Minocycline
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Minocycline is an oral antibiotic that works by fighting bacteria in the body, including in the skin, and also reduces inflammation. It should...

Minocycline is an oral antibiotic that works by fighting bacteria in the body, including in the skin, and also reduces inflammation. It should be used only short term (max. 3 months).

It is usually taken once a day with food, at the same time every day.

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April 4, 2025
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January 3, 2023
Short term acne relief only - with lasting side effects
I went on many different antibiotics in my teens and early twenties for persistent acne, not realising that it was a losing game because of antibiotic resistance. Minocycline was the worst one - I had such an upset stomach, I became intolerant of any food that even had a fraction of dairy in it, and my skin developed sun spots that are still there 15 years later. It cleared my skin for a couple of months as did most other antibiotics, but wasn’t worth it compared to other options such as accutane.
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January 13, 2020
Terrible Heart Burn

Discontinued this as soon as it was safe to do so as I got absolutely terrible indigestion and heart burn. Had to sleep basically upright the whole time I was on it. Didn't see any drastic improvement in my skin. I have more recently been on Lymacyclin and it has been (as of yet) more tolerable. So If it's giving you side effects remember THERE ARE other oral antibiotic alternatives and also REMEMBER don't let your GP or dermatologist keep you on antibiotics for more that 3-6months they are suppose to be a temporary helper until a more long term solution is found. Antibiotics WILL not be your long term solution and you risk your gut health and your acne becoming immune to over treatments if you use antibiotics for too long.

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January 27, 2019
Did not work for me

I tried this twice for 10 weeks, as my GP prescribed it for my cystic acne. However both times it did absolutely nothing for me.

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April 6, 2018
My first love...
I have suffered from acne since I was 15-16. I am 19 now. Mino was the first oral antibiotic to COMPLETELY clear my acne. And I had it severe people. SEVERE. It completely took it all away within a few months... I was so relieved! However, little did I know it would come back, and would result in me being put on/taken off three more different antibiotics for 3 years. Today, my acne is still not where I would like it to be, and I am actually starting spironolactone soon, as (hopefully) my acne is mostly hormonal and can clear that way. Youngsters out there, this may not be your end all be all. But a temporary fix is for sure.
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February 9, 2018
Absolute no change in skin
My skin did not improve or become clearer at all. I was on Minocycline for over a year...wtf that's so not healthy. I don't recommend.
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February 8, 2018
Cleared my acne!
I have had really bad acne since age 15 (I'm now 20) and I literally tried everything. Proactiv plus, Murad acne kit, tons of topical creams and nothing worked. I had 3-5 active breakouts on my face daily. After trying everything I kinda accepted that I probably will just have acne for the rest of my life (not to be dramatic but it felt like that). I went to my family doctor for a check up (not for my acne) and she asked me about my acne and if I felt like it was getting better. I told her no it's only been getting worse (at this point it wasn't as bad as it was in the past). Finally she recommend that I tried taking minocycline and mentioned that my acne needed to be treated from the inside. I had little to no expectations since I had never heard of it and expected it to not work like everything I had tried in the past. I took the 100mg twice daily and within TWO days I started seeing immediate results! It started off with me waking up with no break out at all to the surface of my skin being completely smooth within 2 weeks. I was so excited because I literally couldn't remember ever seeing my skin that clear. To cut the story short, I started taking it May 2017 (prescribed a three month bottle but I was able to make it last longer since my skin was clear) and my skin has been cleared for months. I get break outs when I'm not taking the pill or just during PMS. Needless to say it worked for me and please don't get discouraged by other people's reviews. Acne treatment is difficult because everyone skin reacts differently to everything. Try it, I hope it works as well for you as it did for me!! Side note: I didn't experience any side effects aside from REALLY dry skin for about a week and then it went back to normal
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ojasmiat
May 14, 2018
As it turns out, you cannot take minocycline for the rest of your life, sigh. So after a few months with PERFECT skin, i got prescribed a lower dosage (50mg), and my acne came back slowly. The 50mg barely does anything for my skin. It's not as bad as it used to be but the cystic acne and random breakouts are back and in full action. I got prescribed birth control (Nortrel) for my acne, so well see how it works!
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January 28, 2018
Horrible- Not Worth The Side Effects
I took minocycline for a year back in 2015. I am BARELY getting off the side-effects in 2018 which says a lot about this stuff. I'll leave a list below of the side effects to keep it simple. - Migraines - Dizziness - Terrible Nausea - Constant yeast infections (due to an unbalanced PH level. Minocycline kills ALL bacteria in your body. GOOD AND BAD) As time went by I noticed: - Horrible Joint Pain - Yellow Stained Teeth - HIVES and a FEVER (I ended up at a hospital because my hives were getting out of hand and my joints were killing me!) Of course I saw improvements in my acne, but as soon as I made the decision to stop taking this, I stated to break out AGAIN. From the bottom of my heart, do not take this pill. If you decide to do so, do NOT take this for more than 6 months. It is NOT WORTH IT!
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December 21, 2017
works for a few months
I started taking it in july and it worked great, by september i was only getting about 4 small pimples a month. But once it hit november it started to not work? i started breaking out as much as i would before i started taking it. So i went of it and started spironolactone.
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August 16, 2017
Horrible reaction, and did nothing anyway!
I was prescribed this as a second to last option (last being Accutane). I was on it for 2 weeks, when I started noticing my face getting VERY dry and red. Shortly after that, my body swelled up in all the major joints (knees, knuckles, elbows, and so on), and I also experienced facial swelling, hives that would come on and off for WEEKS (some were nearly 12 inches long), I began having terrible migraines, anxiety, couldn't sleep for more than 3 hours or so at a time, was nauseas, so dizzy for weeks, had digestive issues and the list goes on. I of course stopped the medication but for weeks the symptoms wouldn't go away. The dermatologist believed it was Serum Sickness but they weren't sure. I was also experiencing such bad swelling in my hands i couldn't write, or grab things for multiple days. I stopped the medication 4 months ago and to this day still have hives that show up exactly where I was getting them on the medication. For weeks I felt like I was dying, I felt so weak, sore, and itchy 24/7 with hives. The reaction lasted just over a month. about 4 weeks, and then finally started to go away. I had to quit my job because the hives weren't manageable with any medication or ointment and I was so swollen, weak, sore, and was having terrible migraines and vertigo some days I couldn't even leave bed. I was put on an extremely high dose of Prednisone for 2 weeks and had to stop after seeing no difference. This medication is so risky and I've read so many other horrible reactions, that is it really worth it? I also had no improvement with acne.
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Finding a Doctor

The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

Finding a Doctor

Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website