Okay, so we now know what acne is the next question to answer is how do we treat it and are their any special consideration that you have to take into account being African American.
As African Americans there are certain factors that you should take into account when considering a treatment for acne. Some of these concerns are shown in the Dermatology Times article “acne presents differently in black skin”:
Dark Spots- acne needs to be treated earlier to prevent the dark spots from occurring. Also some therapies that can be used treating the dark spots such as prescription strength hydroguinone compounds, Retin A and chemical peels (Benson, 2001).
Conventional ways- topical antibiotics, tropical retinoids, systemic antibiotics or topical benzoyl peroxide compounds, black patients may run into difficulty if they develop excessive dryness (Benson, 2001).
Now if you don’t have the money to go to a dermatologist and/or over the counter treatments are too harsh (I know they were for me) there are other things that could help with your acne. For example, how about trying a facial mask as a treatment option. Here is a recipe that I tried and I liked it (Althoff, 2000)
Banana Chamomile Soother
What you need is: 1 small ripe banana 2 tablespoons of strong chamomile tea 3 or more cotton balls
How to use the mask:
Step One- mix banana and tea into a smooth paste
Step Two- dip the cotton ball in the mixture and swab gently over blemishes
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