Although there is no cure for acne, there are many ways to prevent it and keep it under control until the end of its natural course. Treatment can be divided into four main categories: topical agents, systemic antibiotics, systemic retinoids, and hormonal therapy. Topical drugs affect the local area on which they are applied (i.e., the skin surface), while systemic drugs are usually either taken by mouth or injected and affect the entire body. In general, a particular acne therapy should be tried for 2 months, and if there is no improvement, more intensive therapy can be prescribed in a step- wise fashion. For severe cases of acne, your physician may choose to start directly with oral retinoids to minimize scarring from acne. Injectable corticosteroids can also be used on very resistant individual lesions. It may be tempting to quit treatment because results are not quickly seen, but the key to successful control of acne is through consistent adherence to your therapy. Also, it may be necessary to continue therapy beyond when your existing acne lesions have improved or disappeared in order to prevent new lesions from forming. Remember, there is no “magic cure” for acne, but with the right therapy and persistence, acne can become a manageable part of your life.
