Clearing up Acne with Antibiotics
| One treatment option that is highly effective in removing acne and for preventing acne-related scarring is the use of antibiotics. |
Various antibiotics including tetracycline, erythromycin, minacycline, clindamycin and doxycycline are used as therapeutic agents.
Antibiotics are bactericidal agents that aim to kill the bacteria that are harbored in blocked follicles of the skin. Antibiotics are also useful in reducing irritation and inflammation as they reduce the effect of inflammatory chemicals released by the white blood cells and reduce the concentration of free fatty acids in the sebum.
Antibiotics are taken in two ways. Either they are applied as topical medicine over the affected area or else they are taken in the form of oral medication. Topical antibiotic treatment involves external application of ointments, which are nothing but antibiotic formulations that can directly get absorbed into the skin. The antibiotics used in these preparations include erythromycin, tetracycline, clindamycin and stiemycin. These formulations are prepared as a combination of antibiotic and other topical acne medications available. Topical use of antibiotics avoids the problem of stomach upset and probable drug interactions that might occur due to oral intake of antibiotics.
Oral treatment involves taking antibiotic formulations prepared in the form of oral pills. These pills have to be used daily for around three months. Antibiotics used in these preparations include tetracycline, doxycycline, minacycline, oxytetracycline and limecycline. Trimethoprim is also used in certain regions. However, oral antibiotic treatment has multiple limitations. Continuous usage of antibiotics causes development of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains resulting in resurfacing of acne within weeks once the treatment ends. Apart from that, oral antibiotic pills are not effective in removing bacterial blockade from the follicles.
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