For the millions of individuals from children to elderly adults who suffer from this skin disorder, the search for an effective acne cure is an all-important endeavor worthy of their time, effort and money. Such a near-obsession for an acne cure is not surprising as acne vulgaris is, indeed, a vulgar skin infection. Its adverse effects on the physical health of the skin and the psychological well-being of the sufferer cannot be under-estimated.

Fortunately, medical science and technology has come to the rescue with a wide variety of effective acne treatment options. Even the alternative modes for an acne cure including herbs, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine are gaining currency, so to speak. The trick is in choosing the best possible treatment modalities that will comprise an individual’s personalized acne cure program. So, yes, an acne cure does exist!

Lifestyle Habits

We cannot overemphasize that even the most sophisticated acne treatment options like lasers and chemical peels will be useless if and when an individual refuses to adopt certain lifestyle habits. Think of it this way: An acne cure like prescription medicines treats the symptoms of the skin infection but the root cause remains. The skin will then still suffer from outbreaks despite the number of times the acne cure plan is applied.

So, the best acne cure, so to speak, is to adopt healthy lifestyle habits that directly and indirectly impact on the skin’s health. You will soon discover that the efficacy of other acne cure options depend largely on how well you take care of your skin in the first place. We suggest the following skin care regimen as the most important aspect of the acne cure plan:

• Use gentle, hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic skin cleansers and moisturizers on your skin. Avoid using skin care products with harsh ingredients like scrubs, astringents and masks since these counteract the beneficial effects of the recommended products in the acne cure program. Be sure to wash the face just 2 times a day at most.
  Avoid irritants from touching your skin. Tight clothes, greasy cosmetics, oily sunscreens, excessive sweat, and even regular soap can irritate the skin and lead to infections. Again, these counteract your acne cure plan.

Of course, picking, popping and squeezing acne is absolutely not part of any acne treatment or acne cure program, ever.

OTC and Prescription Medications

The other side of an effective acne cure plan is the over-the-counter and prescription medications. Although OTC medicines are obviously available without a doctor’s prescription, we suggest asking for medical advice first. Otherwise, your acne cure plan can be derailed due to unexpected contraindications and side effects.

The most common recommended medications in an effective acne cure plan include:

• Topical creams, gels and ointments with benzoyl peroxide, sulfur or salicylic acid as well as tretinoin, adapalene or tazarotene

• Antibiotics
• Isotretinoin

• Oral contraceptives (This may be added to the acne cure plan to regulate hormone production)

Now, if the acne cure plan still fails to completely remove the signs like pimples, cysts and nodules, more aggressive treatments can be found. These sophisticated acne cure techniques include laser and light therapy as well as chemical peels and microdermabrasion.

Rest assured that there is, indeed, a successful acne cure plan tailored just for you but you must work with a skin professional to achieve such a goal.