Severe Acne Treatments

People with severe acne often find that over-the-counter products don’t work well for them. It’s not always a matter of whether or not the products work. Unfortunately these severe cases don’t respond to medications that are used to treat common cases of acne. If you have severe acne, then you might need OTC medications with extra strength ingredients. Luckily, there are a few aggressive products available on the market made specifically for severe acne.

Treating Severe Acne with Benzoyl Peroxide

Proactiv’s Extra Strength 3-Step System includes products that have strong concentrations of benzoyl peroxide. This includes a cleanser and a lotion that kill acne-causing bacteria with a 7 percent concentration of the active ingredient. That might not sound like a lot, but it’s significantly more than the 2.5 percent found in the cleanser and lotion made for the regular 3-step kit.

Treating Severe Acne with Salicylic Acid

The Extra Strength 3-Step System also comes with a toner that contains a 2 percent concentration of salicylic acid. The toner that Proactiv includes in its regular strength kit uses glycolic acid, which is not nearly as strong as salicylic acid. Including this substance in the toner helps eliminate acne faster.

Using Extra Strength Products on Severe Acne

When using extra strength products to treat severe acne, you should always be careful to follow the directions. Some people experience side effects when they use strong concentrations of benzoyl peroxide. The side effects typically include flaking, dryness, and itchy skin.

No one wants to experience side effects, even mild ones like itchy or flaking skin. If your aim is to get rid of acne so that you will look more attractive, then you certainly don’t want dry, washed out skin. Proactiv understands that some people need extra strength products to treat severe acne, but they also want to make sure that customers don’t use the product too much. That’s why they only sell the Extra Strength 3-Step System to each customer one time. It’s a 60-day program that should eradicate severe acne. If you find that the program does not meet your needs, then you should probably visit a dermatologist for an expert opinion.

Preventing Side Effects While Treating Severe Acne

If you do experience mild side effects while using products designed to treat severe acne, then you should consider using a moisturizing lotion to keep your skin hydrated. Many people find that using a non-comedogenic moisturizer twice a day keeps their skin healthy and prevents noticeable side effects.

Even if you have severe acne, it’s smart to start with a low-concentration acne treatment. Using Proactiv’s standard 3-step kit will help you determine how your skin responds to benzoyl peroxide and other ingredients. If you have a strong reaction to a 2.5 percent concentration, then you should avoid using the 7 percent products. Getting too aggressive with an acne treatment can cause unwanted side effects that leave you looking worse than you would with the acne, so think about your options before choosing extra-strength products when treating severe acne.