I’m not a dermatologist, but when my high school aged daughter started to have problems with acne I began to read up on what was available.  Back when I was a teenager all the exfoliate products for acne skin care had salicylic acid in them.This was the chemical I was familar with, but knew it was also used to treat more serious skin conditions.  So, I was a bit concerned it might be too harsh on my daughter’s younger skin.  I didn’t want her to end up with red blotchy skin just to solve her acne.

However, after watching Episode #69 on DermTV, “The Difference Between Glycolic and Salicylic Acid” I not only realized there was an alternative, but that salicylic acid can be just as safe.  Dr Neal Schultz speaks in plain terms about the difference between these two medications used in skin products today.  It turns out the Glycolic acid is the most common, or as he says “the work horse”, for most skin exfoliate issues because it can be safe from a mild dose of 1 to 2% to even the more stringent dosage used at the dermatologist’s office of up to 70%.  I thought that was a bit extreme, but then again that is only used by the dermatologist.It does make me feel more secure in purchasing something for my teenager and knowing it will be safe for her skin.

According to Dr. Schultz, salicylic acid is still the most common treatment for acne skin care, although, it can become harsh on the skin even as little as 2% of the active ingredient.  He did mention that when used as directed it is safe for all types of skin.  Using a product with salicylic acid should not result in any redness or irritation, which is the last thing a teenage daughter needs when facing her friends at high school. 

In the end, when used as directed both products are safe, even on younger skin.  There may be others out there which can exfoliate the skin, but these are the two Dr. Schultz said to look for.  Glycolic is the one we’re trying now.But it’s nice to know there are options.

They say if you want to spread a rumor tell a teenager and it will be spread across the town by the next morning.  True or not, there are a lot of myths, half truths and misnomers about acne which continue to be circulated by the group most likely to suffer with acne.  The problem is acne myths are generally not true and can be very misleading.  When searching for “how to treat acne”, taking the advice of a fellow teenager is probably not the best course to solving acne problems.

Probably the most harmful myth in how to treat acne is the statement “you just have to live with it.”  This is not at all true. For mild acne there are topical treatments and exfoliates available.  More advanced cases can find relief through a variety of pills taken orally.Another myth is that it affects adolescents.Again, this is not correct.  According to Dr. Neal Schultz on DermTV episode #22 “Debunking Acne’s Greatest Myths” he says there has been an increase in acne for women in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s.  Much of this may have to do with stress in the work place or oil based makeup.  Which leads me to myth number three: you can’t cover acne with makeup.  Again, according to Dr. Schultz, you can as long as you use a water-based, oil free makeup.  Contrary to popular belief cortisone creams do not actually help clear up acne problems – they may help in the short term, but with repeated use will result in more pimples.

One of the most prevalent acne myths is that picking acne will create scars.  I was raised with this fear of acne scars.  It turns out you have to pick the scab pretty deep to make a scar.  The real problem with picking at your acne is the dark spots this creates.According to Dr Schultz these scars can be more difficult than the original acne to treat. 

Remember, there are a number of ways how to treat acne.  You don’t have to just live with acne problems.  And, while you shouldn’t pick at the acne, if you do accidentally you’re not going to permanently scar yourself.  Acne myths are just that, myths.  Watch the 5 min episode with Dr. Neal and find out for yourself what the truth is about acne.

I've struggled with acne nonstop since I was a teenager. The sad reality is that I’m not a teenager anymore, but I’m still dealing with nasty acne breakouts at the most inconvenient times in my life. I’ve talked to lots of friends about this, but never taken the plunge and turned to a doctor or real dermatologist for acne help, mostly because I’ve never had the extra cash, and I’m interested in using less medications and more natural methods of dealing with it. But now, I’m ready for some real, educated advice about what does and does not cause my acne, and if there are any lifestyle changes that could affect the frequency and intensity with which I break out.

While surfing around different skin care and medical websites on the internet the other day, I came across a unique website that was completely dedicated to explaining concepts and products related to healthy skin care. The site was called DermTV and what made it unique was that it had tons of short informative videos on acne help, as well as a whole host of other interesting topics, like how to prevent your skin from aging and the truth about using antioxidant creams.

Usually I hate sitting and watching poor quality internet videos where the sound goes in an out and you have no idea whether the person in the video is even qualified to be instructing you on the topic of the show. However, the DermTV videos that I watched were hosted by an actual dermatologist that has been treating patients successfully for years. He didn’t use big complicated terms or reiterated the same acne help tips that people have been telling me for years. In fact, the very first video I watched was all about debunking myths and assumptions about acne.

The doctor was most eager to point out that no matter what age or intensity you are experiencing acne at, there are ways to treat and even completely eliminate the acne breakouts! This was good news for me. Dr. Schultz pointed out that contrary to what I've heard, it's uncommon for certain foods, like pizza or caffeine to cause acne breakouts. Unless you’ve seen a direct and immediate correlation between eating a certain food and breaking out, the odds are that you just get acne for the same reason everyone else does, clogged pores.