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Hello,
I'm Dr. Neal Schultz
[pause]
And welcome to DermTV.
When topical products and treatments just don’t bring
my patients’ acne under control, of the three most commonly used
oral medications - antibiotics, birth control pills and Accutane -
antibiotics are virtually always my go to first choice.
Compared to the other two options, antibiotics have
many fewer side effects, work faster -
often in just a few weeks - and are easier to use.
But when antibiotics actually do bring your acne under control,
do you need to continue to take them forever?
And if you do discontinue them, will your acne just rebound
and breakout all over again?
Fortunately, the answer to both is no.
I like to explain this by saying that your skin has a memory.
When it’s “used” to breaking out, it continues to,
and when it’s used to not breaking out,
it tends to stay clear for quite a while. For the scientists out there,
you could call this the inertial theory of acne!
So when your acne is controlled with antibiotics,
and stays clear for a few weeks, you can gradually
decrease the dose until you are no longer taking it
and still maintain acne free skin.
The theory is that when your skin has stopped breaking out
and gotten used to not breaking out, by gradually
decreasing the dose, you sort of “fool” the body into thinking
you’re still taking the full dose. So instead of taking a pill
twice a day, you go down to once a day for two weeks,
then perhaps once every other day for two weeks.
And then, under your doctor’s guidance,
you can finally stop the antibiotic. By this time,
your skin has gotten so used to not breaking out,
that your acne stays quiet for at least many months
and sometimes even longer.
So if your dermatologist suggests treating your acne
with oral antibiotics, give them a chance.
The treatment will only be temporary,
and you may well become acne free for a long time to come.