Hello S
Thank you for your question. Comedones can be effectively treated with topical products:
- Retinoids (retin A/ differin)
- Benzoyl peroxide
- Salicylic acid
- Glycolic acid
In more stubborn cases, oral medications can be considered:
- Antibiotics
- Combined oral contraceptive pills
- Isotretinoin
Topical retinoids such as differin play an important role in acne maintenance therapy after the initial treatment. Treatment may take months to years, but you can slowly cut down the usage of differin once you see enough improvement. Your acne should not worsen after you wean yourself off the medication.
Generally I do not recommend comedone extraction routinely as comedones can be safely and effectively treated with topical products as mentioned above. You may experience scarring and infection if the extraction is not executed properly in a clean environment. However you can consider comedone extraction if there are big stubborn comedomes (macrocomedones) that do not respond to topical treatment. Consult a doctor/ dermatologist to find out more. All the best!
Regards,
Dr Jiwei Wu
