Dermatologists do not always use just one treatment for acne at a time. There are many instances where combinations of therapies are tried together. While little study has been done to prove the effectiveness of these treatments, there has been plenty of success with them in clinics across the country.
Combination Therapies for Acne
Your doctor may suggest combination therapy if you have more than one type of acne. Different medications work best for different types of acne, so the thinking is that if both are used, the results will be better over all.
You also might be prescribed combination therapy if other treatments have failed. It is a method that attacks the problem from two or more fronts. This gives your skin a chance to clear up and heal.
You may have blackheads and whiteheads, and you also have inflammatory acne lesions. If you do, your doctor may suggest a regimen of 5% benzoyl peroxide and 3% erythromycin. You have to mix the gel and powder together because they come separately.
Then, you put the combination of the benzoyl peroxide and erythromycin on your acne twice daily. When you are not using it, it goes in the refrigerator. This combination therapy is more effective than either medication alone.
Another combination medication comes premixed. It is a mixture of 1% clindamycin and 5% benzoyl peroxide. It is a highly effective medication for both non-inflammatory and inflammatory acne. However, it is taking a long time to become available to be prescribed.
If you have both non-inflammatory and inflammatory acne lesions, you may be asked to try another type of treatment. Tretinoin, adapalene, or azelaic acid are among the agents that can be combined with benzoyl peroxide. They can be mixed with a topical antibiotic instead for another option.
If you use tretinoin and clindamycin, you will experience less soreness and tenderness than you would if you just took the tretinoin. Your dermatologist may have another trick up her sleeve.
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