Topical Acne Treatments (2023)

FAQs

Do topical acne treatments work? ›

Topical retinoids and antibiotic creams are most effective when used on blackheads, whiteheads, pustules, and papules. Topical medications may not be as effective for persistent cysts and nodules.

You May Need a Different Acne Treatment

Not all acne treatments will work for everyone. If you have given your skin at least 10 to 12 weeks and still haven't seen any change, you may need to try a different medication. It's not uncommon to try several medications before finding the one that works.

Treating acne with topical products that are available without a prescription takes time and patience. It may take 2 to 3 months of daily use before you see results. And acne may worsen before it gets better.

Tretinoin (brand name Retin-A; see Important Safety Information) is a topical retinoid treatment approved by the FDA for acne vulgaris (Yoham, 2022). Isotretinoin, formerly sold under the brand name Accutane, is a powerful oral retinoid used to treat moderate to severe acne, especially when other treatments fail.

While it is advised to consult with your doctor about dietary guidance and curating the proper beauty regimen, our experts share that salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, and topical retinoids like adapalene are the most effective ingredients to treat and prevent acne.

Acne medications work by reducing oil production and swelling or by treating bacterial infection. With most prescription acne drugs, you may not see results for four to eight weeks. It can take many months or years for your acne to clear up completely.

If pimples are deep and long lasting, it may be a good idea to see a dermatologist. The dermatologist may prescribe antibiotics to reduce inflammation and kill bacteria that could be causing pimples. In some cases, they might prescribe birth control pills to adjust hormone levels.

There are a few reasons a pimple might not be going away. It's normal for some types of acne—especially deep, large pimples—to take some time to clear up. You might also have persistent pimples if you're not taking care of your skin, taking certain medications, or have certain health conditions.

Various things can cause breakouts. Stress, certain skin care or acne treatments, dehydration, diet, lack of sleep, contact with the skin, and smoking are all common causes.

If a treatment works for you, you should notice some improvement in 4 to 6 weeks. It can take two to three months or longer to see clearing. If you notice improvement, keep using the treatment. Even when you see clearing, you'll want to keep using the acne treatment.

How long do dermatologists take to treat acne? ›

Most of them take a month or two to work. In most cases, the doctor will start by prescribing a topical medication. Possibilities include antibiotics, retinoids, and salicylic acid. If the patient has moderate to severe acne, the doctor may prescribe an oral medication.

How soon after treatment will hormonal acne go away? Treating acne can be different for each individual, but patience is key. Generally, it could take up to four to six weeks to see improvement in your skin after you begin treatment.

Grade I (mild) acne showing comedones with few inflammatory papules and pustules. Figure 4: Grade IV (severe) acne showing many large inflamed nodules and pustules as well as scarring.

How Effective Is It? Accutane is the single most effective drug for treating severe acne that hasn't responded to other treatments. About 50% of people who take it experience cleared skin to the point that they never need to treat acne again. Most people take this drug for four to six months.

Apply benzoyl peroxide

The best way to make a zit go away fast is to apply a dab of benzoyl peroxide, which you can buy at a drug store in cream, gel or patch form, says dermatologist Shilpi Khetarpal, MD. It works by killing bacteria that clog pores and cause inflammation.

One way to tell if acne is hormonal or bacterial is to pay attention to your skin. If you do not experience a flare up during periods of hormonal imbalance, and topical treatments are not improving your breakouts, you may instead be dealing with bacterial acne.

"Benzoyl peroxide helps kill acne-causing bacteria and unclog the pore. Differin makes a topical retinoid and benzoyl peroxide wash that is a great place to start for an anti-acne routine," Campbell says. Another topical chemical that can help is retinoid or vitamin A.

Isotretinoin: This is a potent medicine that attacks all four causes of acne—bacteria, clogged pores, excess oil, and inflammation (redness and swelling). About 85% of patients see permanent clearing after one course of isotretinoin.

Adolescents and young adults between ages 12 and 24 tend to be the most affected group. It usually begins during the start of puberty, affecting girls earlier than boys. Typically people will outgrow acne but about 12 percent of women and 3 percent of men may still have acne even in their 40s.

Stress acne tends to look more akin to zits that develop during adolescence, appearing on the more naturally oily areas of the face (forehead, nose, chin). It typically appears as a combination of blackheads, whiteheads, red bumps, and pustules, and rarely appears as a single pimple.

Will I eventually stop getting acne? ›

Many teens find that their acne improves as they get older and that it almost disappears by the time they reach their twenties. Others have acne well into their adult years. The good news is that acne can be treated — and breakouts can sometimes be prevented. Prevention involves taking good care of the skin.

Basically, what happens if you don't pop a whitehead is that it goes away on its own, usually in 3 to 7 days. It may happen that you wake up one morning and notice the pimple is gone. Or you may notice the pimple draining.

In response to stress, our bodies produce more androgens (a type of hormone). These hormones stimulate the oil glands and hair follicles in the skin, which can lead to acne. This explains why acne can be an ongoing problem when we find ourselves under constant stress.

What does hormonal acne look like? Whiteheads, blackheads, papules, pustules, cysts and nodules are all common hormonal acne symptoms. Normally, whiteheads and blackheads do not cause pain, inflammation or swelling, but if they do, then they are most likely forming into cysts and pustules.

Acne commonly starts during puberty between the ages of 10 and 13 and tends to be worse in people with oily skin. Teenage acne usually lasts for five to 10 years, normally going away during the early 20s.

You can cause a blood-filled pimple by damaging blood vessels around an existing pimple. This often happens when you pop, squeeze, pick or over-exfoliate a pimple. Blood-filled pimples usually heal on their own if you prevent further damage and keep the area clean.

Genes influence everything from eye and hair color to hormone production, so naturally some people have a propensity for producing higher levels of hormones than others. Therefore, some people are simply more susceptible to acne due to heredity. If your parents were prone to acne, the chances are that you will be also.

You should visit your dermatologist at least once a year for a skin examination. If you have issues between your yearly visit, such as a rash, suspicious growths or acne you should see your dermatologist immediately.

While drinking a few glasses of water can be part of a hydrating routine and help to remove toxins, it can't cure your acne. That's because acne can be caused by a host of factors, including genetics, which water intake alone can't solve.

On average, an initial consultation with a dermatologist will cost somewhere around $150. Factors such as the location of the practice will also affect the price of dermatology visits as well. Some dermatologists do offer structured payment plans or other payment options, which help make their fees more affordable.

Is it worth it to go to a dermatologist? ›

Not only can a dermatologist diagnose skin cancer, but they can also help identify skin problems that you may think are harmless. Here are a few conditions that may be cause to call your dermatologist instead of self-diagnosing on Google: You spot a mole that is changing shape or size.

To remove a large pimple or painful acne cyst or nodule, your dermatologist may also use a procedure called incision and drainage. It involves using a sterile needle or surgical blade to open the blemish and then removing what's inside.

Hormonal acne often lasts for several years with symptoms coming and going, particularly among younger people. However it can last for short periods of time, such as days or weeks too. Hormonal acne normally improves as you get older. It disappears for most people by their mid 20s.

Unless your hormonal acne is mild, over-the-counter (OTC) products usually aren't successful. This is because hormonal acne typically takes the form of cystic bumps. These bumps form deep under the skin, out of reach of most topical medications.

For acne that's only mild, or is caused by a temporary change in hormones, you should be able to manage with pharmacy treatments. Gels or creams containing benzoyl peroxide can be helpful as this is an antiseptic and an anti-inflammatory. For more severe acne, it's always worth speaking to your GP.

Acne Can't Be 'Cured' But It Can Be Treated Successfully. Some people maintain that acne can be cured through dietary changes. In fact, this idea has become very popular lately.

The prevalence of acne was greatest in countries with a high sociodemographic index (SDI), particularly Western Europe, East Asia, and high-income areas of the Asia Pacific. The regions with the lowest prevalence rates were Central Europe, Tropical Latin America, and Central Asia.

Adult acne, or post-adolescent acne, is acne that occurs after age 25. For the most part, the same factors that cause acne in adolescents are at play in adult acne. The four factors that directly contribute to acne are: excess oil production, pores becoming clogged by "sticky" skin cells, bacteria, and inflammation.

Accutane® has been considered the “last resort” when all other drugs or treatments have been ineffective for nodular acne or cystic acne. Its primary indication has always been for treating severe acne.

Topical retinoid medications indicated for the treatment of acne include Retin-A (tretinoin), Tazorac (tazarotene), and Differin (adapalene).

Is going to a dermatologist worth it for acne? ›

Moderate or severe acne should always be seen by a dermatologist. It's more likely to cause scarring than the milder forms, and over-the-counter medications aren't strong enough to affect it. Severe acne that suddenly develops in an older adult may actually be a symptom of a disease and should thus always be examined.

Hormonal acne does not always respond fully to treatment with acne creams, such as topical retinoids, and antibiotics. In some cases hormonal acne does not even respond well to treatment with Isotretinoin (Isotretinoin/Accutane).

While topical treatments can help inflammatory acne, topicals alone are typically not enough to significantly improve inflammatory acne. Oral treatments are extremely good at fighting off bacteria and significantly reducing inflammation, thereby minimizing breakouts and reducing the likelihood of scarring.

A dermatologist can offer suggestions to prevent cystic acne. This doctor can also treat painful acne cysts, lowering the chances of scarring. Antibiotics and topical (skin) creams are effective cystic acne treatments.

Without treatment, acne can also worsen. If acne becomes severe, as it did for Jill, scars can appear as the acne clears. Early treatment can prevent these problems. It can clear the skin and prevent acne from worsening.

If a treatment works for you, you should notice some improvement in 4 to 6 weeks. It can take two to three months or longer to see clearing.

One way to tell if acne is hormonal or bacterial is to pay attention to your skin. If you do not experience a flare up during periods of hormonal imbalance, and topical treatments are not improving your breakouts, you may instead be dealing with bacterial acne.

Hormonal acne often lasts for several years with symptoms coming and going, particularly among younger people. However it can last for short periods of time, such as days or weeks too. Hormonal acne normally improves as you get older. It disappears for most people by their mid 20s.

Prescription treatments include topical retinoids, tablet antibiotics, or you might be prescribed isotretinoin by a dermatologist. If you're a woman, you might benefit from taking the combined contraceptive pill or a hormonal treatment called co-cyprindiol.

Zinc is a mineral that can also help with acne. You can take it as an oral supplement or as a topical treatment. A recent review of the past studies on the topic found that zinc can decrease oil production in the skin, and can protect against bacterial infection and inflammation.

What are the alternatives to Accutane for cystic acne? ›

Topical retinoids

Other ones include tretinoin (Retin-A), tazarotene (Tazorac), adapalene (Differin), and trifarotene (Aklief). However, unlike isotretinoin, which you take as a pill, you apply topical retinoids topical, which means they're directly to your skin.

What not to do. While a cystic pimple heals, it is important to be gentle with the skin. Do not try to pop, pick, or squeeze a cystic pimple. It may be tempting, but popping a pimple can introduce more bacteria to the pore, slow healing, drive the infection deeper into the skin, and increase the chance of scarring.

Soak a clean washcloth in water that is hot, but not too hot to touch. Apply the warm compress. Hold the warm compress on the blind pimple for 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat the application three to four times a day until the blind pimple comes to a head and releases the pus.