The Side Effects on 6 Common Acne Treatments

So we all want to get rid of acne and look good, even better. But there are some things we need to know and be ready about its treatment – the side effects. Here are some of the common side effects we may want to ask our dermatologists after receiving the prescriptions.

1. Acne Treatment Cream

Perhaps the most common side effect of using acne treatment creams is allergic reaction. It ranges from redness, drying and flaking, itching and swelling of the skin. Feeling of burning is sometimes present too.

Retin-A, a topical treatment for severe acne, may cause an already sensitive skin to become blistered, puffed and red. In some cases during its early usage, worse situation may occur especially in areas where acne attack is rather unseen.

2. Astringents

Just like acne treatment creams, astringents also exhibit the same side effects such as swelling, redness, dryness, itching or burning. It is recommended that the user should avoid excessive exposure to sunlight since skin discoloration may also occur.

3. Oral Antibiotics

As for other diseases, over exposure to antibiotics may lead to bacteria becoming resistant. The same goes with acne. Prolonged usage of antibiotics to treat acne may in turn lead to resistant bacterial infection. Tetracycline is one example of acne treatment antibiotic. Here are its common side effects:

1. anemia
2. loss of appetite
3. nausea
4. fever
5. itchiness
6. photosensitivity or abnormal sensitivity of the skin to sunlight
7. rashes
8. allergic reactions
9. vision disturbance
10. dizziness
11. diarrhea
12. may affect a nursing infant therefore is not recommended for breastfeeding mothers and pregnant women

Erythromycin, another common acne antibiotic, also has several side effects. Several users reported the following symptoms:

1. nausea
2. diarrhea
3. seizures
4. confusion
5. mild to serious allergic reactions
6. abdominal pain

All oral antibiotics have the ability to cause candidiasis or vaginal infections of yeast (by Candida albicans) in women. Among all acne oral antibiotics, Tetracycline appears to be the most common to have infection as its side effect. Also, oral antibiotics tend to lessen the potency of contraceptive pills.

4. Acne Laser Treatment

Acne laser treatment is intended to destroy the oil-producing glands of our skin, without destroying the epidermis or the outer skin layer, thus may be painful. It also produces temporary redness and swelling. Such symptomatic side effects of this kind of treatment may require additional treatment during the process of healing. Also, laser treatment may be left with uneven pigmentation on the skin. Aside from these physical side effects, laser treatment also needs to be done regularly and can be quite costly.

5. Cosmetic Procedures

Chemical peels are often used with creams to generate new skin cell growth. The result is a youthful looking skin. However they have side effects that include scarring, abnormal skin color, redness and blisters.

6. Acne Surgery

Not as popular as before, acne surgery has its share of side effects. Aside from scarring, there is also a possibility of developing serious infection when acne cysts are not carefully drained.