Understanding Common Prescription Acne Medications

Tretinoin

One of the vital vitamins for skin health is vitamin A. Most individuals consume it in their food. However, many acne patients benefit from using a synthetic version of vitamin A: tretinoin. Most individuals apply it to their skin. It treats both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne. The reason this medication works is that it increases the turnover rate of skin cells. Ultimately, it makes a patient's skin heal faster! During this process, new skin cells replace dead ones. Many types of acne are, in part, due to a buildup of dead skin cells. This is another reason why this medication is so effective!

This medication is safe for teenagers with severe acne. Women benefit the most from this medication. However, they also experience more side effects than men! The most common side effect is irritated and dry skin. Thankfully, this usually goes away once a patient's skin adjusts! Patients can help this process by slowly building their tolerance to tretinoin.