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If you are reading this article, you may already be familiar with how frustrating it can be to treat acne. While it is frustrating that...
If you are reading this article, you may already be familiar with how frustrating it can be to treat acne. While it is frustrating that even the most effective treatments cannot clear your skin overnight, there are many effective acne treatment options available. Typically you might see some improvements in your acne at around the 4 to 6 week mark. There is a wide range of treatment options so the length of time you have to wait to see results will also vary. To learn more about uk acne treatments and the general timeframes to see results, read on as we go through some frequently asked questions.
This is a very broad question. If you are already taking medication, you would get a more accurate answer by asking a more specific question like: “how long does it take for minocycline to clear acne?”. Most treatments for acne will need several weeks before any noticeable improvements can be seen. Often people describe seeing some improvements at around the 4 to 6 week mark but the full effect of acne treatment will usually need 4 months or more. This can feel very frustrating and it is not surprising that many people think about stopping treatment since they cannot see any effects. While this frustration is understandable, stopping acne treatment after only a few weeks can make it hard for you and your doctor to assess whether the treatment was actually effective (or going to be effective). This can then mean it is also harder to assess what further treatment or alternative options would be helpful.
There are several factors that can have an impact on how quickly or slowly acne treatment results are seen. This can range from how severe the acne is (e.g Is it scarring? Is it widespread?) to the type of medication someone is using. Thus, a question of ‘how long does it take for doxycycline to clear acne?’ is unlikely to have a clear answer due to the numerous other factors involved. Here are some examples of factors:
| Factor | How could this affect how quickly my acne improves? |
| How severe is your acne? | For example, mild to moderate acne might show up as blackheads and whiteheads. More severe acne could be more widespread with pustules and scarring. The severity of the acne will guide treatment decisions as well as the length of time it might take for acne to improve. |
| What kind of treatment have you been using? | Acne treatment is wide-ranging, from topical treatments like high-street skincare creams to oral medicines like a course of antibiotics. From a medical perspective, many effective acne treatments are a combination of two medicines. How well the treatment works for your acne will depend on factors like the type of treatment and the strength of medication. |
| Do you have any individual health factors? | It is important to follow your prescription for acne medication and the advised treatment regime. Using it persistently for the prescribed period of time will increase your chances of the best outcome. Your skin type, general health, lifestyle, habits, and diet may also influence the effectiveness of treatment and how quickly you see results. |
As we discussed, the type of medication itself can have a significant influence on how long it takes for the acne treatment to work. For a more realistic discussion of timeframes, it is best to explore the different types of acne treatments as four main categories: benzoyl peroxide, topical acne treatments, oral antibiotics, and isotretinoin. These form some of the best acne medications for adults.
So how long does it take for benzoyl peroxide to clear acne? Benzoyl Peroxide is a common first-line treatment for mild to moderate acne. Essentially it is a mild chemical peeling agent. Now before you start to panic, benzoyl peroxide works by “peeling” or forcing the skin to get rid of dead cells faster which helps to keep the pores clear. This treatment also kills the bacteria inside clogged pores. The redness and the swelling can also be reduced by the anti-inflammation effect of benzoyl peroxide. Guidelines suggest that benzoyl peroxide will take around 4 weeks to start working and up to 3 months for the full effect.
Topical means the medicine is applied to the skin like a cream or a serum. This encompasses a large group of medicines from adapalene, azelaic acid, to antibiotics. Please note that this is not a comprehensive topical acne medication list. An example of a first line treatment for moderate acne might include a combination of acne medication topical cream such as benzoyl peroxide and adapalene. Typically, your doctor will prescribe a 12-week course and then review the treatment response before deciding on next steps.
Oral antibiotics can be prescribed for moderate to severe acne and are typically used alongside a topical acne treatment. Some examples of antibiotics used include: doxycycline and clindamycin. This is also usually prescribed as a 12 week course. After this, your doctor will review how effectively the acne tablet medication has cleared your acne and potentially stop the antibiotics while continuing the topical treatment. If taken as prescribed, people report significant benefits in the appearance of their acne; the redness and papules tend to decrease as the bacteria on the skin are tackled by the antibiotics.
Isotretinoin (you may have heard of this as Accutane or Roaccutane) is often considered the best anti acne medication. It is by far the strongest medication in this list of four and can only be prescribed by a dermatologist. This medicine is reserved for acne that is extensive, cystic acne, or severe nodular acne. Due to the risk of side effects, your doctor will carry out regular monitoring such as consultations and blood tests during treatment. The isotretinoin treatment regimes can vary but typically it is continued for 3 months or longer.
When someone is unhappy with the acne they are faced with every day, it is only natural to wonder how long you need to wait and endlessly google ‘acne treatment fast results’. As we discussed, there are a wide range of factors that can affect treatment response. What someone considers to be a treatment response or “results” can also be subjective. Immediately getting clear skin is unlikely but reducing spots, redness, swelling and decreasing the risk of scarring can help to keep the acne under control. For a general outline, you can refer to the timeline in the table below.
| Time since starting medications for acne treatment | Effects you might expect to see |
| Around 3-4 weeks | If it is mild to moderate acne you might start to see some improvements by 4 weeks |
| Around 6 weeks | With more severe acne treated by stronger medicines, you might notice improvements in your acne around this week. |
| Around 12 weeks | Many acne treatments are a 12 week course meaning by this point you may stop treatment. Your doctor will likely want to see you and reassess the acne, your response to treatment, and any side effects. |
| Months | If the treatment has shown noticeable benefits after a few weeks of using it, it is also likely that longer term improvements can be seen over months. |
If you have been using your new prescription medications for acne consistently as prescribed but it does not seem to be working it can feel quite disappointing. Regardless, do not simply increase the dose of the medicine taken or use it more frequently. After 6 weeks of no improvement with consistent treatment, it is advised that you discuss the situation with your doctor. They can reassess the situation and advise accordingly.
Generally, it is after the 12 week mark where your doctor assesses how effective the treatment has been. This might then prompt a different combination of topical/oral acne treatment or a referal to a dermatologist if isotretinoin is needed.
So at what point should you seek a medical opinion about your acne? This can be quite a personal decision, however generally it is recommended that you speak to your healthcare provider/GP if:
Severe cases may be referred from the GP to dermatology for more specialist treatment and monitoring. Also note that the list above is not exhaustive, the general approach is that if the acne is starting to affect your quality of life, then you should consult your doctor.