Medications for Acne

Medications for Acne
By Carl English

A well known medication for acne is Accutane, that is the brand name for a isotretinoin. It isn't for wimps. It's controversial. This medication for acne is only effective for some in acne skin care treatment, but you pretty much have to be desperate to try it. There can be side effects to all medication for acne. Serious side effects. If you're a parent, and your child's dermatologist is telling you that accutane is the next step in a series of treatments that haven't worked, think very carefully before you try it, and consider alternative approaches offered by non-traditional practitioners such as naturopaths.

Accutane has a very bad reputation in my books as an effective acne medicine. Acne home remedies are way safer forms for treatment. Naturapaths will offer alternative acne treatments such as they offer a regimen of high doses of vitamins, herbs, gentle topical acne treatments and changes in diets that can eliminate acne blemishes and pimples for some without harmful side effects of acne medicine like Accutane. An alternative acne natural treatment is not very expensive to try, and certainly worth a try if it means sparing your child the risks associated with acne medicines like Accutane. Natural acne alternative is the best acne treatment by far.

What are the side effects? The biggie, the really scary one is that there is a high risk of severe birth defects if you become pregnant while taking Accutane. Some teens are sexually active; some aren't. Some are responsible about birth control; some aren't. If you have a daughter who is not sexually active, she'll have to take birth control pills along with Accutane. What could this medication be doing to someone who takes it if it causes birth defects? Is it worth taking the risk?

Other side effects can include dry and itchy skin, chapped lips, muscle and joint pain, irritated eyelids, decreased night vision, nosebleeds, skin rashes, intestinal discomfort, urinary symptoms, headaches, increased susceptibility to sunburn, and depression-even thoughts of suicide.

Now, some people with very bad acne have suicidal thoughts too because it is such a difficult experience for a young person to be disfigured by acne blemishes.

Another potential side effect is liver damage. This is serious enough so that if you take Accutane, you have to get regular blood tests to monitor the level of fat in your blood to make sure your liver isn't failing.

Another thing. It might not work. And for some people, it will work only while you're taking it and as soon as you stop taking it, back comes the acne problem. It is a form of acne control only while on the medication. Not an acne cure at all. But you're only supposed to take Accutane for a limited time. So, for many it's taking a serious risk for an acne solution that's only temporary.

There are people who have had success with Accutane. Otherwise dermatologists wouldn't be subscribing it. It's just a good idea to make sure all less invasive options have been exhausted before stepping into an acne skin care treatment that has potential to do so much harm.

Carl English, who goes by alias William Reeves, is a male fashion model/ 3d Artist who also enjoys writing articles to let people in on the truth. He is year of the Metal Rooster so it is in his nature to wake people up. Check his site for more articles on Acne and skin care health. Acne Skin Care

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