History Of Acne Treatments

Acne has been around since the beginning of human existence. Acne problems have been recorded clear back to the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, and the actual word 'acne' is derived from Ancient Greek and means 'point' or 'peak'.

Over the years many different treatments were developed and tried to treat acne problems. Some of these treatments are still used today, while others have proven to be less than effective. Here is a short timeline of acne treatments that have been recorded:

Ancient Rome: Acne sufferers would bathing in hot, and often sulfurous, mineral water to treat their acne. One of the earliest texts to mention skin problems is De Medicina by the Roman writer Celsus.
1800s: Nineteenth century dermatologists used sulphur for the treatment of acne. It was believed that the sulphur would dry the skin.
1920s: Benzoyl Peroxide was used to treat acne due to it's anti bacterial properties.
1930s: laxatives were used as a cure for what were known as 'chastity pimples'.
1950s: The use of antibiotics was found to have beneficial effects on the severity of acne. At first they were taken orally, and eventually became available in topical solutions.
1960s: Vitamin A acid and Retin A were found to be effective at clearing up acne.
1980s: Isotretinion was developed and sold as Accutane and Roaccutane. These are still considered a controversial due to the potential side effects.
1990s: Laser treatment introduced
2000s: blue/red light therapy