Acne can be a difficult condition to treat as the mechanics behind the formation of acne, while understood, are difficult to help control. Stress, genetics and hormones all factor into the formation of acne. While some people are rarely troubled by this condition, others must endure heavy breakouts of acne across the face, chest, back and shoulders. Nevertheless, there are a huge number of acne treatments available out there. One of the most effective treatments is a topical cream with retinoids. Here is a quick list of questions and answers about retinol acne treatments.
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A: Acne is caused by the obstruction of hair follicles or pores on the skin by oil secreted by the skin. This obstruction is often promoted by a complex interplay between stress levels, hormone levels and genetic predisposition. Once obstructed, bacteria found on the skin begin to buildup around the blockage, feeding on the oil and skin cells that accumulate. This causes an infection and inflammation as the body reacts to this, causing acne to form.
Q: What do most acne treatments do to prevent this?
A: Although there are acne treatments that take the form of a pill and others that are topical creams, the most common strategy is controlling the buildup and formation of skin oil, thereby preventing it from causing blockages. This a route taken by most over the counter face washes and some prescription medications that deal with people who have an abnormal amount of skin oil.
Q: How do retinol acne treatments work?
A: Instead of trying to mitigate the amount of oil secreted by the skin, acne treatments that contain retinoids cause the cells of the skin to shed away quicker, promoting new cellular growth and causing dead or dying cells to be removed faster, thereby reducing the amount of buildup that occurs on the skin. This also causes existing blockages to be eliminated quicker due to the high turnaround in skin cells.
Q: What are retinol acne treatments made of?
A: Retinoid medications are offshoots of vitamin A. This vitamin is a promoting of cellular growth and development as is also a skin protector. Although there are other active ingredients in retinol medications, depending on brand, all of them come from the same vitamin A base. Retinol treatments are topical creams.
Q: What are common side effects of retinol acne treatment?
A: While the specific side effects of retinoid treatments depend on the exact derivative, general side effects include skin irritation, redness at the application site, dryness, itching and possibly bleeding. Retinol treatments, with some exceptions, should not be applied if you use products containing benzoyl peroxide.
Q: Do I need a prescription for retinol acne treatments?
A: Some prescription retinoid products are available for patients with severe acne, more retinol treatments are available as generic over the counter products you can purchase from a pharmacy. These are best used for mild to moderate acne and may not be effective for chronic acne. Speak to your dermatologist before beginning a retinol treatment.
