Copyright 2006 David Maillie

Acne is a condition that affects 4 out of 5 people at some time in their life. Some get it a lot worse than others and it can result in permanent physical and emotional scars. Bad acne to a teenager could be the same as wearing coke bottle glasses for really bad eyes ?C non acceptance and lack of a social life. It also greatly affects millions of adults. We see numerous infomercials on everything from Proactiv to Murad facial cleansing products.

The problem is that most of their claims are false and these products do not work. Why do you think that you can??t buy them in physical stores and even more importantly, why doesn??t your dermatologist or doctor prescribe Proactiv or Murad? Why don??t they stock them in their offices and make them a part of their anti acne regimen? Because they are all multi million dollar advertising hype and do not work any more so than a sugar pill or placebo. Here is what really does work and is actually used by dermatologists in their offices (unlike Proactiv and Murad).

The first thing one with acne needs to do is gently wash and clean their face. Proactiv makes benzoyl peroxide a mian stay of their active ingredients and it may kill some of the acne causing bacteria, but it greatly irritates the skin and actually worsens or exacerbates the condition. Why do you think everyone sells their ineffective Proactiv solutions on Ebay? So they can recoup some of the money they have lost with this ineffective product. Instead of using Proactiv or Murad, dermatologists recommend a gentle cleanser like Cetaphil which will thoroughly cleanse your skin and not irritate it. Unlike Proactiv and Murad, Cetaphil is actually used in almost every dermatologists office and is a part of their acne treating and skin care regimen.

Another treatment that is actually used by dermatologists is the TCA peel (or trichloroacetic acid skin peel). This is a medium depth skin peel and will remove the top few layers of skin and result in newer and more youthful skin. The TCA peel will also reach deep inside of every pore unclogging them of sebaceous gland oil and bacteria. The TCA peel will then neutralize the skin and return it to its natural pH making it less prone to infection by acne causing bacteria. The TCA peel has been found to be so effective in treating acne and numerous skin conditions including wrinkles, sun damage, freckles and even pre cancerous legions and growths that it has actually been approved by the FDA for these purposes. The TCA peel is used and offered in almost every dermatologist and plastic surgeons office and has some off shoots like the Obagi Blue Peel (made famous by Dr. Obagi).

The main ingredient in the famous Obagi Blue Peel is still the same as in the TCA peel (TCA). The difference is that the Obagi Blue Peel has a staining or dye that is blue or green in color and it is applied as a paste. The idea behind this is it makes it easier to identify where it has and hasn??t been applied. The negatives are that you look like a frog until it heals, and the Obagi Blue Peel tends to be weaker than a pure TCA peel and thusly requires several more treatments for the same results. The pure TCA peel is used in more and more doctors offices as it offers patients more results quicker. The pure TCA peel also has longer lasting results.

Lastly, one needs to properly moisturize their skin. A non comodogenic (non pimple causing) moisturizer with a relatively high spf (sun protection factor rating where 40 is highest and 1 or 0 is lowest) to block out harmful UV rays. Regardless of if you are outside on a sunny day or a cloudy day, UV rays are aging your skin and can also bring on precancerous conditions. Use UV protection. If you can??t find it in a moisturizer that you like, then by all means use protective sun lotion with a high spf (make sure it is waterproof, non comodogenic and easy to apply). If you don??t think you need it or that you won??t get cancer, just take a visit to your local hospitals oncology department. The patients there will tell you they thought it wouldn??t matter also.

There you have it a three part acne treatment system that is guaranteed to work unlike misleading TV advertisements and infomercials hawked by highly paid stars like Jessica Simpson and others. Use what really works and is actually used by dermatologists in their offices on their actual patients.