subject: The Treatment Of Acne - Antibiotics [print this page] Acne is an area studied within dermatology, its cause, symptoms and treatment make up the area of study. The main trigger of acne in both the young and in adults, is all down to hormones and how they effect a unit within the skin. This unit that we speak of is made up of a hair, the hair follicle and a sebaceous gland. Acne will be seen on the surface of the skin - mainly in areas such as the face, neck, chest and back; its cause due to the overgrowth of a skin bacteria called propionibacterium acnes. This bacteria is normally found within the body, but only causes concern when its numbers increase; this happens due to an overproduction of sebum in which it feeds from. In turn, the hair's follicle is damaged at the lining and follicular parts enter the dermis; this causes inflammation in the form of acne.
In dermatology, antibiotics are used for the treatment of acne; their primary purpose being to reduce the amount of bacteria around the hair's follicles. As acne becomes a problem, the body responds by producing more white blood cells whose chemicals can be a further irritant to the skin; antibiotics also work to reduce these irritants. Third, the bacteria will cause more fatty acids within the sebum which causes further inflammation on the surface of the skin; antibiotics will try to reduce the numbers of fatty acids too. Let us take a look in more detail at the most common types of antibiotics used to reduce acne.
Tetracycline is the most used antibiotic for the treatment of acne. It is often advised to be taken twice a day in doses of 500mg until the acne has cleared considerably. After notable improvements, the amount taken is reduced by half or the patient will be taken off medication completely. It is always recommended to seek the advice from you doctor about the best treatment as some antibiotics are not suitable for those of a certain age or for pregnant women. A further note on tetracycline, is that teenage boys seem to recover less notably than others. This antibiotic is best taken on an empty stomach - of which growing teenage boys rarely have!
Erythromycin is another antibiotic that is used in dermatology and for the treatment of acne. It works well at combating the bacteria and reducing the inflammation of the skin's surface. It is preferred over tetracycline for the fact that it is better taken after food consumption as opposed to an empty stomach - making it a better option for teenage boys! Like tetracycline, it is taken in doses of 500mg or 250g twice daily and is safe to be used by pregnant women.
Doxycycline is generally prescribed when the previous two antibiotics are not tolerable by the acne sufferer or if they have failed to make improvements to the skin problem. Lower doses are used, normally 50-100mg twice in the day. Again, like erythromycin it is best taken with food or it can cause side effects such as nausea or vomiting.
It is important to remember that during the cure of acne through antibiotics, other symptoms can arise in other areas of the body such as candida in women. Always make sure that you fully understand the antibiotic treatment prescribed and can be aware of possible side effects as defined through the study of dermatology.
