Acne for dummies 2

About This Book
Acne For Dummies is intended as a reference for people who have
teenage acne, adult acne, and other acnelike conditions such as
rosacea and razor bumps.
When I reviewed the existing books on acne that are intended for
the general public, I discovered that most of them offer limited,
and at times misleading, information. Many adopt a self-serving
manner selling products or trying to prove that their point of view
is the acne “cure.”
Although some of these books describe well-accepted therapies,
others promise results that can’t be realistically delivered, and are
based solely upon the authors’ opinions without any credible
research to back up their claims. Furthermore, these publications
often fail to address African-Americans and other minority groups;
they’re targeted to a white, mostly adult-female, audience.
This book is intended to have a wide appeal to readers of all ages:
teens and their parents, women and men of all ages, persons of
color and of various ethnic backgrounds. I also want it to serve as
a source of information for pediatricians, primary care providers,
physician assistants, nurse practitioners, school nurses, school
librarians, healthcare providers in the military, and anyone else
who cares for people with acne and related disorders.
Conventions Used in This Book
To help you find your way in this book, I use the following
conventions:

Web page addresses appear in monofont.

Italics are used both for emphasis and to point out new words
or terms that are defined.

Bold highlights the keywords in bulleted lists or action parts
of numbered steps.

Sidebars, which look like text enclosed in a shaded gray box,
consist of information that’s interesting to know but not nec-
essarily critical to your understanding of the chapter or sec-
tion’s topic.
Foolish Assumptions
Every author has to make some assumptions about his audience,
and I’m not any different. So, I assume that:

You or someone you know has acne or an acnelike condition.
(How’s that for a wild guess?)

You want to know more about how to treat acne on your own.

You want a concise and easy-to-understand guide to over-the-
counter and prescription acne medications and treatment
options. You want to know what works and what doesn’t.

You want to find simple, clear explanations about caring for
your skin without all the hype.

You’re looking for information on acnelike conditions, such as
rosacea and razor bumps.

You’re a healthcare provider who’s looking for an easy-to-use
reference for yourself and your patients.
Well, if one or more of these descriptions sounds about right,
you’ve come to the right place.