But the acne treatment you used as a teen may not work for your adult breakouts.
Fortunately, with proper care and a little time, adult acne can be successfully treated.
Over-the-Counter Acne Treatments
When pimples appear, most people set out for theskincare aislefirst.
AleksandarNakic / Getty Images
The products come as cleansers, toning solutions, lotions, and creams.
Just choose one that you’re comfortable with and follow the directions on the package.
Unless your skin is super oily, stay away from skincare products marketed toward teens.
OTC products aren’t for moderate to severe acne, and they won’t work for everyone.
Call your healthcare provider instead of a more powerful prescription medication.
So, if OTC products aren’t cutting it, prescription medication is the next step.
Topical retinoidsare often the perfect fit for your adult acne-prone skin.
(Think of microcomedones as pre-pimples.)
They also help reduce fine lines and wrinkles and can make the skin look younger.
For mild to severe breakouts orinflammatory acne, your dermatologist might prescribe a topical antibiotic.
These help to reduce the amount of acne-causing bacteria on the skin.
Topical antibiotics are often used along with another acne medication, like benzoyl peroxide.
Many cases of adult acne also respond well to combination medications, and there are many available.
Combination medications contain two different acne medications in one topical product and work by treating severalacne causesat once.
Oral Acne Medications
Topical medications aren’t your only acne treatment options.
Of all the oral acne medications, isotretinoin is probably the most widely known.
Isotretinoin may be an option for those whose acne isn’t being effectively controlled with other treatments.
But isotretinoin isn’t the only oral medication used to treat acne breakouts.
Oral antibiotics are also helpful in clearing some cases of adult acne, especially inflamed acne breakouts.
Oral antibiotics are often prescribed along with a topical treatment, like Retin-A.
Often the oral antibiotic is used just until acne is under control, and then is stopped.
At that point, the topical treatment alone may keep acne from returning.
People with ovaries have a few more acne treatment options that can help with “hormonal breakouts.”
Oral contraceptives can be used, usually along with topical acne treatments.
Birth control pills help to balance hormonal fluctuations that impact acne development.
Spironolactone is an anti-androgen drug and another medication that is sometimes prescribed off-label to treat hormonal acne.
Again, it is used for women only.
Spironolactone blocks androgen receptors in the body.
Androgen hormones have been closely linked to acne development.
For some females, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help clear up acne breakouts.
HRT isn’t the first post-menopausal treatment choice for people who are dealing with acne only.
With so many treatment options available, there’s definitely one that will help clear your adult acne.
So don’t wait, make that appointment today.
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Zaenglein AL, Pathy AL, Schlosser BJ, et al.
“Guidelines of Care for the Management of Acne Vulgaris.
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