December 19, 2007
Using Vitamins As An Alternative Acne Treatment
For those of you who wish to try natural products, the mineral zinc and the B vitamin nicotinamide both are believed to have antiinflammatory effects on acne. Their true effectiveness remains to be proven. Here's some further info on these possibly helpful items:
- Topical zinc is found in certain topical erythromycin ointments. It is possible, but not entirely clear, that the zinc oxide contained in the ointment may contribute to the effectiveness of the product.
- Oral zinc may be an effective treatment for inflammatory acne. It's available over the counter. Zinc may cause an upset stomach and nausea and it may decrease the absorption of various antibiotics including the tetracyclines.
- Topical vitamin B3 is found in Nicomide-T cream and gel. They're both available over the counter.
- Oral nicomide, which is available only by prescription, contains vitamin B3 as well as zinc oxide, cupric oxide, and folic acid.