If you're unfortunate enough to have acne, chances are that you want to get rid of your acne quick. Yesterday would be good, tonight would be excellent but you'd probably settle for tomorrow morning so long as your acne really did disappear. Those spots and zits have blighted you long enough.

If you search the internet, chances are that you'll come across seemingly miracle cures for acne just by using toothpaste. Apply a dab of toothpaste and somehow your acne will disappear with no other help.

In a nutshell, you apply toothpaste to the affected area before you go to sleep, cover it with a bandage so it doesn't get rubbed off by your pillow, peel off the plaster in the morning, have a wash. And hey presto! No more acne.

Hmmm. Did you see those pigs flying past the window while you read that "cure"? But you're probably so desperate to get rid of your acne, you'd love to believe it was true.

If only life really was that easy.

First problem: you need to make sure you use toothpaste, not gel. Otherwise there's no chance of this working. The way that toothpaste is formulated is different between gels and paste. Getting the wrong one won't harm but it won't help either.

Second problem: toothpaste is designed to clean your teeth, get rid of plaque, make your teeth whiter, that kind of thing. The ingredients are slightly abrasive, otherwise they wouldn't do their job. It is not formulated to be used on your skin. It may have been tested on skin, but then again it may not. So there's a reasonable chance your skin is allergic to it. Especially if you happen to have sensitive skin in the first place. Eek! Your acne is still there and you've come out in a rash as well. Not pleasant. So if you do go for this, check it out on a small, inconspicuous area first - say a zit that is near your hairline or on your body.

Third problem: it won't actually cure your acne. Sorry. I wish I was the bearer of better news. It will likely disguise your zits, which is good news. Especially if you've got an important interview or date tomorrow. But it won't stop your acne from happening all over again.

Which is a shame. It all sounded so easy - no need for expensive over the counter medicines, just use the toothpaste you've already got in your bathroom cabinet.

Fortunately there are ways available to get rid of your acne. Some of them work gradually, others are as close to instant as you're likely to get until we move into the world inhabited by science fiction. There are natural remedies for acne - which should be far and away your preferred choice - and there are also chemicals you can buy to apply to your skin that will remove your acne.

Check out the link below for some ideas to get rid of your acne that will work.