# Prescription Topical Acne Medications



## EmbalmerBabe (Sep 18, 2007)

I know everyones needs are different, but what would you say
is a very effective topical medication from the dermatologist
for acne?
I have a ton of black heads and have been getting stubborn cysts
deep below the skin and random whiteheads.
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




I am planning on going to see the dermatologist ASAP
because this SUCKS.
What works the best?
My friend uses ZIANA and says that has made a big difference for her skin.
Any thoughts?
Thankyou ladies


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## Janice (Sep 18, 2007)

Duac worked well for me and the friends who I've reccomended it to.


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## EmbalmerBabe (Sep 18, 2007)

Does that help with a ton of blackheads everywhere? Is it very drying?
Thankyou


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## Holls* (Oct 11, 2007)

I does help with blackheads but it is also drying. You can use a lotion to combat that. Ive been using it for about 2 weeks and see HUGE results with acne and blackheads, but again, my skin is super dry now.


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## JunkaLunk (Oct 12, 2007)

Differin! 

I beleive thats how its spelt. Perhaps youve seen commercials on it. I personally loved it and would apply at night before bed. It didnt dry my skin out, or irritate me at all. But yes like you said, everyone is different.


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## .k. (Oct 14, 2007)

yea i used one but stopped. proactive worked way better. take a look at my before and after pics on my thread


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## chipmunkvoice (Oct 15, 2007)

I've tried a few prescribed from my doctor.
I've found that Clindatech (topical solution) works well for me and Duac (gel) is great! I'm still using both Clindatech and Duac. I highly recommend both 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I dont have any before photos to show you unfortunately (because i HATED taking photos) but i have plenty of after photos hahaha 
I've also used Differin before... but that just dried out my skin and did nothing for me.


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## serenabena (Sep 6, 2008)

I just started on differin and duac! Wish me luck.


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## kimmy (Sep 7, 2008)

retin-a is good. i used it once a while ago because i had an allergic reaction that gave my cystic acne. it fixed my skin all up in just six weeks. i started using it again just now because my new toner had something in it that i'm allergic to, so the cysts came back.

it's kind of painful, the retin-a. for about four or five days during the first two weeks, your skin will flake alot and you might have some burning sensation on the really bad problem areas. retin-a speeds up skin cell generation, so the first two weeks your skin is adjusting to the medication which is why you get those kind of side effects.

for the third and fourth weeks, your skin should only be a little bit dry which can be easily remedied with an organic moisturizer (it's best to not use any chemicals along with retin-a, so you'll probably want to invest in an organic cleanser as well...burt's bees orange essence is nice because it moisturizes while it cleanses.) your skin will look worse than it did at the start of treatment because all the deep blemishes will be surfacing.

the fifth and sixth weeks of treatment are usually the last and your skintone will start evening out. your blemishes will be almost completely gone by this time, save for a tiny bit of redness which can easily be covered with foundation or concealor. 

one thing you have to remember if you use retin-a is to use sunscreen. the active ingredient in it makes your skin sun-sensitive and trust me, you don't want to put your skin through any more trauma than it's already going through with the retin-a treatment. it's also good to drink lots and lots of water while you're using retin-a. i saturate a cotton ball with vitamin e oil and rub it all over my face for a few hours every few days to help heal the dried out skin (i don't know if this is suggested by a doctor or anything, but it helps me alot.)

hth.


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## xsnowwhite (Sep 7, 2008)

I use differin and I love it. It has helped SO much! And I used to get tons of cystic acne and now if I feel one forming when I use differin it's gone before it even surfaces. Sorry that sounds disgusting but it shows how helpful I find it.


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