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Suggest Treatment For Breakouts On Skin Along With Mild Acne
Question: I am 25 years old and suffering from mild acne problems since 2 years. Before that I never had any breakouts on my skin. I saw a doctor recently and hav been prescribed isotroin 20 and deriva ms and clindac A. I am using this medicines but I am confused with the duration of consumption of isotroin. Each packet contains 10 capsules. Doctor told me to visit 1nc in a month and it will take three months to get rid of pimples completly. But he didnt mention how many capsules should I take in 1st month. Should I continue having more then 10 capsules or stop it after having 1 packet. And I can see pigmentation and scars of dried skin. Wil it go after stoping the medication or its permanent.
Brief Answer:
daily ingestion needed
Detailed Answer:
Hi, thanks for posting the concern in HCM.
Your doctor has correctly prescribed you the medications you mentioned. I think you are confused with the duration of treatment and some common side effects of the medicine. So, I will discuss this here.
Isotretinoin is the gold standard treatment for acne, particularly the refractory ones. According to protocol, the medicine should be consumed till the lesion lasts, starting with a lower dose and after complete healing maintenance dose to be continued for another one month. Classically it takes 3 months for complete healing and so one course lasts for approximately 4 months with daily and regular intake of the medicine. Furthermore, a very important thing is you must not be pregnant during this period. So, you should have a good contraceptive if you are sexually active. Some tests are also needed prior to starting the medicine to ensure that there is no contraindication - Complete blood count, LFT and urea, creatinine.
Usually patients get long term, often permanent cure from acne with this. But, some patients need to have a repeat course.
Never use bleach cream or indulge into hair removal while on treatment to avoid adverse dermatological outcome.
Some patients are intolerant to it and if you ever have new rashes after using it or have burning or redness report to the dermatologist stat.
Skin pigmentation and scars are common with the medicine. But, if they are increased substantially you may have to stop it. You should consult your treating dermatologist for a review ASAP.
Your doctor has already scheduled monthly follow up and you need to stick to that to get good result as well.
In a nutshell, daily treatment with the medicine and regular follow up with watch on warning signs are to be maintained by you. Complete the course of the antibiotic as well to prevent relapse.
If you find this answer helpful, please close the thread and rate my answer.
Regards,
Dr Kaushik Sarkar
daily ingestion needed
Detailed Answer:
Hi, thanks for posting the concern in HCM.
Your doctor has correctly prescribed you the medications you mentioned. I think you are confused with the duration of treatment and some common side effects of the medicine. So, I will discuss this here.
Isotretinoin is the gold standard treatment for acne, particularly the refractory ones. According to protocol, the medicine should be consumed till the lesion lasts, starting with a lower dose and after complete healing maintenance dose to be continued for another one month. Classically it takes 3 months for complete healing and so one course lasts for approximately 4 months with daily and regular intake of the medicine. Furthermore, a very important thing is you must not be pregnant during this period. So, you should have a good contraceptive if you are sexually active. Some tests are also needed prior to starting the medicine to ensure that there is no contraindication - Complete blood count, LFT and urea, creatinine.
Usually patients get long term, often permanent cure from acne with this. But, some patients need to have a repeat course.
Never use bleach cream or indulge into hair removal while on treatment to avoid adverse dermatological outcome.
Some patients are intolerant to it and if you ever have new rashes after using it or have burning or redness report to the dermatologist stat.
Skin pigmentation and scars are common with the medicine. But, if they are increased substantially you may have to stop it. You should consult your treating dermatologist for a review ASAP.
Your doctor has already scheduled monthly follow up and you need to stick to that to get good result as well.
In a nutshell, daily treatment with the medicine and regular follow up with watch on warning signs are to be maintained by you. Complete the course of the antibiotic as well to prevent relapse.
If you find this answer helpful, please close the thread and rate my answer.
Regards,
Dr Kaushik Sarkar
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Its been 12 days I am using the medicine. Shall I continue it til the next visit to my doctor. I can see acnes hav cleared. So should I continue having d medicine? I cant sense redness or iritation but my skin is very dry now and as I was not aware of d fact of not doing hair removing I did eyebrows plucking nd threading in between 1nc. But I cnt see any visual change for that. But my skin around my lips and chin is pigmented. Do I use any medicine for that?any lotion or creame? And y other two tropical oinments are provided? What is there work? Any cream to heal those scars of dryness? And m avoiding having sex but had it once with precautions so should I go through any test?wil it be going to impact anything?
Brief Answer:
continue using the medicine
Detailed Answer:
1. Continue the medicine till next follow up. Your dermatologist will check you and review his/her plan accordingly.
2. You don't need to use any other lotion or cream.
3. Skin pigmentation is common with Isotretinoin, particularly with sun exposure. Avoid exposure to sunlight.
4. Avoid using any bleach cream, cosmetics etc. If irritation is unbearable, apply Cetaphil lotion locally. If reddening is there, consult your doctor.
5. You need to have a pregnancy test (preg colour test) ASAP
6. The antibiotic is to kill some bacteria that are incriminate to cause acne, namely propionibacterium.
If you find this answer helpful, please close the thread and rate my answer.
For any further information, please write back. Regards
Dr Kaushik Sarkar
continue using the medicine
Detailed Answer:
1. Continue the medicine till next follow up. Your dermatologist will check you and review his/her plan accordingly.
2. You don't need to use any other lotion or cream.
3. Skin pigmentation is common with Isotretinoin, particularly with sun exposure. Avoid exposure to sunlight.
4. Avoid using any bleach cream, cosmetics etc. If irritation is unbearable, apply Cetaphil lotion locally. If reddening is there, consult your doctor.
5. You need to have a pregnancy test (preg colour test) ASAP
6. The antibiotic is to kill some bacteria that are incriminate to cause acne, namely propionibacterium.
If you find this answer helpful, please close the thread and rate my answer.
For any further information, please write back. Regards
Dr Kaushik Sarkar
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
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