Overview

Acne is a skin condition where the skin's pores become clogged, resulting in blackheads, whiteheads or blemishes. These acne lesions can affect your self-esteem and can cause permanent scarring. Adopting a skincare routine that treats acne and prevents future breakouts can be accomplished, often using only over-the-counter treatment products.

Significance

Acne is the result of the pores being clogged, which can be the result of excess oil, dead skin cells or bacteria, according to MayoClinic.com. As a result, your acne treatment routine should aim to exfoliate the skin to remove dead skin cells, cleanse regularly to reduce oil and apply topical medications that kill bacteria. By treating the causes of clogged pores, you can reduce acne.

Identification

Acne lesions occur in two types: inflammatory and non-inflammatory, according to MayoClinic.com. To determine how to treat your lesions, you must first understand in which category your blemishes belong. For example, whiteheads and blackheads are non-inflammatory acne, meaning bacteria has not invaded the pore. The lesion is instead due to a build up or oil and dead skin cells. Inflammatory acne, such as pimples, occurs when bacteria has invaded the pore. This is the more severe of the two forms of acne and may require stronger treatments.

Prevention/Solution

To treat acne, it's important to have a good basis for a skin care routine. This means cleansing the skin in the morning and at night, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Apply an over-the-counter acne treatment cream, such as one containing benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, to any lesions on the face. These treatments help to unplug pores, kill bacteria and slough away dead skin cells. You also may wish to use an exfoliating scrub one a week to remove dead skin cells.

Considerations

While over-the-counter products can effectively treat acne, those with inflammatory acne may require prescription anti-acne medications. These can be topical--such as antibiotics or retinoids--or taken orally--such as isotrenoin. If your acne symptoms seem to be worsening or do not respond to over-the-counter skin treatments, consider seeing a dermatologist.

Warning

Several behaviors you could be performing to reduce acne may make your skin worse. These include picking at or squeezing acne blemishes, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Wearing heavy cosmetics or applying greasy lotions to the face also can clog pores and cause acne. Instead, look for products labeled as "non-comedogenic," meaning they will not clog pores. As a general rule, allow your your acne medications and products to treat your blemishes--do not pick or poke at them yourself.