How do I treat comedogenic acne and stop it from recurring?

Hello Renee,

There are many treatment options available for comedonal acne.

Topicals:

• Retinoids
• Benzoyl Peroxide
• Glycolic acid
• Salicylic acid

Orals:

• Oral Contraceptive Pills
• Antibiotics
• Isotretinoin

Depending on the severity of your acne, I usually recommend starting with the topical options. The oral medications can be added to the treatment regime if you are not responding to the topicals.

Treatment can be slowly tapered to reduce the risk of recurrence. Speak to a trusted doctor to find out more. Hope this helps!

Regards,

Dr Jiwei Wu

Every doctor would have their own preference. For myself, if the patient is particularly bothered and there is significant outbreaks, there may be an element of hormonal acne in play. I actually lean towards combining oral and topical treatments as I find the onset of efficacy is faster.

Treatment wise, I am a fan of chemical peels as there is minimal downtime and I have seen good drying of the active comedones and they are great for even-ing out any uneven skin tone.

See your doctor soon!

Dr Winston Lee

Both my colleagues have given comprehensive answers. Just to add, in terms of procedures to treat/prevent acne, I combine salicylic acid + Carbon laser peel (aka hollywood peel) in my practice and it has yielded great results for my patients.

Carbon laser peel is painless, with no downtime.

How does it work?
The layer of carbon absorbs the dirt from within the pores. Through photothermal and acoustic mechanisms, the laser breaks down the carbon particles and remove dirt they have absorbed.

Benefits:
1. Good for oily skin
2. Controls active acne
3. Exfoliates pores
4. Brightens skin

Hope this helps!

Cheers,

Dr David Deng