If you have acne, you might feel alone, but you're not. It is a disease that affects literally millions of people around the world. It does not discriminate based on age, gender or race. Many people also have difficulty finding the right acne treatment, one that's best suited for their specific type of acne.

You might not know that acne actually has several different causes and several different types. This is one thing that makes choosing the proper acne treatment more of a quandary. You need the right acne treatment so that your acne problem is taken care of. However, you also need the right treatment so that your skin itself improves. This should be your ultimate goal.

It is imperative that you discuss both your disease and your treatment choices with your dermatologist before you begin treatment. If your acne is particularly severe, it is especially important that you see a dermatologist and don't just try to treat your acne yourself. Not only may you waste money on something you buy that doesn't work, but you could in fact make your acne worse. You need to learn everything you can about your disorder, including what causes and what cures it. This can help you choose the right acne treatment.

For example, did you know that there is a bacterium known as P Acnes that is the specific cause of the disorder? Why is it important to know this? Because there are really two major agents that are used to combat acne. These two are called Salicylic acid and Benzyl Peroxide. The latter is an agent that works to actually kill that bacteria, which the Salicylic acid works to exfoliate the skin, which prevents and removes clogging within your follicles.

These two medications are both available over the counter. They are just two of several acne treatments you can use to help take care of your acne. However, you need to know what each one does to know whether it can work for your skin type. This is another reason you need to talk your dermatologist before you begin any type of treatment.

You can also choose from many "acne kits" available on the market today. These kits contain individual products designed to work together synergistically to help you improve your skin. Typically, they contain one of the two active ingredients (either salicylic acid or benzyl peroxide), along with other agents designed to do such things as tone and soothe skin after treatment.

Be careful with these kits, because in order to be effective and not harm you, they have to be appropriate to your skin type. For example, if you have dry skin but use a kit designed for someone with oily skin, you could find yourself with very raw, injured skin, and/or you could make your acne even worse. This is because oily skin kits are meant to "dry out" your skin and take care of the excess oil, while the dry skin kit is meant to moisturize your skin along with taking care of your acne problem. Therefore, take care to choose the right kit based on your skin type.

Most importantly, diet and lifestyle greatly affect your acne. The foods you eat can actually aggravate or lessen acne's presence. How much you sleep and how much water you drink can also soothe or aggravate your acne. You need to get enough sleep (usually at least a full eight hours) so that your skin has time to heal and rebuild. Drinking at least six to eight eight-ounce glasses of water a day helps your body flush out toxins so that they don't have to find their way out through your skin. In addition, your skin is much more hydrated and therefore much more likely to be healthy.