Health A-Z

Medical Content Created by the Faculty of the
Harvard Medical School

Acne

Treatment

Acne can be treated with:

• Salicylic acid washes – These washes help to empty comedones of sebum.

• Benzoyl peroxide gels – These medications are applied to the skin as a thin film. They dry and peel the skin, fight the growth of bacteria, and help to clear blocked hair follicles. Some are available in weaker over-the-counter lotions. If these don't work, your doctor can prescribe the stronger and more effective gel forms.

• Tretinoin (Retin-A) – This is applied to the skin as a cream, gel or liquid. It helps to clear the skin of plugged follicles by increasing the turnover of skin cells. Because it also increases the skin's sensitivity to sunlight, tretinoin should be used with a sunscreen.

• Antibiotics – Clindamycin (Cleocin) and erythromycin (several brand names) can be applied directly to the skin to reduce the growth of acne-causing bacteria.

If these topical treatments fail, acne is treated next with oral antibiotics (usually tetracyclines) or isotretinoin (Accutane, Sotret, Amnesteem). However, these medications can have side effects and are available only by prescription. Also, because isotretinoin causes birth defects, women on the medication who are sexually active must use contraception to make absolutely sure they do not become pregnant either during the five months of isotretinoin treatment or for one month after treatment.

Acne can be treated with:

• Salicylic acid washes – These washes help to empty comedones of sebum.

• Benzoyl peroxide gels – These medications are applied to the skin as a thin film. They dry and peel the skin, fight the growth of bacteria, and help to clear blocked hair follicles. Some are available in weaker over-the-counter lotions. If these don't work, your doctor can prescribe the stronger and more effective gel forms.

• Tretinoin (Retin-A) – This is applied to the skin as a cream, gel or liquid. It helps to clear the skin of plugged follicles by increasing the turnover of skin cells. Because it also increases the skin's sensitivity to sunlight, tretinoin should be used with a sunscreen.

• Antibiotics – Clindamycin (Cleocin) and erythromycin (several brand names) can be applied directly to the skin to reduce the growth of acne-causing bacteria.

If these topical treatments fail, acne is treated next with oral antibiotics (usually tetracyclines) or isotretinoin (Accutane, Sotret, Amnesteem). However, these medications can have side effects and are available only by prescription. Also, because isotretinoin causes birth defects, women on the medication who are sexually active must use contraception to make absolutely sure they do not become pregnant either during the five months of isotretinoin treatment or for one month after treatment.