For the treatment of inflammatory acne (i.e. those with painful red bumps and pus-filled bumps), doxycycline may take up to 6-12 weeks to work.
Thereafter, the antibiotic should be stopped and topicals (benzoyl peroxide, adapalene and tretinoin) should be continued as maintenance therapy. Prolonged use of doxycycline indiscriminately will promote antibiotic resistance in the future.
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