Acne is a very common problem and over 90% of all teenagers suffer from this skin condition at one point or another during puberty. Acne, which used to be known as Acne vulgaris, normally decreases dramatically after puberty but in some the condition will persist into adulthood.
Acne is a problem that has been around since ancient times and there are reports about ancient rules suffering from acne and skin conditions. In ancient Rome they used sulphur in mineral water to treat acne and the use of suplhur as a treatment against acne survive well into the 19th century. Benzoyl peroxide was used as earlu as the 1920s but during the 1930s they tried a lot of other alternatives including radiation treatment and laxatives against acne. When antibiotics became readily available in the 1950s patients and doctors soon noticed their effect on infected pimples. In time creams containing antibiotics were developed to treat acne. during the 1980s oral isotretinoin showed to be very effective against acne but the drug had serious side effects in pregnant women causing virth defects and miscarriages.
Females suffering from acne can sometimes be helped by hormonal acne treatment. The estrogen / progestogen found in normal hormonal contraceptives have some effect, but serious ailments may require an antiandrogen combined with oestrogen. In cases where one or a few pimples grow especially big and do not respond to other acne medication, a doctor might inject hydrocortisone into it. Even a small shot of cortisone tend to reduce redness and inflammation right away, but cortisone does come with serious side effects, especially if used for any longer period of time.
Blackheads, formally known as open camedones, are a special variant of acne vulgaris and are formed with oils accumulate in the duct of the sebaceous gland. A common myth is that blackheads are caused by poor hygiene but this myth is not true. If you clean your face to much it can cause dryness that promts the skin to produce more oils and thereby worsening the problem.
Blackheads are not dangerous but can look unpleasant and many people therefore want to know how to remove blackheads without causing damage to the surrounding skin. The blackheads stick to the strip and is removed when the strip is removed provided that the strip is not removed to early. The blackheads stick to the tape and is removed when the tape is removed. For individuals with a lot of blackhead related problems the strips can be impractical due to their temporary relief and in this cases salicylic acid might be a better solution.
