Azelaic acid

Azelaic acid is one of the most common treatments for mild to moderate acne, with its anti-inflammatory qualities helping both breakouts and their after-effects.

The anti-inflammatory quality of azelaic acid helps to reduce swelling, burning, redness, and skin peeling in areas that are susceptible to acne. Some other key ways that azelaic acid works to help treat acne include:

• Clearing your pores: As a comedolytic, azelaic acid is able to clear existing AKA comedones (any pore blockages you have) and stop new ones.
• Exfoliating your skin: Also a keratolytic, azelaic acid dissolves any flaky skin sells on areas it’s applied to.
• Killing bacteria: One of the main reasons azelaic acid is such an effective acne treatment is that it kills propionibacteria acnes – the bacteria that causes breakouts.

Azelaic acid is a natural acid that is found in grains such as barley, wheat, and rye. This means that it’s a non-synthetic way of treating acne. Despite being derived from grain, azelaic acid is also gluten-free, making it a suitable skincare option for coeliacs.

Available as both a prescription and over the counter medication, there are many different options of azelaic acid that you can use. Your best option will depend on the severity and location of your acne.

“How Exactly Do Common Acne Treatments Work” Credit: Good Free Photos

Accutane

Accutane is an oral retinoid that is recommended by dermatologists for people suffering from severe nodular acne.

Accutane is a type of vitamin A that tackles acne by lowering the amount of oil secreted by your skin. In addition to reducing the oiliness of your skin, Accutane lowers the stickiness of the cells in your hair follicles and stops your cells from shedding as much. The course of treatment takes up to five months, however, the result is that some people never get acne again.

While it can clear your acne completely, caution should be advised when taking Accutane. If taken during pregnancy, for example, Accutane can cause a baby to develop defects in the following areas:

• Brain
• Ears
• Eyes
• Face
• Heart
• Skull

Unsurprisingly, a prescription is needed for Accutane and it is unlikely to be prescribed unless you have unsuccessfully tried other acne treatments first. Although you can buy Accutane from a number of reputable sources, you are best advised seeking guidance from your GP or skin consultant first.

Birth control pills

Millions of women across the globe take birth control bills to reduce the likelihood of them getting pregnant, but that’s not their only benefit. Taking birth control pills balance hormones,

helping to keep your skin clear and lowering the chances of acne.

A hormone imbalance is a common reason why some women get outbreaks of acne during their period. This is because hormones called androgens (testosterone) manifest themselves as cystic acne.

Birth control pills address the hormonal imbalance in your body by decreasing sebum. The circulation of androgens in your body causes sebum to be produced, which makes your skin oily. Birth control pills lower the circulation of androgens, hence decreasing your sebum levels.

For this to happen, there must be both estrogen and progestin present in your birth control pills – the minipill is not an effective acne treatment because it only contains progestin.

In the US, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved a range of birth control pills. Of those on the approved list, the following can be used to treat acne:

• Beyaz
• Estrostep Fe
• Ortho Tri-Cyclen
• Yaz

Duac gel

A skincare composite that combines antibacterial and antibiotic agents, Duac gel is a fast-acting acne treatment that kills bacteria, reduces inflammation, and clears dead skin.

Acne is caused by a range of issues including hormonal imbalances, excessive oil production, and hair follicles being clogged up by dead skin. Duac gel tackles these problems by using two ingredients to clear mild to moderate acne:

• Benzoyl peroxide: An antibacterial agent, it kills the bacteria that causes and worsens acne. In addition to this, it breaks down the keratin protein found on your skin, so that dead skin can be shed and pore blockages cleared.
• Clindamycin: Goes after the bacteria that feed off your skin oil and block your pores. The result of this is that it reduces inflammation.

How long does Duac gel take to work? Unlike some common acne treatments, Duac gel is fast-acting. It takes as little as two weeks to begin working, reducing the symptoms of acne and stopping it from spreading. However, don’t use Duac gel with other acne treatments as this will stop it from working as effectively.  

You need a prescription from a GP or registered pharmacist to use Duac gel to treat your acne. Reputable online pharmacists will not sell Duac gel without conducting a consultation. For this reason,  it is not advisable to purchase the medication from sources that do not check whether you are safe to take Duac gel first.

Acne has four primary causes – bacteria, hormonal imbalance, clogged hair follicles, excessive oil on your skin. The common acne treatments work by fighting these different causes, with some tackling all of them and some primarily addressing one or more.

To find out which acne treatment is likely to work best for you, speak to your GP, a registered pharmacist, or a dermatologist.

I hope you enjoyed reading how exactly do common acne treatments work! It is a great post for anyone needing to try products for acne!

Follow on Facebook | Bloglovin | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Hometalk