If you suffer from persistent acne, you know how difficult it can be to find a treatment that shows consistent benefits. While many acne sufferers benefits from over-the-counter treatments or mild prescriptions, these do not work for everyone. If you suffer from acne that isn't improved by milder treatments, there are stronger treatments available.
Corticosteroids
For very large acne lesions, corticosteroid injections may be given to prevent scarring and to ease pain. Corticosteroids help relieve the acne lesion over a few days. These injections are typically used only for large individual lesions.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics may be used to treat acne if over-the-counter treatments have failed. Topical antibiotics include erythromycin and clindamycin. These may be used along with oral antibiotics or as a standalone treatment. Erythromycin is also available as a mixture of erythromycin and benzoyl peroxide to increase its effectiveness. Oral antibiotics may include tetracycline, minocycline or doxycycline. According to AcneTeam.com, oral antibiotics may be used for people who have body acne which does not respond to topical treatments in addition to treat those who have persistent and stubborn acne. All acne treatment antibiotics are only available by prescription.
Retinoids
Prescription retinoids may be prescribed either alone or as part of a combination treatment plan. Retinoids are derived from vitamin A and work by controlling the amount of oil excreted by the sebaceous glands. According to AcneMagazine.com, this effect of decreasing oil production is what makes retinoids so effective. Retin-A and Differin are topical retinoids, and Accutane is an oral retinoid medication.
Often the last line of defense against acne, isotretinoin, also known as Accutane, is reserved for cases of acne that haven't responded to any other treatment. According to Drugs.com, isotretinoin is typically effective in clearing most types of acne after four to five months of treatment. Patients taking isotretinoin are required to sign up under the iPLEDGE program, which involves registry in a database. In addition to this, women taking isotretinoin are required to be on two reliable forms of birth control unless they have had a total hysterectomy or have been in menopause for at least 12 months in a row. Women with their tubes tied are still required to be on birth control. Unborn babies exposed to isotretinoin are at risk for fatal birth defects.
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