Introduction
During the first 7-10 days of a treatment with tretinoin, a discouraging picture emerges that presents a red, scaling skin together with a profuse appearance of pimples. As time passes, the acne and the blemishes they cause will soon fade and ultimately disappear in about 2-3 weeks but sometimes in 6 weeks. As such, it’s also an ideal treatment that bodybuilders can use especially in preventing the onslaught of acne.
Is it most versatile treatment for steroid acne?
The dictionary defines ‘versatile’ as something that has many uses or can be used in many different ways The definition aptly fits our steroid acne treatment, tretinoin.
It has been shown by research studies that tretinoin holds many benefits for your skin,
It can encourage a rapid pace of cellular turnover production, it can help prevent acne, it will stimulate the production of collagen for connective parts of the body such as skin and bone and for those of old age, can minimize wrinkles.
The dynamic work that tretinoin does
The first thing to know and understand is that tretinoin is a retinoid treatment that works to increase the rate of skin cell production doing so by introducing a mild irritation to the skin. The irritation causes skin cells to divide and die more quickly.
Tretinoin can also provide an effective treatment against acne since it can and does prevent the formation of new pimples.
The rapid rate of skin cell production turnover can also help in slowing down the process of aging since skin cells would be rapidly removed and just as rapidly replaced by new skin cells.
The process is equally ideal for bodybuilders who would benefit from skin that always renews itself, always looks invigorated and enticingly attractive.
Aging of the skin occurs due to various reasons such as damage caused by sun also known as photoaging, decline of body collagen, environment factors and also genetics.
The capacity of tretinoin to rev up skin cell production does much to slow down the process of aging which makes it a highly effective ‘anti-aging’ topical skin treatment.
How long before treatment results become evident?
The important thing to know is that tretinoin won’t actually cure the condition but it will only control the occurrence of breakouts.
You should also know that tretinoin, as already mentioned, will in fact make your acne condition worse for the first 7 to 10 days of your treatment.
A peculiar sight of a red, scaling skin together with the appearance of numerous pimples will be the order of these first few days. Afterwards, the acne along with the blemishes they leave behind should dissipate in 2 to 3 weeks, sometimes in 6 weeks.
You will only be able to witness real recovery if you are consistent in using tretinoin but if you have many issues to solve using tretinoin, such as wrinkles, discoloration, aging spots and rough skin, it will take you at least 6 months to see the final results.
On the other hand, if you are not consistent in using tretinoin or if you stop medication altogether, any improvements you gained can disappear with the passage of time.
Once again it’s very important to remember to use the treatment exactly as prescribed for your use by your doctor or pharmacist.
Choosing the right tretinoin cream
Your doctor or pharmacist will help compile and prepare your prescription strength formulation of tretinoin treatment that’s suited to your needs.
There are several potencies or strengths which you can be given that will include and ingredient of 0.01%, 0.25%, 0.05%, and 0.1% tretinoin.
These are the strengths of the doses which you should use in alignment with the condition you are suffering as already mentioned.
You should be warned that anything above these levels may increase the risk of your getting side effects.
Can acne breakouts be reduced?
For bodybuilders, the goal must be, apart from gaining the honors and accolades at the end of competitions, that of avoiding acne at all costs,
This is so not only because it takes time for acne to subside and disappear but once a breakout occurs, it can leave blemishes and scarring that may take as long as six months to totally eliminate.
No, the best option is to prevent rather than to cure your steroid acne. But of course you have to face the challenge head on.
If you have moderate to severe acne vulgaris or cystic acne and your non-prescription, over-the-counter, acne-fighting treatments have failed you, you should see a dermatologist and get prescription-strength retinoid medication (perhaps with an oral antibiotic).
This approach will definitely help you to eliminate the acne before scarring can set in and extend itself.
Will this option work?
Yes, you can opt to use topical Retin-A (tretinoin) or oral retinoids (Isotretinoin), but be warned that it can take up to six months to completely ger rid of your acne.
Some have actually used topical Retin-A combined with an oral antibiotic to eradicate stubborn adult acne.
What happens next?
After you’ve discovered that you have steroid acne (which the same with another types of acne, and after you’ve identified the type of treatment you should use to get rid of your adult acne, you should then focus on how to proceed to apply the treatment for eradicating your acne.
The cleansing task before applying your acne treatment
There’s no doubt that acne is one of the other effects caused by taking steroids. Acne appears because you constantly use steroids that cause your sebaceous glands to secrete more oils from an increase of androgen levels in the body.
It’s most common with bodybuilders and athletes who have to use steroids a lot and as a result they can suffer acne outbreaks on their face, shoulders, chest and backs.
Workout regimens also makes the body to sweat profusely and increase the levels of oil present on your skin.
There’s really no difference between steroid and naturally occurring acne, but the acne produced from steroid use may be more severe.
Here are the steps to follow before you actually apply treatment to treat your condition:
Step 1
You should thoroughly clean your body by washing your skin at least one or two times a day with a soft cleanser such as a soap. This habit will help remove any oils left on the skin before clogging up your pores that may trigger the start of an acne breakout.
Step 2
After clearing your pores and making them stay that way you should then revert to using skincare and cosmetic products with no extra oils and apply them to your body. Use only water based products that are non-comedogenic. Keep applying the skincare products to help heal blemishes and stop future outbreaks of acne.
Step 3
You should now talk with your doctor about using retinoid treatment for healing your acne. The ideal time for applying the treatment is at night before bedtime. As an extract from Vitamin A, the treatment will unclog pores and guard against any inflammation from the acne,
Step 4
Consume foods with low sugar content so your blood sugar levels remain low to help prevent a reoccurrence of acne outbreaks. You can also start using a zinc supplement of 30 mg potency twice daily so that the effects of acne can decrease.
Step 5
You should be open to the idea of seeking the professional advice of your doctor or dermatologist about using oral antibiotics for mitigating the effects of moderate to severe acne. They will assist in killing off bacteria under your skin and reduce the occurrence of inflammation.
Bottom line
The task facing someone who has been caught by steroid acne or another other type of acne can be a very onerous one especially for a bodybuilder or an athlete and one that requires lots of courage and stamina to control and completely eradicate. To be sure, it can ruin a career in bodybuilding so it’s very Important that if you are an aspiring or veteran bodybuilder you should be vigilant and strive to maintain your physical condition as perfect as possible.