The teenage years are the main time for acne to appear, but even women in their thirties and forties and later may also suffer from spots. The only difference is that teenage acne is mainly caused by genetics, while for adult women, the cause may be due to fluctuating hormone levels.

Even women who never had acne in their teens may suddenly develop it in their later years, whether with menstruation or menopause.

Acne treatment has become very advanced in the past few decades. You cannot prevent the occasional pimple from appearing, but with the use of a combination of medications and home remedies, it is usually easy to keep acne under control.

 

Immediate relief

Home treatment for acne:

 

– Use benzoyl peroxide:

It is a topical antiseptic that kills the bacteria that cause the symptoms of inflammation, swelling, and tightness resulting from acne. It is available as an over-the-counter treatment in the form of a cream, gel, or lotion, and benzoyl peroxide (such as Clearasil) may be all you need of treatment.

After washing your face, apply a thin layer of benzoyl peroxide to the affected areas. Personal dosages and composition of the product vary, so you should follow your doctor’s advice.

In general, benzoyl peroxide should be used once daily at first, and as your skin adjusts to it, the dose is gradually increased to six or eight times daily or as needed during an outbreak.

 

Try salicylic acid:

It is another treatment that is dispensed without a doctor’s prescription. Salicylic acid (which is similar to the active ingredient in aspirin), reduces inflammation and breaks the bonds between dead cells, thus making them fall out easily.

Cleanse your skin completely, then apply a thin layer of salicylic acid (such as Neutrogena clear pore wash or Acnisal) on the areas of acne pimples. This medication may cause dry skin. The dosage varies between individuals and products, so it is best to follow your doctor’s instructions. In most cases, you can start by applying the treatment once a day, then gradually increase the dose to three times a day if necessary.

 

Alternative treatment for acne (alternative medicine)

 

Apply the clay paste:

Clay has been used for centuries to deeply cleanse oily skin and remove pollutants from the skin. To prepare a pomade for skin blemishes, mix half a teaspoon of cosmetic clay (available in health food stores, on some beauty counters, and online) with half a teaspoon of water. You may need to prepare larger quantities of the mixture if the affected area is large or if you want to use it as a face mask.

Mix well, then apply a thin layer of the clay mixture on the entire face for deep cleaning, or on the skin wounds, and leave the clay to dry. If the area you are treating is small, you can leave the pomade on for several hours or overnight, and then wash it afterward. Face masks that cover the entire face require washing the face completely immediately after the clay dries. Repeat the use of the poultice daily if necessary. But the clay mask should be used only once a week to avoid excessive dryness of the skin.

 

– Use lavender essential oil:

It makes pimples less painful, and since it has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, it may help get rid of them as well. Put one or two drops of lavender oil on the pimples as needed.

 

Medical treatment and medical options:

 

Ask your dermatologist or doctor about facial peeling:

Your doctor may advise you to treat acne using high concentrations of salicylic acid, from 20 to 30 percent, instead of using it in a weak concentration used in home remedies.

 

– Try tretinoin Retin-A:

Available as a prescription by a doctor, it is a derivative of vitamin A. It reduces the skin’s production of sebum, thus removing the “fuel” that supports acne. Tretinoin (Retin-A) is used once daily to help get rid of existing pimples, and may help prevent the formation of more.

 

– Ask about Isotretinoin:

Isotretinoin is one of the most powerful treatments for acne, and is only used in cases of severely inflamed acne and when simpler, safer treatments do not work. Isotretinoin is very effective, but it may cause side effects such as itching, headache, sensitivity to light or hair loss.

The most serious side effects that are likely to occur are high levels of fats in the blood, abnormal liver enzymes, inflammatory intestinal disease, and deterioration of hearing. One of the most serious potential side effects is that it may cause birth defects if used during pregnancy. Your doctor will prescribe this medication to you when he is completely certain that you are not pregnant while using it.

 

Long-term acne treatment

Mental-physical methods:

 

Keep stress under control

 

Stress or psychological pressure does not cause acne, but it may cause an outbreak of spots and pimples in some women by changing hormone levels and increasing the secretion of sebaceous glands.

If you notice that your skin becomes worse during times of psychological difficulties, consider this a sign that this is a time to relax and treat things in a simpler way. Try to stay calm by exercising more, working less time, practicing relaxation techniques such as meditation, deep breathing or yoga, and trying to avoid situations that cause you stress.

 

When you go to the doctor ?

 

– If the appearance of acne is accompanied by irregular menstruation, thinning hair, weight gain, or the appearance of hair on the face. You may need to do blood tests to detect an increase in male hormones that may cause acne outbreaks.

 

– If acne appears as bumps on the face, especially on the middle of the face (forehead, nose, cheeks and chin), and redness in the face and you can also notice the tearing of blood vessels, which resemble threads, through the skin. You may have a condition known as rosacea, sometimes called adult acne. Treating rosacea may require the use of antibiotics or other medications.

 

– If your acne does not improve with home remedies, your doctor may advise you to take medications, including birth control pills, oral antibiotics, and other medications to keep the condition under control.