I am 28 yrs old and I have had acne for over 15 years; this is perhaps because I will not resort to harmful oral medications like Accutane. Can you help me as I refuse to take such medications????? I am desperate :(

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All About Acne

When you've got acne, all you want to do is get rid of it.

The good news is that you can!

Safe, effective treatments are out there, but sometimes it can be a little tricky working out what's going to work for you. So why not get the real experts to help?

All About Acne is written by a team of leading Australian health and medical professionals from around the country – dermatologists as well as a cosmetic medicine practitioner, GP, pharmacist and obstetrician / gynaecologist - who have all volunteered their time to this resource.

Scars




	Early, effective treatment of moderate to severe acne can prevent scarring. Anyone with scarring should see a GP who may then refer you to a dermatologist or cosmetic medicine practitioner.
	More about scars

Treatments




	Any acne treatment may take up to eight weeks to have a noticeable effect. With hundreds of products to choose from start by speaking to a pharmacist, GP or dermatologist for their advice.
	More about treatments

Types of Acne




	A GP or dermatologist can usually tell what type of acne you have by simply observing the number, type and depth of the acne spots. Acne is graded as mild, moderate or severe and adult acne also exists.
	More about acne types

Causes




	Acne happens when the oil glands (pores) in the skin become blocked. Hormones make the oil glands produce more oil (sebum) and if a pore is blocked, a build-up occurs to create a pimple.
	More about causes

01/05/2012

A large study of more than 14,000 adolescents and young adults has found that eye problems are more common in people taking isotretinoin for their acne than other young people.

12/04/2012

A new Australian Acne Management Guide has been developed to assist GPs with the easy identification of the different acne stages.

02/04/2012

Herbal preparations using thyme may be a future treatment for acne, according to early, new research.

29/03/2012

A multi-pronged attack on acne using a number of medications at the one time has been shown to be an effective treatment strategy.

26/03/2012

Acne patients should be reassured that the risk of adverse effects from prescribed acne medications is small compared to the high risk of scarring in people with severe acne.