Acne is an ancient problem and it is well known that some pharaohs in ancient Egypt suffered from acne. The Ancient Romans took baths in hot and sulphurous mineral water to treat their acne and using sulphur to combat acne is a practise that survived well into the 19^th century. Benzoyl peroxide was used as earlu as the 1920s but during the 1930s they tried a lot of other alternatives including radiation treatment and laxatives against acne. When antibiotics became readily available in the 1950s patients and doctors soon noticed their effect on infected pimples. In time creams containing antibiotics were developed to treat acne. In the 1980s oral isotretinoin turned out to be an effective aid in the struggle against acne, but the compound turned out to be highly unsuitable for pregnant women since it lead to miscarriages and birth defects.

Females suffering from acne can sometimes be helped by hormonal acne treatment. The estrogen / progestogen that is present in contraceptives can have some effect but serious problems usually require stronger hormon treatment. In rare cases when one or several pimples grow unusually lagre and don’t react to other acne medication, a doctor might inject hydrocortisone into it. Even a small shot of cortisone tend to reduce redness and inflammation right away, but cortisone does come with serious side effects, especially if used for any longer period of time.

Camedones or blackheads as they are more commonly referred to today are a type of acne vulgaris where oil accumulate in the pores (sebaceous galnds). A common myth is that blackheads are caused by poor hygiene but this myth is not true. Excessive cleaning can actually worsen the problem by causing dry skin, this prompting the body to produce even more oils.

Blackheads are not dangerous but can look unpleasant and many people therefore want to know how to remove blackheads while avoiding to cause damage to the surrounding skin. A common over the counter remedy is the adhesive strip that is placed on top of the blackheads. The blackheads will be removed when the tape are removed as they stick to the tape. For individuals with a lot of blackhead related problems the strips can be impractical due to their temporary relief and in this cases salicylic acid might be a better solution.