Medical Acne Skincare

Three things. Prescription-strength ingredients are not available to buy over a counter. The combination is chosen for the type of acne you have rather than for acne in general. And the plan is reviewed and changed — when something irritates you or stops working, it is adjusted rather than left in your bathroom cabinet. Most self-directed routines fail on that last point rather than on ingredients.

The consultation where the physician assesses your acne and builds the plan is complimentary. A booking fee is taken when you reserve the appointment; it holds that time with the physician and reduces missed appointments. Reception will go through it with you when you book.

Purging typically appears where you normally break out, arrives within the first few weeks of starting a retinoid or exfoliating acid, consists of spots that come up and resolve faster than usual, and settles as your skin adapts. A genuine reaction tends to appear in new places, involves stinging, burning, redness, swelling or a rash rather than spots, and does not settle. Get in touch if it looks like the second — the routine needs changing, not persevering with.

No, and it reliably backfires. Applying more retinoid than a pea-sized amount does not clear acne faster; it inflames the skin, damages the barrier, and produces exactly the irritation that makes people give up. A slower start almost always reaches a better place by month three than an aggressive one that had to be abandoned in week two.

Not at the same intensity. Acne reflects an underlying tendency, so most people move to a lighter maintenance routine once things are settled rather than stopping completely. Many stay on a retinoid a few nights a week for years, which also happens to help texture and pigmentation. The intensive phase is temporary; some ongoing management usually is not.

Flat marks, yes — the brown or red patches that linger after a spot has gone will fade, though over months rather than weeks, and sunscreen matters enormously to how quickly. Textural scarring is different: indents and pitting are structural changes that topical treatment cannot lift, and they need procedural treatment. Part of the assessment is telling you which of the two you actually have.

When acne is severe, nodular or cystic, when it is already leaving textural scars, when it is causing real distress, or when a well-constructed topical plan has been given a fair run and has not delivered. Waiting too long is a genuine risk, because scarring is far easier to prevent than to treat. Hormonal patterns in adult women also open other options worth discussing.

Not before you come in — we would rather see exactly what you have been doing. Some of it will likely stay, some will be paused, and a few things may turn out to be part of the problem. Scrubs, harsh toners and heavy layering of actives are the usual candidates for removal, and stopping them alone sometimes settles skin considerably.

Some of it is, and some is not. Topical retinoids are avoided in pregnancy and while trying to conceive, and other ingredients are approached with caution. There are alternatives that can be used, so acne does not have to go untreated — but the routine needs to be rebuilt rather than continued. Tell us as soon as pregnancy is a possibility rather than after the fact.

Considerably. The two often look similar to patients but respond very differently, and several standard acne products can aggravate rosacea. Distinguishing them is part of the assessment, and the plan tends to lean on gentler agents such as azelaic acid, with more emphasis on protecting the barrier and identifying flare triggers.

Usually yes, and they are often combined deliberately. What matters is timing: retinoids are typically paused for a period beforehand, and treatments are avoided while skin is irritated. Tell whoever is treating you exactly what you are applying at home, since skin on active prescription treatment responds differently and needs a gentler approach.