Hi Im 17 and a senior in high school. I have had acne on my back since i was 13 or 14, and has since spread to my chest and even arms. 2 years ago I went to the dermatologist and she put me on minocycline and benzyl peroxide. I took the whole regimen and ended with even more acne, now on my chest and back. I went back and she put me on a different antibiotic, this time causing acne to spread to my upper and now forearms. I shower twice a day, and have a good diet. I can only wear long sleeves and sweatshirts because my acne is visible on my arms in short sleeves. My self esteem is nonexistant and I dont know how much longer I can deal with this. Some days I feel like ripping off my skin! since im not 18 I have to have approval from my parents to go on acutane, and they wont let me because of the risk of serious side effects. I need to get rid of my acne as soon as possible. Please Help! (right now I use panoxyl and a gentle facewash)
Yeah... make sure it is not pityrosporium folliculitis (fungal infection). The lesions you see are similar to acne but they are not the same. It usually worsens when you take oral antibiotics. I would get a second opinion and get another derm to check out your back to make the right diagnosis. If it is indeed acne and not fungal infection, then check out my back acne treatment post. It finally worked for me (in 4 weeks time), and is cheaper than those prescription medications.