Glad to hear you are looking to control that acne early; uncontrolled acne typically leaves scars and the management of acne scars is a bit more complicated, so early prevention is key.
Your skin is very much alive, so daily maintenance topical therapy will be necessary.
To increase exfoliation, prevent sebum build up and hence prevent acne, options include
1. Retin/Differin gels: I personally prefer differin due to their better tolerability by the skin. It is also more resilient to benzyl peroxide (oxy 5 that you are using) Starting it once a day to the whole face and then building it up to twice a day over 4-6 weeks is advisable. Sets you back approximately 30-50 SGD a tube.
2. Acidic toners: AHAs and BHAs can help with the excessive sebum production and comedone buildup. Go slow though, using it once every two days and bulding it to once to twice a day; using it too often can cause burn-like injuries to the face and aggravate your skin. Depending on the brand, a bottle can set you back 70 - hundreds of dollars.
You can continue to use your oxy 5 for spot treatment up to twice a day. Do note, however, that using a combination of the products mentioned can and will make you skin more sensitive during the initial 2-4 weeks, so adopt a patient approach and build up the dose over time.
The above, again, is for maintenance - keep at it for best results.
Should that be too slow for you, aesthetic procedures involving stronger chemical peels, lasers, or even oral therapy such as antibiotics or oral isotretinoin are all options to give that additional boost. All these, however, come with a certain risk and you would be best off getting a thorough consult on them before attempting them.
Cheers,
Dr Shane Tan
