Acne, which strikes many people from all walks of life, is a skin disorder that results from the action of hormones on the sebaceous glands of the skin. It is most common among teens and young adults, although infants and mature adults can also be affected. Acne sufferers have been around for many hundreds of years. When you think about all this suffering, the question still begs for an answer...is there really an acne cure?

Because there are so many people suffering with this disorder it really is no wonder the market is saturated with a ton of so called acne cures. Even though some acne medicines like accutane do provide relief for certain acne sufferers, most dermatologists and doctors would probably deny the fact that acne cures actually exist.

Many acne sufferers will resort to over-the-counter products like non-prescription acne cleansers, astringents, pimple creams, and moisturizers. These work by encouraging the skin to peel off and unplugging blackheads and whiteheads.

Topical antibiotics prescribed by dermatologists help fight acne by means of killing the bacteria that infect the pores. It must be noted that longer use of these forms of acne cures may cause some bacteria to become resistant to them. Many may also produce side effects, such as dryness, redness, and irritation.

Oral anitbiotics are another option which relieve acne by killing the bacteria. Nausea and dizziness are some of the side effects to consider when taking oral antibiotics.

What may be the most controversial alternative are vitamin A derivatives. They can prevent skin cells from clumping together and they promote shedding of the skin. Irritation, redness and dryness are a number of side effects to consider with this option. Much care and caution must be used when considering these derivatives because there have been some cases reported that attribute some birth defects and psychological disorders to their use.

As always, prevention is easier than curing. In this case, "an ounce of prevention is like a pound of cure" most likely holds true!