Acne is a very common skin condition that causes pimples. You’ll usually get pimples on your face. Clogged pores cause acne. Teenagers and young adults most often get acne, but it can also occur during adulthood for many people. Treatment is available to clear acne from your skin and prevent scarring.

The acne treatments:

Oral acne medications

Oral acne medications are pills that you take by mouth to clear your acne. Types of oral acne medications could include:

1. Antibiotics: Antibiotics treat acne caused by bacteria. Common antibiotics for acne include tetracycline, minocycline and doxycycline. These are best for moderate to severe acne.

Isotretinoin (Amnesteem®, Claravis® and Sotret®): Isotretinoin is an oral retinoid. Isotretinoin shrinks the size of oil glands, which contributes to acne formation.

2. Contraceptives: The use of certain contraceptives can sometimes help women and people AFAB who have acne. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved several types of birth control pills for treating acne. Some brand names include Estrostep®, Beyaz®, Ortho Tri-Cyclen® and Yaz®. These pills contain a combination of estrogen (the primary AFAB sex hormone) and progesterone (a natural form of steroid that helps regulate menstruation).

3. Hormone therapy: Hormone therapy is helpful for some people with acne, especially if you experience acne flare-ups during menstruation or irregular periods caused by excess androgen (a hormone). Hormone therapy consists of low-dose estrogen and progesterone (birth control pills) or a medication called spironolactone that blocks the effect of certain hormones at the level of your hair follicles and oil glands.

Additional acne therapies

If topical or oral medications don’t work well for your acne or if you have scars from your acne, a healthcare provider may recommend different types of acne therapies to clear your skin, including:

– Steroids can treat severe acne with injections into large nodules to reduce inflammation.

• Lasers and light therapy can treat acne scars, laser delivers heat to the scarred collagen under your skin.This relies on your body’s wound-healing response to create new, healthy collagen, which encourages growth of new skin to replace it.

– Chemical peels: This treatment uses special chemicals to remove the top layer of old skin. After removal of the top layer of skin, new skin grows in smoother and can lessen acne scars.