Jump to content
Acne.org
Search In
Find results that contain...
Find results in...

Acne Treatments

For a quick list of acne treatments and how well they tend to work, check out the acne treatments overview page.

Generally speaking, for most people, proper application of benzoyl peroxide can completely clear acne and keep it clear until it naturally subsides with time.

For people with severe, widespread, and scarring acne, isotretinoin (Accutane®) is an oral treatment that can produce long-term remission of acne in about 2/3 of people, but comes with many side effects, some of which can be lifelong. It also causes severe birth defects, and may cause premature aging and joint pain in the long-term. For all of these reasons, all other options should be exhausted first. If it is used, it must be administered in close partnership with a physician.

Females: If you are experiencing irregular menstruation, particularly if it comes with excessive hair growth, be sure to see your doctor concerning poly-cystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). If PCOS is diagnosed, oral contraceptives are normally prescribed and can clear acne and relieve other symptoms at the same time.

Many other topical and oral treatments exist for acne, most of which produce moderate, yet incomplete, results. Home remedies, aside from a few exceptions, tend to produce little to no results.
 

Only have a few minutes? Check out these articles first:

Latest in Acne Treatments

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) How Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) Help with Acne Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), like glycolic acid, lactic acid, and mandelic acid help clear acne by exfoliating the skin, helping to reduce the clogging of pores. Over-the-counter strengths are available up to 10% and professionally-administered peels range from 10% - 70%. June 09, 2020
Blackhead Treatments How to Clear Open Comedones (Blackheads) Blackheads are stubborn acne lesions that appear as brown/black dots on the face and can last for weeks/months. The best way to treat them is to prevent them in the first place. Once they are on the skin, manual removal can help temporarily. June 09, 2020
Hyperpigmentation Treatments Handling Hyperpigmentation The dark/red spots left behind after acne can be as irritating as the acne itself, particularly for people with darker skin, but they do fade with time. This page discusses how to prevent these marks and treatments for existing post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. June 08, 2020
Devices Heat Therapy for Acne Heat therapy does little to clear pimples and has scant research to back it up. It can also be expensive. June 08, 2020
×