Experiencing acne at any age is an embarrassing and frustrating problem, but reaching adulthood and seeing it linger can be aggravating and depressing. There are ways to face it and while it might not go away completely, it can be controlled and lessened by a few different things. These things can include diet and lifestyle changes. Adult acne is not easy to live and deal with on a daily basis, but you are not the only one that is living with this.

Below are a few treatments to help with adult acne:

1. Retinoid creams

Retinoid creams are terrific at treating acne. They are made to treat moderate to severe cases of acne. The treatment unclogs and opens pores to be treated by other types of cleansing medicines that might be combined with the creams. It can help to reduce acne outbreaks by reducing the number of dead skin cells that can accumulate on the skin. Reducing the build-up of dead skin cells can also reduce the build up of bacteria and acne scars.

2. Clindamycin

Clindamycin is a type of antibiotic designed to fight bacterial infections that start in the body; particularly the ones that cause infections in the lungs, skin, blood, female reproductive organs, and internal organs. This cream helps with mild to severe acne as it inhibits bacterial growth in the skin and stops it before it can cause a breakout.

3. Benzoyl peroxide

Benzoyl peroxide treats mild to moderate acne for numerous people. It has been used for over 50 years to reduce inflammation in the skin and reduce the amount of oil the skin produces. It unclogs pores by reducing the buildup of skin cells on the surface of the skin while working to kill the bacteria lives on it. This type of medicine needs to be used on a daily basis to keep the buildup from starting again and to keep the pores becoming blocked. It is not fast-acting and it does take time for effects to be noticed.

4. Dapsone gel

Dapsone gel is a sulfone antibiotic that works slowly to reduce bacteria and inflammation. The full effects of the gel can be seen within 12 weeks of use. It is best used on acne that is moderate to severe. While the gel doesn’t cure acne, it can reduce the lesions considerably over a 6 month period. There are some health warnings if combined with other medicines and natural remedies such as St John’s wort. The side effects can include redness, oiliness, and peeling. There can be more extreme side effects including depression and tiredness.

Having adult acne is something that a lot of people are dealing with throughout their lives. Treating it can be a matter of trial and error, seeing how they work with your skin. It will take time to understand what will work best for you, but you will learn how your skin reacts to each type of medicine and which will work best for your acne. This is something you can overcome, but it will just take time.