Acne is caused by the production of excess sebum - the greasy substance that moisturises the hair follicle and the skin. Dead skin cells can mix with excess sebum and block the pores, causing spots. The normal bacteria that live on the surface of your skin can multiply inside the blocked pores, leading to pus-filled papules.

What are the best ways to treat Acne?

Acne can be separated into 4 categories: minimal, mild, moderate & severe acne. The treatment that is most appropriate for your acne will vary depending on the severity of the acne.

Minimal & Mild Acne

Minimal acne is mainly greasy skin with a few black or whiteheads on the forehead, nose and/or chin. There may also be the occasional papule.

Treatment should be started with benzoyl peroxide, which can be bought over the counter. Panoxyl, Quinoderm or Acnecide all can be to prevent acne. They need to be used for a minimum of 6-8 weeks and for the full effect it can take 4-6 months of use.

If benzoyl peroxide has no effect after 6-8 weeks, or if you have many blackheads or whiteheads but they are not red and inflamed, then trying a prescription-strength retinoid would be useful. A product like Differin would be appropriate to start with.

An antibiotic preparation is recommended if you have angry red spots or papules rather than just whiteheads and blackheads. Antibiotics for acne can be topical (applied to the skin), for example or Dalacin T, or oral (taken by mouth), for example, Tetralysal (lymecycline).

Other effective adult acne treatments are combination products, which contain benzoyl peroxide and either an antibiotic or an effective retinoid, such as Duac gel (benzoyl peroxide 5% and clindamycin 1%) or Epiduo (benzoyl peroxide 2.5% and adapalene 0.1%).

Moderate Acne

When you have more than 30 spots, an oral antibiotic acne treatment is required. Antibiotics like lymecycline, erythromycin or minocycline should be considered for the greatest effect.

Severe Acne

If you have more than 125 spots, cysts, or any scarring, then it is recommended that you see a doctor in a face-to-face consultation. They may refer you to a specialist for further treatment.

The following things can worsen acne

Firstly, you should ensure that you treat the whole area where the acne occurs, not just the spots themselves. Secondly, it can take approximately 4 months for acne treatments to be fully effective so you may not see see immediate improvement in your condition, especially within the first 4 weeks.

Topical treatment is preventative in that it helps to stop lesions from developing rather than getting rid of the spots you already have. You should treat the whole acne-prone area, not just individual spots, to get the most out of your treatment.

Wash twice daily with a mild cleanser – but do NOT use a skin exfoliator as this may cause further skin irritation. Keep hair clean and off your face, and do not pick at the pimples. Avoid extreme cold and heat. Do not use lots of make-up, especially oily foundations, which may worsen the pimples. As with everything, a healthy lifestyle is important; make sure that you eat well and drink plenty of water.

Popping, picking or squeezing spots can cause scarring. Prevention is better than cure, so treat spots early. You can use Bio Oil, Kelo-Cote or Cica-Care on scars to help them fade and lessen their appearance. Some markings will also fade with time.

Unfortunately, scars or marks can sometimes be caused by acne, especially if spots or pimples are picked or squeezed. The scars sometimes caused by acne can be removed by dermabrasion or laser treatment, which are treatments that are carried out by a dermatologist or a plastic surgeon. For less serious scars and marks caused by acne you may wish to try Bio-Oil, it has been shown to be highly effective in improving the appearance of scars and marks.

Acne isn't caused by dirt, and excessive washing will strip natural oils from your skin. This causes your skin to dry out as the natural oils help to protect your skin from moisture loss. As a result, your skin will overcompensate and produce more oil, eventually leading to clogged pores and acne. Excessive washing may also irritate your skin.

Acne is caused by blocked pores becoming aggravated by bacteria found naturally on the surface of the skin. In warmer climates where sunlight is stronger, the light can kill off the acne bacteria and improve your complexion.

Stopping smoking has many health benefits. As well as improving our breathing, lowering your heart risk and improving your senses of taste and smell, it will also help to improve your complexion because nicotine promotes the production of white and blackheads.

You should not squeeze spots as this can cause scarring and will not guarantee that your acne will clear up any faster. Although it may be tempting, you should not squeeze your spots!

Certain medications, like steroids, can cause acne as a common side effect, and we also know that the body produces cortisol, a natural steroid, during periods of stress. This can lead to breakouts of acne.

Like many medical conditions, acne can run in families. If your parents had acne, it increases the chance that you will. However, acne also occurs sporadically for no obvious reason, usually around puberty.

There is still no definite answer to this question. The original studies were done in the 1960s and compared patients to those eating sugar sweets. However, they didn’t compare high-GI foods to lower ones. There is mounting evidence to suggest that a lower GI diet has acne benefits.

There are some links between the hormonal changes caused by oral contraceptive pills and acne vulgaris. If you feel that your birth control pill is negatively affecting your skin, it may be time to try a different type of pill or undergo treatment to combat acne that is moderate to severe.

It is not advisable to pick at your skin, as it can lead to scarring. However, if you have high numbers of blackheads, you may wish to take action to keep them under control. Blackhead removal treatments vary from simple clay masks to microdermabrasion to remove dead skin cells and improve the surface of the skin.

You cannot transmit acne from one person to another. Although the redness associated with acne is caused by bacteria, it's naturally present on everyone’s skin.

Acne is most common in teenagers around the age of puberty due to hormonal changes. However it can also be caused by the different stages of the menstrual cycle, polycystic ovary syndrome, pregnancy and for some women acne can continue after having a baby. . For this reason, acne is more common in women. Acne can also be a side effect of taking certain medicines like steroids, lithium or Cyclosporin.

No matter when you get acne, in yours teens through to your 30’s, the treatment regime is exactly the same and it is treated depending on the severity.