Moderate Acne

Acne is considered moderate when it covers about half of the patient’s face. Acne can appear on the back and chest. However, this can be light to moderate or moderate to severe. Acne can be in the form of comedones, blackheads, and whiteheads.
Patients suffering from moderate acne should still consult their dermatologists or a doctor for treatment because if left untreated, moderate acne can progress to severe acne. With moderate acne, dermatologists usually use physical treatment, prescription medication or a combination of both. Physical treatment can include light therapy or extraction while prescription medication usually consists of retinoid cream or antimicrobials.

Tretinoin is a retinoid that helps to stop the development of new comedones as it is an altered form of vitamin A. It is usually used in combination with antibiotics. Tretinoin unplugs the comedones, allowing antibiotics to penetrate the follicles. Antibiotics (which are taken by mouth) is believed to help control the growth of bacteria. Some common antibiotics used in moderate acne treatment include doxycline, minocycline, and tetracycline. Tetracycline, however is not prescribed for pregnant women. Other prescription topical medicines may include benzoyl peroxide, azelaic acid and adaplene and usually come in the form of lotions, solutions or creams.

Oral acne medicines are usually prescribed for patients with moderate to severe acne. These can slow down or stop the growth of bacteria and reduce inflammation. Oral medicines and topical medicines can be combined in this case. For example, benzoyl perozide may be combined with clindamycin, erythromycin or sulfur. The dermatologist or doctor will first consider the patient’s skin type before prescribing an over the counter topical medicine.

Usually, creams and lotions are recommended for people with sensitive skin while solutions are usually preferred by people with oily skin.
Medicines such as these however are not free from side effects. They may result in burning sensations, redness, scaling, peeling and stinging so much so that the skin may actually look worse after their application. These side effects usually subside however and the skin improves within a period of two to four months. If the side effects don’t go away however, the patient should consult their doctor or dermatologist. Whether the patient is suffering light to moderate acne or moderate to severe acne, doctors agree that almost any type of acne can be successfully treated.