What Is Acne?

• If you are to treat acne properly, you should first understand what you are treating. Acne is caused by the clogging of pores in the skin where hair grows. The clog can be below the surface (a whitehead), or it can be above the surface (a blackhead). If there is no redness, then the acne is non-inflammatory and easier to treat. If the acne is red, swollen, or has created a pus filled pocket, then it is inflammatory and should be treated more delicately.
  
  

Non-Inflammatory

• For non-inflammatory acne, a good cleansing can sometimes work. If not, an over the counter medication should do the trick. Try washing your face with a facial cleanser set for your skin type. Do this twice a day for a week to see if the acne clears up on its own.
  
  Purchase an acne medication. These usually come in a cream base and contain such active ingredients as salicylic acid, resorcinol, benzoyl peroxide, or sulfur. They all can work well with mild acne, buy you might need to try out different ones until you find the one that works best for your skin type.
  
  You should not do is pick or pop acne. This can result in scarring or worse acne.
  
  

Inflammatory

• For inflammatory acne, you should go straight to the over the counter medication to get your skin back under control. If your acne is severe enough, or the over the counter medications do not seem to be working, then you should see a dermatologist. Stronger topical treatments and antibiotic creams can be prescribed as well as oral antibiotics and hormone balancing medications such as oral contraceptives.