Acne FAQ • What Is Acne? • How Does Acne Develop? • What Causes Acne? • Factors That Can Make Acne Worse • How Is Acne Treated? • Treatment for Blackheads, Whiteheads, and Mild Inflammatory Acne • Treatment for Moderate to Severe Inflammatory Acne • Treatment for Severe Nodular or Cystic Acne • Other Treatments for Acne • How Should People With Acne Care for Their Skin? • What Research Is Being Done on Acne? • Why Acne Forms, and How Accutane Knocks It Out • Where Can People Find More Information on Acne?

For most people, acne tends to go away by the time they reach their thirties; however, some people in their forties and fifties continue to have this skin problem.

How Is Acne Treated?

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

The goals of treatment are to heal existing lesions, stop new lesions from forming, prevent scarring, and minimize the psychological stress and embarrassment caused by this disease. Drug treatment is aimed at reducing several problems that play a part in causing acne: abnormal clumping of cells in the follicles, increased oil production, bacteria, and inflammation. Depending on the extent of the person's acne, the doctor will recommend one of several over-the-counter (OTC) medicines or prescription medicines that are topical (applied to the skin) or systemic (taken by mouth). The doctor may suggest using more than one topical medicine or combining oral and topical medicines.

Source: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.