Acne Treatments

Acne is often treated by doctors who specialize in skin problems (dermatologists). These doctors treat all kinds of acne, particularly the more severe cases. Doctors who are general (GP's) or family practitioners, pediatricians, or internists may also provide acne treatment to patients with milder cases of acne.

The goals of treatment are to heal existing lesions and to stop new lesions from forming, preventing scarring, and minimizing the psychological stress and embarrassment caused by this disease. Drug treatment is aimed at reducing several problems that play a part in causing acne which may include

• abnormal clumping of cells in the follicles
• increased oil production
• bacteria



All medicines can have side effects and some side effects may be more severe than others. You should review the package insert that comes with your medicine and ask your doctor or pharmacist any questions you may have about the possible side effects.

Depending on the extent of the acne, the doctor may recommend one of several over-the-counter medicines and/or by-prescription medicines. Some of these medicines may be topical which means they are applied to the skin, and others may be the type taken by mouth. The doctor may suggest using more than one medicine or combining medicines.