However, a recent research and medical claims have proved that arthritis can be effectively treated. In fact, there are several exercises and medicines available on the market, these days for treating arthritis. If you are not aware of the treatment options available for arthritis, here is detailed information on all types of treatment options that can be opted for treating different types of arthritis.

Most of the medications for arthritis aim towards reducing the arthritis symptoms, delaying the progression of the disease, preventing joint damage, reducing deformities, preserving mobility, reducing deforming chances and preserving range of motion.

People who observe early symptoms of arthritis usually like to go for over the counter or not prescription medication such as topical creams, traditional methods such as massages, ice, heat and pain relief medicines without consulting a medical expert.

Medical experts feel that if a joint pain, swelling or stiffness persists for more than two weeks, you must rush for medical help. It is only a doctor who will diagnose arthritis. Remember that an accurate diagnosis it is very important to initiate the right treatment.

Visit a rheumatologist or an arthritis specialist who will prescribe you the best treatment options after analyzing your condition.

Some common drugs used to treat arthritis:

- COX-2 Inhibitors

- NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)

- Pain medication or analgesics

- Corticosteroids

- DMARDs (disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs)

- Biologic response modifiers or biologies

It is important to ask your doctor for prescriptions of medication for arthritis rather than deciding one on your own.

-Other treatment options for arthritis:

a) Injections into a joint

This is also a common procedure for treating arthritis. You would find a wide variety of injections that can be giving to the joint locally. The five common types of injections available include Synvisc, Supartz, Hyalgan, Orthovisc and Euflexxa.

b) Natural Treatments

These are really common and popular among people because there are no side effects. The treatment options include Biofeedback, Tai Chi, Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Acupressure, Massage, yoga, meditation, magnets and supplements such as chondroitin, fish oil, MSM, glucosamine etc.

c) Complimentary medications These are alternative medications that can be used interchangeably. These include regular work out, stress management and eating a nutritious diet.

d) Surgical options

A joint surgery is considered a last option when it comes to arthritis treatment. There are several options available under this treatment category such as resection, partial knee replacement, arthrodesis, osteotomy, synovectomy, and revision joint replacement.

e) Pain relief

Arthritis pain can be really troubling. It can even interfere in our daily life. Several pain relief techniques and medications are available these days to help people with arthritis.

This disease is very common among people between the ages of 40 and 60. Both males and females are affected equally by this disease.

Fortunately there are many effective treatments available for arthritis, these days. You would find all types of treatment options such as natural remedies, massages, over-the-counter medications, prescription medicines and surgery.

Here is a description on the kind of medical treatments available for arthritis widely all around the world:

a) Natural remedies:

Natural remedies have gained immense popularity among people, these days. There are several reasons behind this. First wide availability of these remedies and the fact that these don’t result in side effects. Natural remedies are highly effective.

Here are some of the most preferred natural remedies for arthritis:

- Ginger: It is rich in gingerols and extremely effective in treating inflammation.

- Cinnamon: It is anti-inflammatory and work towards inhibiting the release of inflammatory acids.

- Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables: These are rich in carotenoids facilitate reducing inflammation.

- Olive oil: Extra virgin oil act as an anti-inflammatory drug and provide a good effect in case of heart disease.

b) Over-the-counter products:

Over-the-counter medicines are widely available in drug stores. Almost all these medicines claim to provide good and sometimes instant relief from painful symptoms of arthritis. Here are some of the common non prescription medicines you can go for.

- Ibuprofen: These reduce pain and inflammation.

- Acetaminophen: It is a great and one of the most effective pain relievers.

- Glucosamine and Chondroitin: These are components derived from natural joint cartilage. These are effective in alleviating joint pain.

c) Prescription medications:

You can get these only on the prescription and consultation of the health care practitioner. These medications are more effective and work really well as a long term treatment of almost all types of arthritis. Here are some of the most common prescription medicines advised for patients of arthritis.

- Vioxx or Rofecoxib

- Celebrex or Celecoxib

- Bextra or Valdecoxib

All the above mentioned medicines are categorized as COX-2 inhibitors. These work towards blocking an enzyme that can result in an inflammatory response. Other types of prescription medications include Biological Response Modifiers, Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs or DMARDs and Corticosteroids.

d) Natural therapies

There are also several natural therapies available for treating arthritis. These are quite different from natural medication. These work towards curing the disease with natural methods such as hot and cold suppression, joint protection, massage, weight reduction and exercise programs.

e) Medical related methods

These are very effective when it comes to providing relief from arthritis symptoms. There are several medical related methods such as Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation or TENS and surgery. Surgery is usually considered to be the last option in the cases of arthritis.

Treatment for arthritis is possible. You need to look for the symptoms and then rush for medical help.

I am not suggesting that you or your child not take them. That’s your decision, not mine. However, if she does take them, her coach should know. She should be taking it light during the course of antibiotics and for 10 days afterwards. If you tell the coach this, and they look at you like you are nuts, send them to this web site and have them read this article themselves.

What else to do?

Ligaments, tendons and cartilage are made up of essentially the same matrix. Proteoglycans are used to synthesize the matrix. The precursors to proteoglycan synthesis are bio- available in a glucose amine sulfate. You won’t get enough in your regular diet to counteract the drugs effects. You’ll need to supplement.

What to Get: Make sure you get Glucose amine Sulfate, and not Glucose amine HCL. They are not alike AT ALL. The HCL won’t work.

How much and how long?

Take 1200 mg/day for a month total, during and after the course of antibiotics. I suggest that everyone tale it all the time for maximum joint health. But at this time it is extremely important!

Check out the literature at the web sites listed below: Some Antibiotics Linked To Tendon Rupture; Public Citizen Petitions FDA For Stronger Warnings Common antibiotics cause tendon ruptures; Public Citizen demands black box warnings

Antibiotics and athletic injury-warning - fluoroquinolones and tendon injuries - Brief Article

What about antibiotics for acne?

I would suggest that this type of treatment be left for off season, and that some topical treatment like Proactive Solution be used. I would recommend extending Glucose amine supplementation for 6 months after treatment stops… just to be on the safe side!

If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to write! coachjen@girlslax.org

Coach Jen
Dr. Jen Milus, DC

Staff Coach, Triple Threat Lacrosse

For more great information, go to http://www.girlslax.org

Dr. Jen Milus has been in sports performance enhancement and injury rehab since 1985 and private practice for over 12 years. Dr. Milus is dedicated to helping athletes perform at peak levels, as well as prevent and treat sports related injuries.

When training athletes of any level, having an understanding of what an athlete is going through both physically and mentally is paramount. Dr. Jen Milus has just this understanding. Dr. Milus is a Palmer College of Chiropractic Alumni. She has competed at elite levels as a distance and ultra distance runner. Dr. Milus has also competed in triathlons, mountain biking, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, softball, obstacle course racing, racquetball, volleyball, golf and body building.

Dr. Milus is an active sports coach. She has coached softball, soccer, and is currently a lacrosse coach. She has worked with young athletes to collegiate and Olympic level phenoms. She has trained men, women, and children to enhance their power, agility and strength while preventing and treating their injuries. Empowering an athlete gives confidence which spans.

I am often asked why I prescribe antibiotics to my patients with rheumatoid or reactive arthritis, late-onset asthma, Crohn’s disease, fibromyalgia and other so-called “autoimmune diseases”. Before I prescribe any medication, I ask myself whether it will help or hurt. All of the “auto-immune” diseases cause severe disability. Conventional medications neither cure these diseases nor stop the progressive destruction that they cause. Doctors prescribe immune suppressives that sometimes have deadly effects. Antibiotics are far safer than the drugs conventionally used to treat these diseases. So, if antibiotics can be shown to help control these diseases, they should be used long before a doctor thinks of using the conventional immune suppressives.

When a germ gets into your body, you are supposed to produce cells and proteins called antibodies that attach to and kill that germ. These diseases are felt by many doctors to be caused by your own immunity. Instead of doing its job of killing germs, your immunity attacks your own tissue. If it attacks your joints, it is called reactive arthritis; if it attacks your intestines, it’s called Crohn’s disease; your colon, it’s called ulcerative colitis; and if it fills your lungs with mucous, it’s called late-onset asthma. I do not believe that your immunity is that stupid. Accumulating data show that all of these conditions can be caused by infection. Many diseases that were thought to be autoimmune turn out to be infections: stomach ulcers are caused by bacterium, helicobacter pylori and others; multiple sclerosis may be caused by HHS-6 virus; rheumatic fever is caused by the bacterium, beta streptococcus, group A; Gillian-Barre syndrome may be caused by the bacterium, campylobacter; Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis by E. Coli, Klebsiella, Bacteroides or Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis; and so forth.

Shouldn’t We Be Concerned About Resistant Bacteria? The argument that giving antibiotics causes bacteria to be resistant to that antibiotic is reasonable, but it has no place in discouraging people with these diseases from taking them. First, these people have serious diseases that cause permanent damage and death. Second, the treatments that are available are toxic, shorten life, cause cancer, and have to be followed with frequent blood tests. On the other hand, I prescribe derivatives of tetracycline and erythromycin. These drugs are extraordinarily safe and do not require drawing frequent blood tests. If you were to become infected subsequently with bacteria that are resistant to these antibiotics, you would have lost nothing. No reasonable doctor would prescribe erythromycin or tetracycline for acute serious diseases, such as meningitis, pneumonia or an abscess, because tetracyclines and erythromycins do not kill germs, they only stop them from multiplying. Instead, doctors prescribe far more bacteriocidal antibiotics that kill bacteria.

Many doctors criticize my use of antibiotics, but antibiotics are far safer than conventional treatment, cost less, can be administered by a general practitioner, and often cure the condition, rather than just suppressing symptoms. I know that the most physicians who develop these conditions will treat themselves with antibiotics because they know that conventional treatments with prednisone, chloroquine, azathioprine and methotrexate are toxic, and treatment with erythromycins and tetracyclines is safe. However, treatment of many conditions with long term antibiotics is controversial and not accepted by most doctors; discuss your particular condition with your doctor.

How you can help to prevent antibiotic-resistant bacteria: Suffer through short-term illnesses. Don’t ask your doctor for antibiotics when you have a cold, flu or other self-limiting illness. You may feel miserable, but antibiotics are useless against viruses.

Finish your prescription. If you stop taking a prescribed antibiotic as soon as you feel better, you encourage the development of resistant organisms.

Become a vegetarian. The bulk of antibiotics are given to animals raised for food. As long as humans demand huge amounts of meat, farmers will use whatever means they have to deliver their product economically.

Definitions: Bacteriocidal Antibiotics, such as penicillins and cephalosporins, kill bacteria. They are used to combat most bacterial infections, particularly acute, serious diseases such as meningitis, pneumonia, a ruptured intestine or an abcess. However, most bacteriocidal antibiotics are not effective against chlamydia, mycoplasma or ureaplasma, bacteria that have no cell walls. Bacteriostatic Antibiotics such as tetracyclines (including doxycycline and minocycline) and erythromycins (including Biaxin and Azithromycin) keep bacteria from multiplying. Your own immunity is then able to kill the bacteria and remove them from circulation.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory arthritis of the spine. It may be a systemic disorder, and it affects males more often than females. Diagnosis is usually made during young adulthood. The disorder is characterized by back pain, stiffness, and loss of spinal mobility due to involvement of spinal joints. Later these joints tend to become fused and rigid. The hips and shoulders may also become inflamed and stiff.

Treatment

Physical therapy

Physical therapy is treatment to improve mobility (such as walking, going up stairs, or getting in and out of bed), to relieve pain, and to restore physical function and overall fitness. The physical therapist uses exercise, manual therapy, education, and modalities such as heat, cold, and electrical stimulation to work toward these goals.

Juvenile Arthritis

Juvenile arthritis, for the most part, is similar to arthritis in adults. It is estimated that 250,000 [1983] young people in the US have some form of arthritis.

The complications of juvenile arthritis can be quite variable. These diseases cause growth disturbances and result in high fever and skin rash more frequently than is the case among older patients. Disorders in other body tissues and organs also accompany the disease. Some 30% of patients develop permanent joint changes.

Treatment

Exercise helps maintain muscle tone. It also helps preserve and recover joint range of motion and function. The doctor may recommend a physical therapist to design an appropriate exercise program. It is important to balance activity with rest.

Although pain sometimes limits sports and physical activity, children with juvenile arthritis can often fully participate when symptoms are under control. Swimming is a particularly good exercise, because it uses many joints and muscles, without putting weight on the joints. In some cases, splints and other devices can help maintain joint alignment.

Psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is a specific type of arthritis closely connected with the incidence of psoriasis. The statistics vary depending on the source but sources state that between 8 and 23 percent of people with psoriasis will develop psoriatic arthritis.

Treatment

There are different types of exercises that you can do to lessen your pain and stiffness:

• Range of motion exercises reduce stiffness and keep your joints moving. • Strengthening exercises maintain or increase muscle strength. • Endurance exercises strengthen your heart, give you energy and control your weight. These exercises include things like walking, swimming and cycling. • Moderate stretching exercises help relieve the pain and keep the muscles and tendons around an affect joint flexible and strong.

Septic arthritis

Septic arthritis, also called infectious arthritis, is caused by an inflammation in the joints. Typically, septic arthritis affects the large joints — shoulders, hips, and knees — although smaller joints such as ankles and fingers may be affected. In a nutshell, septic arthritis occurs when a joint becomes infected. A germ such as a fungus, virus or bacterium causes the inflammation associated with septic arthritis.

Treatment

Septic arthritis usually requires immediate treatment with antibiotics which can improve symptoms within 48 hours. However, certain infections caused by fungi need treatment with anti-fungal medications, while viral infections usually have to run their course without treatment. To prevent accumulation of pus from the infection, which can damage the joint, pus may be drained with a needle, tube, or surgery.

Alter Your Diet

The change in your diet need not be radical but balanced. Maintaining an ideal weight is crucial as this can help your bones from being over burdened and also relieve you from unwanted pain. To start with, ask your doctor your ideal weight range. If you weigh less than your weight range start eating healthy foods that are rich in nutrients and calories and say NO to junk foods.

It is much easier for those who are over their ideal weight as they just have to shed their extra calories by avoiding food that contains fat, preservatives and empty calories. Foodstuffs like carbonated, caffeinated sodas or pop and alcoholic beverages are good examples of empty calories as these do not add any nutritional value and are rich in unwanted fat. Do you know that water is considered more nutritious than anything, as it does not have any calories?

Exercise Regularly

It is very important to stay active to keep your joints flexible, especially when affected by inflammatory arthritis. A daily dose of exercise not only keeps your bones flexible but also helps other parts and systems of the body to function properly. Remember, exercise need not be tremendous workouts at the gym. Our day to day activities like washing the car, gardening, walking would be sufficient.

Many prefer to exercise with others as it also helps them maintain social contacts while treating their inflammatory arthritis. Stress is the root cause for many ailments. An active brain and social skill can add flavor to your confidence and can also reduce stress to a great extent.

Update Your Health Records

A routine check on your health can help you and your doctor to keep a track of your inflammatory arthritis. The doctor might recommend some tests to confirm that there are no side effects of the medicines prescribed. Always remember, only a healthy body can give you the freedom to live an energetic life.

The major reason for this risk is the increased output of hormones during puberty, the production of sebaceous glands and the continuous increase of skin cell turnover within the skin follicles. It is also noted that increased stress also affects the development of acne and that the condition tends to get worst if the patient undergoes rigorous work loads.

Dermatologists also believe that improper diet contributes a lot to the development of acne. Poor dietary habits like taking in foods with too much sugar and fat content affect your skin follicles. Although there is no concrete clinical evidence to support this hypothesis, most doctors still advise their acne patients to balance their diet and develop good eating habits.

What Can You Do? Studies have shown that there is a proven genetic tendency or pattern for acne especially if other family members of the acne patient have developed acne. Naming propionibacteria as the most common bacteria that cause acne and other skin infections, medical experts agree that these bacteria, when present on the skin, can lead to adolescent, persistent, or adult onset acne.

Due to recent science and medical developments, more and more acne treatments have been discovered. Some are quite effective than the others depending on the patient’s condition. Effective acne cure and treatment are sometimes recommended by dermatologists in single or various combinations depending on the stage and development of the acne the person has.

One of the most effective ways to cure acne is by using topical treatments such as acne lotions, acne creams, and gels that are applied on the skin. These topical antibiotic medicines that are formulated to terminate acne-causing bacteria, can help in the reduction of acne.

Medical experts have categorized the types of topical antibiotics to erythromycin, clindamycin, and sulfa drugs. The application of topical medicines is believed to be quite effective in curing acne because the medication is applied directly to the affected area in controlled dosage.

And since there is no need for patients to swallow the medicine, the components of the drugs do not have to travel through the body, thus lessens the possibility of side effects. Retinoid, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic and glycolic acids, are the most common ingredients that respond well to severe blackheads and whiteheads.

Although topical medication is effective in curing acne, it also has minor disadvantages like the possible tolerance of bacteria to the medicine that leads to resistance to the medication over time.

Another way to cure acne is through oral medications. Unlike topical medication that is applied to the surface of the affected area, oral medications are taken orally to be distributed throughout the bloodstream. This is known to be a systemic treatment because the drug is taken to all of the body’s functioning systems and is quite useful when acne develops on the skin on multiple stages. The most common oral acne medications include tetracyclines, minocycline, doxycyclin, and isotretinoin, or retinoic acid.

Other ways to cure acne include hormone therapy that aims to restore the normal balance of hormones in the patient’s body, and acne surgery for severe and persistent acne that cannot be cured by topical or oral medication.

Before using any medication or before undergoing any treatment to cure acne, make sure that you have consulted with your dermatologist or physician first to avoid further complications.

Step No 1: Home Remedies

i) You can try cooking oatmeal, applying it on the face for about 15 minutes followed by washing.

ii) Or, you can prepare a warm bath and blanch with rosemary along with nettle to eliminate or reduce your acne.

iii) Or, you can apply equal quantities of rose water and lemon juice with the help of a cotton ball and leaving the application on for about 30 minutes, and then washing and repeating this routine for at least twenty days.

iv) Or, you can apply lavender oil on the affected area to help soothe irritated skin. Also, you could try using sea salt and tea tree oil to help the pimples dry.

v) You can try washing your face first with a gentle acne cleanser then wash your face with the combination of sea salt and distilled water. Afterwards, you may apply or gently rub the affected area with lemon juice then wash it with pure glycerin. After the routine, use benzoyl peroxide to help your pimples dry.

The above are natural remedies you can try at home. Apply the steps everyday until you see improvement on your skin. The key in using home remedies for acne is to try and find out what is best and what really works for you.

If you have to use allopathic acne remedies, then you may want to use low level of antibiotics, such as tetracycline. The trouble with allopathic acne remedies is that they are likely to produce side effects. There may also be long-term consequences since it is typical for the body to become resistant to antibiotics after extended use. As bacteria are not the main cause of acne, such acne remedies should not be used in the long term.

Step No 2: Cleansing

i) It is very important that you should keep your skin clean and dry most of the time.

ii) You need to gently wash your face and other affected areas of your skin with clean water and mild soap once or twice in a day.

iii) To gently cleanse the affected are of your skin, just splash it gently with clean water.

iv) Do not use any alcohol based products to clean you face because this can cause irritations on the affected area.

v) When washing your face, start from the chin, working upwards and then rinsing thoroughly. Do not press or rub the affected area, but pat dry that area gently with clean soft towels.

vi) Take care not to touch the affected area with your hands or any other objects. Do not squeeze pimples or acne because this could lead them to infections and possible scarring. Always remember your goal should be to ease your discomforts and not to do more harm on your skin.

Touching the affected area of your skin will only make matters worst so just leave your acne alone. Moreover, you have to stop looking at your face in the mirror. If you keep checking the acne on your face every minute or so, you will make yourself more anxious and self-conscious

Step No 3: Avoid Aggravating Your Skin

i) To prevent more acne outbreaks on your skin, avoid using milky cleansers and cosmetic products that contain oils, because oil can further clog up your pores and will cause more irritations.

ii) Try to do without make-up until such time when the inflammations on your face have all cleared up. If you must put make up on, consult a dermatologist first on which types of make-up you should use. Do not just put on anything on your face if you do not want more flare-ups to occur.

iii) Try not to expose your irritated skin to direct sunlight for a long period of time. If you have to work outdoors, wear a wide brim hat that will shade your face, because the heat of the sun could cause more harm to your already irritated skin.

Step No 4: What To Apply

i) You may use non-prescription medicated soaps, lotions, creams of gels. Products that can used include benzoyl peroxide, alpha-hydroxy acid, salicylic acid and tea tree oil which can kill bacteria, unclog the pores and dry up blemishes.

ii) However, before you apply any of these products on your skin, make sure that you read the labels of these products carefully and follow the instructions for their applications strictly. Although these products are relatively safe on your skin, you may suffer from some unwanted side effects if you do not use them correctly.

Step No 5: When Nothing Else Works

However if after following the steps above and the flare-ups on your face persist or gets worse, you need to see a doctor and ask how to reduce and treat your particular acne. If you are affected with severe acne, it can leave your skin scarred and blemished. Therefore you have to make sure that you seek medical help as soon as possible if you notice that your acne is getting worst.

Below are some of the best acne treatments guidelines that you can use in selecting the most appropriate cure for your zits.

1. Home-based remedies. Pros: They are easy to prepare and the ingredients are usually available right at your home. They don’t cost much and are generally effective for mild acne. Cons: Take note that they are for mild acne conditions; if your pimples are severe, home solutions will not help you. You have to prepare these remedies yourself. They don’t take too much time to make, but if you prefer pampering, better go to a skin clinic.

2. Topical medications. Pros: There are so many to choose from that you will easily find what’s best for you. You can choose from antibacterials, antibiotics, retinoids, creams, gels, ointments, etc. Most of them, particularly those that contain benzoyl peroxide, have been found to be effective for mild to moderate acne. Cons: They can be bought without prescription, but if you’re not familiar with them, you will still need the advice of a dermatologist. Some of them can cause mild irritation and rashes if used inappropriately.

3. Oral medications. Pros: You don’t need to lather your face with sticky gels or creams. All you need is a glass of water and you’re set. Mostly effective for mild to moderate acne. Cons: Oral medications need prescriptions. In some cases, they can cause stomach upset and other digestive problems, hence the need for a prescription. Some may even cause nausea and dizziness, depending on what other medications you are using.

4. Hormonal treatments. They are recommended for women whose acne is caused mainly by hormonal imbalance. Pros: Generally effective for women. Cons: Hormone treatments that are administered through injection might cause the injected area to whiten, although this is usually temporary. You need a recommendation and an approval from a dermatologist before you can undergo hormone therapy. Debate is still open on whether this treatment is really safe, particularly for women in the menopausal stage.

5. Phototherapy. Pros: Fast-acting and is said to be highly-effective. Phototherapy using laser, UV light and fluorescent sources are reportedly effective in removing even the slightest blemish. Cons: There are concerns that the intense light might cause skin burning and kill skin cells. This therapy is still not widely used.

The best acne treatments available to us all have their pros and cons. To make sure that you’re making the right choice, ask the opinion of your physician or your dermatologist. You want your pimples to disappear, but you also want to avoid complications, right?

Prescribing acne solutions is not as easy as choosing what’s available. Dermatologists will consider a host of factors before deciding on what medication, if any, to recommend. Below are some of the factors that your skin specialist will possibly look at.

1. Age. Acne medications have different ingredients. Some can be harsher than others, while some can be just enough to control zits that are not yet in the severe stage. In choosing the right treatment, the age of the patient will likely come into play. Younger patients with more delicate skin will likely be prescribed with mild ointments or other medications, while older people, particularly those whose acne is already severe, might be given a stronger formula. Most of the time, adult acne is more severe than teenage acne. The latter being a phase that can sometimes be outgrown without any interference or use of medication.

2. Overall health. Allergies and adverse reactions to drugs will also be considered by dermatologists. There are medications that contain ingredients that are not suitable for people who are prone to adverse reactions. When asking for your dermatologist’s opinion, make sure that you tell him or her everything about your medical history, particularly the materials for which you have an allergic reaction. Heart diseases, hypertension and other conditions that usually react to certain medications should also be noted.

3. Severity of the condition. Severe acne might need more advanced treatment such as laser therapy or oral antibiotics. These treatments carry more risk than mere over-the-counter medications and should never be used without the approval of a physician or a skin specialist. The best thing to do is to consult an expert at the onset of pimples and not to wait until the condition is already severe.

4. Type of skin. There are acne medications for oily skin, normal skin and dry skin. Pimple cures appropriate for oily skin is not compatible with people who have dry skin. Having your skin type assessed at a dermatology clinic is a good first step in determining the proper cure for your acne.

5. Sex. Pimple solutions for men differ from those of women. Women have a lot of physiological factors to consider such as menstruation, menopause and even pregnancy. On the other hand, men need to shave regularly and skin specialists will likely consider whether the treatment that will be prescribed will be compatible with this regular habit.

Acne solutions should not be used unless you have consulted a dermatologist or a physician. Just picking up what’s available or borrowing an ointment or a lotion that someone else is using is not an option. You might think that you have saved a lot of money by not visiting your dermatologist, but in the end, you might even need to spend more if the medication you used made your condition worse.