Salicylic Acid has been known to treat acne. Salicylic acid is present in many conventional acne medications. It works by peeling the top skin layer and opening the plugged follicles, this helps the skin to get a fresh start and helps reestablish the normal skin-cell replacement cycle. There are many over the counter acne medications that have salicylic acid in their content.
When does it work:
For mild cases of acne salicylic acid could work as it peels of the top layer of the skin. This can be a good short term solution specially If the sufferer needs a quick fix like before a wedding ceremony or the prom night.
Why its not the best option:
Salicylic acid has many shortcomings when it comes to acne. The first thing is that it does a quick fix but in order for it to be effective it has to be taken for a long time and after that the result can be diminished when the dosage is stopped. The other thing is that It does not have any effect on the production of sebum or the presence of P. It can also cause you some irritation and you can also encounter rashes. It can also cause the skin to dry and look scaly.
There are certain things that you need to discontinue in order for your acne treatment to be effective. These include avoiding:
- Harsh soaps
- Alcohal consumption
- Cosmetics that dry the skin
- Other peeling chemicals
- Medicated cosmetics
- Other topical skin medicine
The verdict:
All in all salicylic acid is not a good solution for your acne problem as it does not deal wit the root cause of the problem and also using it can lead to many complications.