The first stage of acne is whiteheads and blackheads. The second stage of acne is called moderate acne. Moderate acne is also known as pimples or zits. Pimples are papules and pustules. Papules are solid mass of cells and pustules are infected lesions. Treatment of pimples may require a combination of medicines.

If you are doing self-treatment with OTC medication, choose them carefully. What worked for your friend may not work for you. Your skin is different and the cause of pimples may be different. Someone may get acne because of excess sebum, while other may get it because of use of comedogenic products.

It is preferable that instead of using OTC medication you consult a doctor. If you are doing self-medication of pimples, you need to know the following.

Topical medication for pimples-

The first choice for treatment of pimples is use of topical medication. Benzoyl Peroxide is one of the most popular medications. Other medications that are used to treat pimples topically are- Salicylic Acid, Resorcinol and Sulphur, Alcohol and Acetone, Azelaic Acid, Topical Antibiotics, Topical Retinoids and Nicotinamide. Topical antibiotics are also used to treat infection.

Physical and surgical procedures for pimple treatment-

Physical and surgical procedures such as chemical peeling, lasers, microdermabrasion, surgical extraction, and light therapy are used to treat pimples. Physical and surgical procedures are used when topical medication does not give expected results. Sometimes light is used to treat pimples on the back because it is a difficult to apply medication on back..

Oral medication for pimples-

Oral antibiotics, Isotretinoin and oral Nicotinamide are commonly used to treat infection in the acne. Amongst antibiotics, Tetracycline, Minocycline ,Doxycyline and Erythromycin are commonly used. Sulpha drugs may also be used to treat pimples.

Oral antibiotics kill the bacteria P. acnes in the pimples and reduce the infection and inflammation. Isotretinoin is prescribed in case of persistent acne and is one of the best medications of acne. Oral nicotinamide is a good anti-inflammatory agent for pimples but has no side effects of antibiotics.

Women may be prescribed Birth Control Pills and Spironolactone to treat hormonal disorders and reduce pimples.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.