Some women run to see a dermatologist the second they see a blemish. Others put it off well past the time when over-the-counter options have stopped working, even when their breakouts are still rampant. Though there are many options for dealing successfully with breakouts outside the realm of prescription medications, if your acne is severe or chronic it may indeed be best to seek medical attention. Dermatologists have a host of options in their arsenal that can be more effective than over-the-counter products in reducing sebum production, creating healthy skin-cell turnover, and fighting bacterial infection.
Most prescription-only options such as the tretinoins (Retin-A, Tazorac, Avita, generic tretinoin), Differin (technically adapalene), and azelaic acid (trade name Azelex), plus topical antibiotics, oral antibiotics, and hormone blockers, have no nonprescription counterparts. Dermatologists also have one option that can be an absolute cure for acne and breakouts. That option is Accutane, the only medication that has a chance of curing acne as opposed to just keeping it under control. All of these options are discussed in this chapter.
Nonetheless, it is completely acceptable to start with the options available over the counter or from some cosmetics lines. Research indicates that the first line of defense against blemishes is from over-the-counter products. Some of these are similar to what a doctor would prescribe, such as salicylic acid products to exfoliate and benzoyl peroxide products to disinfect. (Sources: Dermatologic Clinics, January 2009, pages 17-24; and Lancet, December 2004, pages 2188-2195.)
To make sure you have the best chance that these products will work, it is essential that they be well formulated and that they don’t contain any irritating ingredients. If after a period of time you find those options don’t work or aren’t working as well as you would like, you can always make an appointment with a dermatologist.