When Acne Products Do Not Work

I’ve been battling acne for almost 8 years now. It’s been getting worse. I have acne prone, oily, sensitive skin. I’ve tried everything from drugstore to proactiv to murad to burtsbees. Nothing has worked for me. I’ve stuck out each regimen for the recommended time and each time, my skin is filled with pimples and later, acne scars. I’m traumatized at how my skin’s behaving. I have been to a dermatologist who just prescribed benzoyl peroxide and tazorac both of which my skin is sensitive too. I’m about to try birth control pills but Do you have any recommendations of what I should do? Thank you

I would recommend getting a second opinion from another dermatologist. If you have true cystic or pustular acne with scarring, you are a candidate for Accutane. A 6 month course of Accutane (or it’s generic form) dosed at approximately 1 mg/kg of lean body weight will cure this type of acne 80-90% of the time.

I really think discussing this with your dermatologist is important. Our office and other good offices follow the FDA recommended iPledge guidelines to the letter. When you call to make your appointment to discuss this, please make sure that the office has the iPledge program in place.

Also this article will help you learn more about acne and acne treatments. I hope this helps.

Dr. Irwin

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

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Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

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One of the best investments in your skin is your daily skincare. Why? Because you can prevent many problems with blotchy skin color, lack of glow, texture, some types of acne, and fine lines with good skincare products. You can also correct some of these problems with effective skincare products. Great skincare is often more expensive because quality ingredients are expensive. Some companies spend on research/development which benefits all of us and adds to the cost. Are they worth it? In general - yes! I have handpicked some of what I consider to be the best skin care products, and offer them for sale on SkinTour's shop. This is based on my team and I's testing and research at our clinic. Many of the products are in my own regimen. What could be better than using skin care products a dermatologist uses?!