Overview
No one likes dealing with acne. For most people, pimples are a minor nuisance. However, if blemishes become uncontrollable, they can leave you wanting to hide your head in the ground and avoid public spaces altogether. Hiding indefinitely is not an option for most people; fortunately, it’s possible to treat acne with over-the-counter creams and prescription medications, if needed.
Step 1
Apply over-the-counter acne topical creams to treat your acne. Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are two key ingredients in most treatments. Apply the creams up to twice daily directly to your acne lesions to help dry them and to reduce your chances of experiencing another breakout.
Step 2
Dab on an antibiotic cream, or ingest an oral antibiotic to treat your pimples. Available by prescription, antibiotics work by killing the bacteria that cause acne. Apply topical antibiotic creams directly to the blemishes. If the acne is more persistent or severe, your doctor may prescribe an oral antibiotic to completely kill the suspect bacteria, P. acnes.
Step 3
Request a prescription for Accutane from your doctor. This drug is effective at treating severe cases of acne. Take this oral medication once or twice daily (depending on your prescription) for 16 to 20 weeks to get rid of acne bacteria, to unclog pores, to reduce inflammation and to eliminate excess oil, according to AcneNet. For many, the results of one course of treatment are permanent. However, Accutane can cause severe side effects, including birth defects and depression, so it is usually prescribed only after other treatment options are exhausted.
Step 4
Undergo surgery to remove your acne. When acne becomes deeply embedded in the skin or highly inflamed, sometimes the best course of treatment is to have the lesions removed. During this surgery, the blemishes are cut out of the skin, and then the surrounding area is stitched closed. This procedure can result in minor scarring, but it’s generally worth the risk, because letting a large acne lesion go untreated can lead to more severe scarring later.
