For the most part, I had mild acne for a few years ( I'm 16 now). I've always been decently active, and I eat okay.Then at the end of this school year in early June, I started breaking out like mad (I would classify it as moderate-severe), but only on my cheeks. The rest of my face would just be clear.I would get these small bumps that would turn into huge whiteheads over the course of a day. I got these in addition to the normal whiteheads that would just appear. I started taking a multivitamin and zinc, and the large pimples kinda stopped. Now I'm still getting lots of normal whiteheads, and I'm left with the red marks/scars from previous breakouts. I use a mild cleanser, a salicylic acid toner, and a benzoyl peroxide spot treatment, but these really don't do much. At this point, I'm almost embarrassed to leave my house. Any suggestions on how to get rid of existing acne, clear up red marks/reduce scars, and prevent future breakouts?
Go to the doctor and get a prescription for a topical retinoid (example: Differin or Tazorac) and probably a topical antibiotic (example: clindamycin or erythromycin) to go along with it. Another thing: don't spot treat. If you're going to use something, you have to use it all over. Otherwise, you're not treating the pimples that are forming under the skin.