Acne solutions occupy the minds of our teenagers. With acne being the most common skin complaint in the world, and teenagers being the most body conscious people in our society, acne solutions are keenly sought by our young.

However the search for acne solutions or acne cures rests on the assumption that acne can be cured, much the same as it is assumed that many other medical problems of the modern age can be cured. The reality however, is different. Real acne solutions are just that, solutions, not cures.

It is a symptom of our fast fix society that if we have a problem we want an immediate fix. If we cant fix it ourselves we assume that technology will come to the rescue and provide a simple, painless low cost fix in a bottle.

Acne, unfortunately, isnt so easy.

Acne affects, according to some, up to 95% if teenagers at some time in their teen or early adult years. It can be serious and debilitating, mild and easy to control, or usually somewhere in between. The market for acne cures is huge, billions of dollars.

And of course there are a myriad of acne remedies out there all claiming to be the one and only. The magic bullet of acne cures. The one stop fix for every teenagers troubling acne.

Millions are spent in advertising these so called acne cures or acne remedies. Wild claims are made about their effectiveness. Guarantees are offered that they will work.

However the reality of acne is that scientists still do not fully understand what causes it. The causes of acne are thought to be hormonal, or more specifically a hormonal imbalance, but the mechanism isnt fully proven.

So despite the fact that the market for acne remedies is huge, it is still true that acne cannot be cured. Acne is a condition caused by some mix of as yet unknown factors at work in the body, and will only stop when the body decides its time for it to stop. Until then it will, or can, continue and this process is independent of attempts to cure it.

Does this mean that there are no acne solutions? No not at all. Quite the opposite. It just means that people searching for acne cures need to approach the problem with the right perspective.

Dont expect to find the perfect acne cure. The one secret potion that, when applied, will immediately clear up all those annoying spots in a few days. That, once the cure has been effected, it will be unnecessary to apply the product any more.

Look at it this way. Good acne solutions do exist. They can be a little hard to find because what works for some may not work for others, so you may need to try a number of products until you find the one that works for you.

And once you have found the acne control that works for you dont expect to use it for a while and stop. Acne isnt cured, its managed. Once you have the spots under control you then need to practice active acne prevention by continuing to use the product until your body says enough is enough. And observing some basic common sense precautions.

Its a question of attitude and expectations. Go into it looking for the perfect once only acne cure and you will be disappointed. Understand that acne is a natural body condition that can be controlled with some effort once the right product has been found.

That it will not stop until it has decided to and that you may well need to keep using the product for quite some time until it does. And that as a huge percentage of your friends will also get it at some time it is just a part of growing up.

Acne cures? There arent any. Acne solutions? They do exist, and there are some very good ones. But you need to understand the difference.

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Over the counter, sometimes referred to as otc for short, products are starting to become an increasingly popular alternative to prescription medication in the treatment of acne.

These products are readily available as you don’t need a prescription from your doctor to buy them and for people with mild to moderate forms of acne the best over the counter treatments will be just as effective as the more expensive prescribed ones.

Besides being cheaper, these products often have little, or no side effects, in comparison to some of the highly publicised prescribed antibiotic drugs used by doctors.

Although there are lots of over the counter acne products on sale, really there are only two kinds of treatments available - either medicated or natural. Both types utilise basically the same technique by using a drying agent to exfoliate the skin and to combat the acne and pimples.

Usually, in the case of a medicated product, this is either benzoyl peroxide, salycic acid or glycolic acid. Natural products tend to use combinations of ingredients and plant extracts like vitamin E, tea tree oil, aloe vera, witch hazel, green tea extract, cucumber etc.

There seems to be a growing number of different treatments but usually over the counter products come in the form of topical cleansers, soaps, washes, lotions, creams, gels or even pads and patches that are applied onto the skin.

When using these kind of preparations it is important, that you cover all of the area where you have acne because then you will also be treating the hidden blemishes that you cant yet see as well as the acne breakouts that you can.

Expect some trials and errors as you experiment with the different treatments available, it may take you a while before you find the right type or combination of products that work for you. Whatever you do, dont use more than one treatment at a time, particularly with medicated products, discontinue one before you try out another.

When you are trying a new product give it enough time to start working before discarding it to try something else. Typically you may need to use it for six to eight weeks before you notice any real progress but, of course, this depends upon the severity of your acne and your skin type, some people see improvements after only a few weeks.

After you have found the perfect skin care products that suit you and are providing good results, you may find that you will need to continue your treatments to keep your acne in check. This is because acne is a chronic (meaning long-term) skin disorder and it is possible that once you stop using your treatments the acne could reoccur.

To get the best out of any over the counter acne products you need to use them consistently and correctly. This may be common sense but do read the labels and make sure you use them in line with the instructions given! If you dont you risk causing damage to your skin and doing more harm than good, this is especially true if you have sensitive skin.

The over the counter products that are available, whether medicated or natural, do successfully treat most forms of acne. Unfortunately, there are always exceptions to the rule and there are some types of acne that will not respond to these type of treatments. If this happens to you and nothing you try is helping your condition then seek the help of your doctor or dermatologist.
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Elaine Clay is the owner of Acne Treatments Online.com :: Get articles and information to help you find proven and effective acne solutions available online to treat and get rid of your condition safely and naturally
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For a long time, acne was considered a problem for teenagers to deal with. It seems that acne and teens go hand in hand. It is almost a clich of the teenage years. In fact, adult acne is also a very common problem. Many adults suffer from a variety of skin problems. Pimples are not just a problem of the young. People over the age of 25 have issues with acne, too. While adult acne occurs in both men and women, it tends to be more prevalent in women. The statistics suggest that 50% of all adult women have acne, as compared to only about 25% of adult men. Adult acne affects people from every ethnicity and background.

There are many causes of adult acne. Since the main cause of pimples is hormones, which is probably why women tend to have more zits and skin problems than men. Other things also cause acne. These can be things like overactive sebaceous glands that allow an excess of oil to be secreted onto the face, clogged pores, etc. For many people, genetics plays a role in whether or not they have acne. Other things that can trigger breakouts are stress and environmental issues like weather and allergies.

While there are many acne products available to treat breakouts and blemishes, some of the ones that work for teens can be too harsh for adults. It is important to have a good daily cleansing regimen. This alone can help many adults clear up their acne prone skin. Others find that topical treatments can help with their blemishes. For moderate to severe acne problems, some adults may find that a trip to their dermatologist is necessary. A dermatologist can prescribe antibiotics or other ant-acne medications.

As we age, our skin becomes less able to repair itself due to a loss of collagen. The skin of adults is not as resilient as that of younger people. So adult acne can be a much more serious problem because it can cause easily cause scarring in adult skin. It is a good idea to treat breakouts and not give in to the temptation to squeeze or pop whiteheads or blackheads that appear on the skin. Doing this type of thing can lead to permanent scarring of the skin.

For both adult men and women, adult acne can have the same effects on them that it does on teenagers. Emotional distress, embarrassment, and low self-esteem due to acne breakouts can be just as big of a problem for an adult as for a teen. Everyone wants his or her skin to look good. How we look contributes greatly to how we feel about ourselves, so having skin issues can be just as serious a problem as other things.

About the author:
Bob Hett offers simple and concise advice on the causes and treatment of acne. Get the answers to all of your questions at