The first and the foremost point to be remembered in the treatment of acne is not to panic. Whiteheads or blackheads will have to be treated with a cool head! No doubt, acne on the face is bound to cause a confusing contour in the curtain of your mind, but desperate remedies are not the solutions for desperate situations.
A basic understanding of the acne situation in each individual case requires a thorough study. Fortunately or unfortunately, the literature and expertise regarding the treatment options available are likely to be confounded! A mountain of literature about the molehill that is acne!
Let it be perfectly understood that total cure of acne is an impossibility. If someone, some product or some company- national or multinational promises it, take it as a business advertisement! They dwell upon it, because they have to sell. And all the selling is done at somebody's cost!
If the golden rule, an ounce of prevention is better than a cure, is to be applied anywhere, apply it here; and apply it with profit. What is your basic formula for skin care? If it is no new spots, improved skin condition and making efforts to deny future scarring, you are on the right track! You have understood your acne! Personal treatment for a universal disease!
Human skin needs a certain amount of oil to maintain its natural condition. And when it comes to acne skin, skin care becomes even more important. Keep the spot-prone areas clean. Wash the affected area twice a day with a perfume free cleanser. Note that aggressive washing and strong soaps are big enemies of your acne skin.
Plus, hundreds of over-the-counter remedies are available with your chemist. The anti-bacterial agents in them, like benzoyl peroxide will help you a great deal to defeat acne. The skin areas where you feel that the spot is likely to emerge, must be kept clean. In effect, these agents dry out the skin and encourage it to shed the surface layer of dead skin. These effects make it harder for pores to become blocked and infection does not spread. When the antibacterial effects dry out the skin, the surface layer of the skin begins to fall. The pores are not blocked and infection is checked.
No treatment will tender on the spot results. Significant effects, if they materialize hopefully, will take their own time. If results are not forthcoming, say within a period of two months, then it the time to switch over the treatment after consulting a dermatologist. At this stage, he has many options depending upon your case-history and his understanding of the problem, after certain investigations, if necessary. He has an armory of treatment options- both for external application and internal consumption.
And finally, do not fail to consult your Grandma! That walking 'encyclopedia' may have unfailing solutions!