Accutane As Acne Treatment: Part 2

According to the detailed information posted on the FDA (federal Food and Drug Administration) website, Accutane can cause severe birth defects if taken by pregnant women. It can also cause miscarriage, premature birth, or death of the baby. For this reason, women of childbearing age who take Accutane must not be pregnant or become pregnant during treatment or for three months after discontinuing treatment. There has also been a link between taking Accutane and mental depression and suicide. If your physician prescribes Accutane, consider increasing your daily intake of essential fatty acids and be sure to eat salmon once a day. Probably the most common side effect of Accutane is severe dry skin, lips, and nasal passages, which resulted in flaking skin, chapped lips, and nosebleeds. Due to the potentially very serious side effects of Accutane, it is recommended that you consult your dermatologist.

Other prescription treatments include oral contraceptives, which have proven effective for women with acne. Oral contraceptives may normalize the hormonal changes, helping to prevent the hormonal surges that can aggravate acne.

Alpha hydroxy acids, such as glycolic acid (derived from sugar cane), are another over-the-counter acne treatment. They work by helping to increase shedding of skin cells. This helps to clear the impaction within the follicle. Glycolic acid also acts as a powerful antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent. If we look at the molecular structure of glycolic acid and compare it to ascorbic acid (vitamin C), we see that their structures are similar. Vitamin C also has anti-inflammatory properties.