Topical Medications to Combat Acne vs. Anti-Acne Drugs

February 1, 2016

“A healthy outside starts from the inside.” Robert Urich

Up to 50 million Americans struggle with acne, making it the most common skin disorder in the United States.(Source:American Academy of Dermatology, Acne)

We recently received a phone call from a new client asking for advice. She wanted to know what we thought about putting her 14-year old daughter on Accutane to combat what was rapidly becoming bad facial acne. Obviously, this mom was extremely worried about her daughter’s self esteem and confidence and wanted a “fix” for her skin since nothing else they had tried was helping at all. In fact, they felt it was making her daughter’s acne worse because her skin was becoming red and inflamed.

This question never ceases to rock us here at Ninja Skincare. Why? Because most of us with acne have tried at least one type, if not more, of prescription drugs at some point in our lives and we have very strong opinions about them. Their results are short term, if at all, and they are not a safe, long-term solution for treating acne breakouts.

Yes, we know some people swear they helped when nothing else would. But the risk, in our opinion, is just not worth it for the inconsistent results obtained by most users.

To start off with, let’s just list some of the possible dangers of prescription anti-acne drugs:

• The risk of birth defects is so severe that women must promise to use two forms of birth control while using Accutane
• The FDA guide also warns of serious possible mental health problems from taking Accutane.
• Skin itching, skin rashes, delayed wound healing, peeling on the palms and soles and skin infections
• Increased sun sensitivity, causing the skin to become irritated and burn easily
• Dry, irritated eyes that may not be able to tolerate wearing contact lenses
• Cracked lips, gastrointestinal dysfunction, antibiotic resistance

This is just a starter list and to top it off – prescription drugs don’t really work. They *might* temporarily, but not long-term. The main reason is they don’t address the real reason pimples form – which is caused from the retention of dead skin cells in the hair follicles. It isn’t a complex explanation of why pimples form. But when you start taking prescription drugs, you enter a whole other world of complexity – you start putting chemicals in your body all of which are fighting the wrong thing. Prescription medications aim at killing bacteria and reducing oil production, neither of which actually cause pimples. Seems weird right?

Maybe it’s because we’ve embraced healthier living. We hate the idea of putting chemicals into our bodies. We buy organic when possible. We try not to overindulge in all the “good” stuff – fats, sugars etc. Or maybe it is because we have lived through both prescription anti-acne medications as well as used topical treatments and found MUCH more success with the latter.

Regardless, after being in the acne battlefield for over 26 years, we can tell you one thing – nothing aides in clearing your skin more effectively than using a topical medication that’s aimed at preventing new pimples from forming by removing the trapped dead skin cells in your hair follicles and combining that with healthy living. Staying hydrated. Getting plenty of sleep. Every. Single. Night. Not stressing. Eating your veggies. Exercising. Staying out of the sun. It is the only effective and proven way to get your acne under control. Everything else is just a temporary fix.

Call today for your free consultation.