Medicines can help acne. They can clean skin pores, kill bacteria, and reduce skin oil. And they can reduce the effects of hormones. The type of medicine you take depends on the type of acne you have.
The best treatment often is a mix of medicines. For example, you might take pills and put medicine on your skin.
Common acne medicines include:
- Benzoyl peroxide. This includes Benzac or Brevoxyl.
- Salicylic acid. This includes Propa pH or Stridex.
- Retinoid medicines you put on your skin. These include adapalene (Differin) and tretinoin (Retin-A).
- Antibiotic pills or ointments. These include erythromycin, sarecycline, and tetracycline.
- Some birth control pills and spironolactone. These may help control acne related to the effects of hormones.
Antibiotic pills for acne can cause side effects. They include vaginal yeast infections and diarrhea. Let your doctor know if you have side effects.
Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or if you're pregnant or think you might get pregnant. Some of these medicines are not safe to take when you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Anyone who could get pregnant needs to use birth control if they take these medicines.