One of the many afflictions of adolescence is acne. At exactly the time in their lives that people are most concerned about their appearance, the pimples arrive. For many, acne continues to be a serious problem when they get older. But because it is mostly a problem in the teen years for most, most of the advertising for the various creams and ointments and other treatments for acne are aimed at teenagers. If you are a teenager desperate to get rid of your acne, it’s very important to be very skeptical of the claims made in advertisements about some miracle acne scar cream or any other acne treatment product. Before you purchase any product, you need to inform yourself about acne and the limits to what can be done about it.

Acne is a problem with the sebaceous glands of your skin. Pores get plugged and the acne sufferer has outbreaks of the lesions we typically call zits or pimples. These unfortunately appear usually on your face, but they also can occur on your shoulders, chest, back and neck. Around 16 million Americans suffer from acne, and it is the most common disease of the skin. Although it doesn’t threaten your health, it can strongly affect your social life and self confidence, and severe cases can lead to scarring that is permanent.

With regard to treatment, the problem is that the causes of acne are not well understood. The sebaceous glands are connected to a canal containing a hair, called a follicle. These glands manufacture sebum, an oily substance which is supposed to empty out onto the skin through the follicle. But with acne sufferers, for some reason cells lining the follicle clump together and keep the sebum from reaching the skin’s surface. The oil causes the Propionobacterium acne bacteria, which typically live on your skin, to grow instead inside the blocked follicles. The bacteria make enzymes and chemicals that create inflammation, and eventually the follicle bursts open and the sebum, bacteria and shed skin cells spill out onto the skin. This irritates the skin and that’s what makes the lesions develop.

No one knows how to solve the root problem of the sebum being trapped inside the follicle. Heredity plays a role, as do the hormones known as androgens that are more prevalent in adolescence and cause more sebum to be produced. Stress, greasy cosmetics and friction can contribute to acne, so avoiding these things can decrease the severity of acne. However, it is not true that chocolate or greasy kinds of food cause acne. Neither does dirty skin, so products that are mostly cleansers will not help to reduce acne. In fact, scrubbing the skin vigorously to keep it clean can actually make acne worse because of the friction.

Because we do not know how to stop follicles from being clogged, treatment for acne mostly involves preventing scarring and reducing the
number of pimples. An effective acne scar cream will include chemicals such as benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, salicylic acid, and resorcinol. The best reviewed of these creams is the Neutrogena Hydrating Acne Treatment, but remember, it will only treat acne symptoms.

I am not a doctor but I have suffered from severe acne all throughout my teenage years, and even into adulthood. Not all skin types are alike so it is important to remember that what works for me may need to be adjusted to suit your needs. But I do believe with education about each product and hearing what combinations have worked best may help you in your battle too. For example, most of the prescription acne medications I tried failed miserably, while cause extreme dryness and pain. If you are to find how to get rid of acne fast, you will probably need to try out a few different methods until you find the one that fits your skin type and body chemistry best.

One way method people are using to get rid of acne fast is known as Acne Free in 3 Days. This is an all natural methodology that was developed by a fellow chronic acne sufferer. Many people have reported a noticeable difference in just a few days, which is much faster than anything I seen before. I did some digging to see if these claims were legitimate, which you can read in this Acne Free in 3 Days review.

Here are a few medications I use in my routine to maintain my skin, deal with outbreaks, and expunge oil and blackheads. These medications are glycolic acid (10%), benzoyl peroxide (10%), sulfur, and salicylic acid. These products are nothing new. They have been on the market for years and are always on the top of the list when searching for acne treatments. First off, please notice the amount of glycolic acid and benzoyl peroxide listed. I do not get any benefits from products that have less than 10%, but it is probably best that you start with a lower strength product and move up if it does not work.

Salicylic acid prevents clogged pores. Salicylic acid also helps break down blackheads and whiteheads. It is one of the few things that is actually able to penetrate the sebum (the oil clogging the pores), and get right down to the root of the problem. At night, I use a cleanser that contains 2% salicylic acid before applying the glycolic acid or benzoyl peroxide. I find that this cleanser is best for cleaning the day off my face.

Benzoyl peroxide is known to kill the bacteria that cause acne. Benzoyl peroxide also has a drying effect for some skin types so it is best to ease this into your routine slowly as well. I apply benzoyl peroxide cream that is 10% benzoyl peroxide once a day at night. Another source I get benzoyl peroxide from is through my morning cleanser that contains 10% benzoyl peroxide as well.

When I notice a new pimple starting to form, Glycolic acid is what I use to get rid of acne fast. Glycolic acid is the most drying of all the above products, for me at least. I started out putting it on after cleaning my face at night one night a week. I then upped the frequency to two times a week and as my skin adjusted I added three days and so on. This will help prevent over drying. If you ask me, glycolic acid is the magic solution. While you can use both Glycolic acid and benzoyl peroxide, this will likely be overkill for most people. Remember the key is to start small and go bigger if treatment is not effective.

Using all of these products if going to cause a pretty significant drying of the skin. Common to what people believe, you do not want to keep your skin super dry while trying to fight of acne. After you finish the above regimen you need to apply a acne-friendly moisturize to the affected area to prevent flakiness.

Sulfur provides peeling and drying of the skin. I use a mask that contains 10% sulfur once a week to help break down those tough blackheads and whiteheads.

By following the above routine I am able to maintain my skin and tackle any problem areas that arise quickly. If I have a pimple that is large and painful I will sometimes apply the sulfur mask to the pimple and leave it over night to help dry it out. I may still have acne but if you saw me walking down the street you wouldn’t know! Hopefully you too will find a routine that works for you!