Acne

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Acne	Acne, close-up of cysts on the back	Acne, cystic on the back	Acne, cystic on the chest
Acne, cystic on the face	Acne, vulgaris on the back	Acne - close-up of pustular lesions	Acne on the back
Adult facial acne	Baby acne	Blackheads (comedones)	Blackheads (comedones) close-up
Hair follicle sebaceous gland

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For women whose acne is caused or made worse by hormones:

• A pill called spironolactone may help
• Birth control pills may help in some cases, though they may make acne worse

Minor procedures or treatments may also be helpful:

• A laser procedure called photodynamic therapy
• Your doctor may also suggest chemical skin peeling, removal of scars by dermabrasion, or removal, drainage, or injection of cysts with cortisone

People who have cystic acne and scarring may try a medicine called isotretinoin (Accutane). You will be watched closely when taking this medicine because of its side effects.

Pregnant women should NOT take Accutane, because it causes severe birth defects. Women taking Accutane must use two forms of birth control before starting the drug and enroll in the iPledge program. Your doctor will follow you on this drug and you will have regular blood tests.

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Acne usually goes away after the teenage years, but it may last into middle age. The condition often responds well to treatment after 6 - 8 weeks, but it may flare up from time to time.

Scarring may occur if severe acne is not treated. Some people, especially teenagers, can become very depressed if acne is not treated.

Call your doctor or a dermatologist if:

• Self-care measures and over-the-counter medicine have not helped after several months
• Your acne is severe (for example, you have a lot of redness around the pimples or you have cysts)
• Your acne is getting worse
• You develop scars as your acne clears up

Call your baby's health care provider if your baby has acne that does not clear up on its own within 3 months.

Review Date: 10/30/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by Kevin Berman, MD, PhD, Atlanta Center for Dermatologic Disease, Atlanta, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).