Acne Be Gone! 
Are those little annoying red bumps on your face and back called zits driving you crazy? Where do they come from and how can you get rid of them…and fast?! During adolescence, the oil glands on your face, back, chest and arms increase in size due to an elevation in sexual hormones. The oil or sebum settles into the enlarged pores, clogging your skin. Once your skin can't breathe, acne is born! 
So you ask, why me? Well, some dermatologists believe that acne is inherited by our parents. This is why some people are more prone to it than others. If this is the case, then what are some things you can do to prevent acne before it starts? A nice first step is to make sure that you remove your make-up every day and use a good facial cleanser. Cleansers that contain Benzoyl peroxide, Salicylic acid, and Glycolic acid help eliminate oil, bacteria, and dead skin cells. These ingredients help to rejuvenate and heal your skin. 
Using proper skin cleansing products in combination with drinking a lot of water and eating healthy foods, should help alleviate some of your acne symptoms. If your acne does not seem to be going away or is getting worse, make an appointment with a dermatologist. You may have something that is called "cystic acne". This kind of acne does not disappear with facial cleansers or a balanced diet. This type of acne needs more attention. A beginning approach to alleviating your symptoms may be to try topical medications. Tretinoin and Erythromycin are two topical medications that can be applied directly to your pimples. Often these medicines, containing Benzoyl peroxide, dry up mild to moderate forms of bacterial acne. If topical medications do not work, a dermatologist may recommend internal medications.

Three of the most commonly prescribed internal acne medications are Tetracycline, Doxycycline, and Accutane. Tetracycline, an antibiotic is the mildest type of acne medication out of the three medicines. Treating mild to moderate forms of acne, Tetracycline is used to fight acne bacterial infections. This medicine should be taken on an empty stomach with plenty of water. Be careful not to take vitamins, including zinc and iron because Tetracycline decreases the absorption of the supplements in the body. In some people this medication works beautifully, but for others, they may need a stronger formula. 
Doxycycline is a step up from Tetracycline in strength. If at first you cannot see results, even with the stronger medicine, do not give up! Dermatologists suggest that you stay on this medicine for at least six weeks to see results. This medication can be taken with food, but can cause upset stomach, diarrhea, nausea and headache. 
Accutane is the most potent medication of them all. The side effects and risks from taking Tetracycline and Doxycycline are much smaller than Accutane. This medicine is only prescribed to people with, "severe nodular" acne. Nodules are "cyst-like" inflammatory lesions on the skin. People will go on Accutane for a cycle of 15-20 weeks. There are severe side effects that people need to take into consideration before taking Accutane. The bad news is that Accutane decreases contraceptive effectiveness. This is not good because if you become pregnant on Accutane, you risk the chance of having complications with your child's development. Accutane can also cause severe depression, suicidal tendencies and psychosis. There are a number of other side effects that can take place while on this medication as well as when you end your prescription cycle. So, please be cautious before making the decision to take Accutane. All three of these medicines, Tetracycline, Doxycycline and Accutane will make your skin extremely sensitive to sunlight. *
There a lot of different options to help you in your fight against those ugly zits! Educate yourself and be positive that there are successful solutions that will help rid your skin of unwanted blackheads and pimples. Be patient and don't give up. Clear, fresh skin is on its way!