If you happen to be one of the many people who suffers from acne you will be looking at a number of different ways to treat it. One such way is to use an acne medicine and in this article we will look at some of the prescription treatments which are available on the market today.

There are in fact a wide variety of prescription acne treatments which are available either through your dermatologist or doctor. They include both topical and oral acne medications which are then subdivided down as follows:

– Topical Antimicrobials

– Topical Retinoids

– Oral Antibiotics

– Oral Contraceptives

One such topical antimicrobial medication is Clindamycin. It is the most widely used and is recommended for treating mild to severe cases of acne as it helps to minimize and eliminate the papules and pustules that are associated with acne.

Then there is Tretinoin which is a topical retinoid medication. It’s a derivative of Vitamin A and can be used in treating mild to severe inflammatory acne. It works by unclogging the pores of the skin and so prevents both whiteheads and blackheads from forming. Unfortunately a side effect of topical retinoids is they cause irritation to the skin as well as increased sun sensitivity. So it is important that you use sunscreen and follow any advice given to you by your doctor when using topical retinoids.

Oral antibiotics are often used to treat the more severe cases of acne and sometimes for moderate cases. Like topical antimicrobials they are there to help reduce the acne bacteria as well as decreasing the inflammation caused by the acne. However when using antibiotics it is important that you use them only as directed by your doctor in order to avoid the risk of the bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotic drugs.

Oral contraceptives are more often used as an effective treatment for women and they can be used as a long term acne treatment. These work by suppressing a person’s overactive sebaceous glands which are responsible for the oily skin secretions. These lead to clogging of the skin’s pores and then to acne. However there are some potential health risks associated with taking oral contraceptives for acne that can be life threatening. These include blood clots, stroke or heart attacks. Such health risks will be further increased if you are a smoker as well.

So it is advisable that when deciding to take any acne medicine that you should talk to your doctor first and they will be able to diagnose and suggest the right course of treatment for you. buy tretinoin uk