Will I have to use Differin for life if I'm prone to comedones?

Doctor's Answers 2

1) Is there such a thing as Differin dependence: No.

2) Will your acne worsen as you wean yourself off medication? Yes, that can happen. So first of all your medications have to be weaned off gradually and your doctor may overlap your oral medications with topical medications during this period to cut down or totally stop your oral medications. Treatment of comedonal acne isn't so straightforward; it can require a more holistic treatment for example, with changing your skin care and combination treatment with chemical peels and lasers. I have managed to wean off patients without purging or worsening of acne through a gradual process; so speak to your doctor to see how you can wean off your meds without worsening your condition.

3) Do you have to use Differin for life: No.

4) Safe to undergo comedone extraction during the purging phase? No. The purging phase occurs when your medications are working- so when Roaccutane and Differin are accelerating your skin cell turnover, it brings the tiny comedones that you might not have noticed called microcomedones to become more obvious. It's a frustrating phase but you'll have to hang on. Extractions have not been found to improve or shorten the purging. Extractions also carry a risk of making your pores larger and cause scarring.

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

Similar Questions

Are there any Accutane providers other than NSC in Singapore? Do antibiotics work for acne?

Thanks for the detailed summary. There’s no problem at all with seeing a GP to treat your acne – the treatment algorithm for acne is pretty standard. My pet peeve is only with clinics who overcharge based on having some sort of special super secret ingredient “miracle acne creams”, because the reality is that all effective topical creams contain well-known ingredients, and packaging it under their own brand shouldn’t give them the right to charge more, or “lock-in” patients to only using their creams.

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How effective is differin cream for PIH and acne?

Differin (a. k. a. Adapalene) is generally the most well-tolerated retinoid and hence it is widely used for acne. It is alright to use a thin layer over the affected areas only but it has benefits for the skin over the whole face so I like to recommend it for full face use. Important notes: Moisturise your face after using Differin.

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