Oral Acne Medicine: Beyond the Cream!

Anyone who has ever had acne is probably inundated with advertisements from medicine companies on TV. They offer creams, soaps, and other products that they say will get rid of your affliction. The problem? They don't always work.

What about those cases that are too severe for over-the-counter medicine? Washing with a good soap is not the answer for those cases. For people in that situation, there is a variety of oral medicine. The only problem is that you can't just walk into a store and buy the stuff. You have to go to a doctor and get a prescription. But for those who have moderate to severe cases, oral medication might be the thing to help clear up your problem.

What kind of oral medicine is there?
Lets begin with the mack daddy of acne medicine: Isotretinoin (Accutane). This oral medicine is only used for severe cystic or nodulocystic acne. Here's how it works: Isotretinoin decreases the amount of oil that the skin's sebaceous glands produce. It can take up to two months for the medication to take effect. The downside is that once you stop taking this medicine, the problem will return but not for months later.

Another medicine is not just for this affliction. It is for an assortment of illnesses. What exactly is it? Why it's antibiotics, of course. In some cases, antibiotics can be a powerful medicine. Here's how antibiotics work as a medicine: This condition is caused by bacteria. Antibiotics take care of this bacteria and decreases inflammation. For some types of acne, antibiotics are a good medicine.

Another oral medicine is steroids. No, not the kind that are illegally used by some questionable athletes. This medicine is corticosteroids. They are used as a short-term treatment. If used long-term, they can actually cause more problems. They work by suppressing inflammation and androgen production, and they are only used for severe cases.

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