Acne treatment from dermatologist?

Hi, I%26#039;m in my early 20s and just started having mild acne problems a few months ago, mostly whiteheads here and there on the cheeks. But it was getting frustrating so I went to the dermatologist last week and he gave me these creams to used:


-Benzoyl Perozide 5% gel (day time)


-Clindamycin Phosphate Topical Solution (day time)


-Retinoic Acid 0.1% cream (night time)





I guess I have very specific questions if anyone is familiar with the treatments above and experiences with visiting dermatologist in general:





1) He said treatment might make it worst before it gets better, what does it mean? And what is the time frame for the %26quot;worst%26quot; period?





2) And how long before I should expect to see visable AND touchable results?





I know everything takes time, but I would just like to know that what I%26#039;m doing will eventually lead to good results and I can get back to my life|||Your skin will probably get worse (due to the retinoic acid) during the first month of therapy and then improve after. However, the clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide should make your skin improve after a couple of weeks. There is a combination medication called Benzaclin which contains both benzoyl peroxide and clindamycin, which would reduce your morning medications to one -- but this medicine might have a higher co-pay. Generally, however, it is better for your skin to use fewer medications (if they have the same active ingredients) rather than more medications.





I hope your skin is oily because all of those medications are going to dry out your skin significantly. If your skin is not oily, you will need to apply an oil-free moisturizer for sensitive skin at night before the retinoic acid medication. (This is actually recommended for most patients in order to reduce the peeling, redness, and sensitivity caused by retinoids.) You may even need to use an oil-free, sensitive skin moisturizer during the day (maybe Cetaphil). Ask your doctor about using a 1% hydrocortisone cream if the redness and irritation become bothersome.





After two to three months on the retinoic acid, you may be able to be taper off on the other medications -- it just depends on how your skin responds. You should definitely see a transformation in your skin by this point; you are getting pretty aggressive therapy. Good luck!|||Hey Need help,





I used to have acne really bad and know how you feel. One day I was searching for acne cures and crap I found this blog http://www.AcneCuresForLife.blogspot.com haha( I bookmarked it lol )





Anyway I got the acne free product deal he recommends and my acne literally disappeared. It was crazy. The product i bought had a money back guarantee which is kinda cool too. I think it%26#039;s only like $25 or something








Anyway, I hope that helps!





Jonathan|||Acne treatment may be used by your dermatologist to remove blackheads and whiteheads. Do not pick, scratch, pop, or squeeze pimples yourself. When the pimples are squeezed, more redness, swelling, inflammation, and scarring may result