Why isn't my acne treatment working for me?

To those of you who are going from doctor to doctor, salon to salon looking for the acne miracle cure, here are a few pointers to explain why your acne treatment doesn't seem to work for you:

1. Too high or unrealistic expectations

- Key thing to remember about acne is that it is a MANAGEABLE skin problem not CURABLE. ALL ACNE CASES CAN BE ADEQUATELY CONTROLLED. You can remain acne-free as long as you remain under appropriate treatment but once you slack on treatment, acne may flare again.

- Improvement takes time... It takes at least 3 months to see good control of acne - it doesn't happen overnight

2. Using too low dose treatment resulting in ineffective treatment

It's important to follow instructions about how many tablets to take, how much to apply, how frequently, etc

3. Medications having too many side-effects reducing compliance

- antibiotics giving gastric pains & nausea or vomiting

- topical creams which are too irritating & cause too much redness & peeling

4. Intervention is too mild
For example, if you have severe inflammatory or cystic acne, don't hope for any miraculous improvements on topical treatment alone

5. Too high secretion of sebum on face diluting effect of antibiotic
You may need to take Roaccutane

6. Stopping medications too early or taking antibiotics for too long a duration

If doctor tells you to take it for 3 months, please take it for exactly that duration. Too short duration leads to ineffective treatment. Too long duration leads to development of resistant bacteria.

7. Too many clogged pores & cysts

Physical methods of extraction removal may be required

8. Underlying hormonal imbalance esp for women

Please see your doctor for further testing

10. It may not be acne at all

It could be some other bacteria if conventional acne treatment isn't working for you. Please see the doctor for review

JUST REMEMBER, ALL ACNE CASES CAN BE ADEQUATELY CONTROLLED, JUST HAVE PATIENCE & COMPLIANCE!