Hi!

I am 16 and have persistent mild/moderate acne. I managed to clear it just over a year ago by cutting out sugary and fatty foods, but it came back this summer when I went to India for 2 weeks.

Since then I have tried everything to get rid of it, I have a good skincare routine, I use a topical treatment (zindaclin) and I have cut out dairy, sugar, fat, processed food, most meats, nuts and high GI foods and only drink water, but my skin is still not clear! Do you any advice on how I could help it? The spots that I get are mostly small, whitehead like spots and I occasionally get larger ones, but the smaller ones seem much harder to get rid of! What are these caused by, and how can I get rid of them?

I also have red marks , (I think it is hyperpigmintation) but no scars on my face from where spots were, but I and I don't know how to get rid of them. Its irritating because even when my skin is almost clear, it still looks really blemished! Would it be worth getting laser therapy, or peels? What is microdermabrasion? I haven't been to a dermatologist, but I have seen my GP a few times.

Thank you!

You can do some things OTC, like using 10% glycolic acid, 2% salicylic acid, sulfur treatments, retinol, or retinaldehyde. If you want faster improvement, it's a good idea to talk to a dermatologist.

Hard, white bumps can be anything. One thing comes to mind is sebaceous hyperplasia. You can't do much OTC with sebaceous hyperplasia--you need lasers and surgery to deal with that.