Photo by Anna Nekrashevich: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-applying-facial-cream-6476079/

Acne treatment is divided into the following categories:

• Topical treatment
• Oral antibiotics
• Oral contraceptives
• Oral isotretinoin
• Other treatments

Generally speaking, most treatments require two to four months to produce maximum results.

Topical treatment

Patients with mild to moderate acne usually receive topical treatment first. There are many different types of ointments for topical treatment, such as antibiotics (such as Clindamycin), benzoyl peroxide, and topical vitamin A acid (such as adapalene). The principles behind them are different, and the methods of use are different.

Some topical treatments may irritate the skin. If you can't bear it, you can apply it several times on a small area of the affected skin, and then apply it to the entire affected area. In addition, the number of times to use ointment can be gradually increased, for example, once or twice a week, if you can adapt, gradually increase to daily use.

Some topical treatments, such as topical vitamin A acid, may cause the acne to worsen in the early stage, and then you will see a significant improvement. The doctor will decide how to cooperate with different ointments according to the severity of the patient's acne and personal tolerance. The most important thing is to maintain communication between the patient and the doctor, and jointly decide the most suitable treatment plan for the patient.