Pretty bad acne at 25

[gnosis]

I am 25 years old and am on medication (minocine) for acne but even on medication i am getting some revolting spots. They are not just ordinary pimples they are more like boils, they have no head they are just huge red swellings on the face. Sometimes i lance them but don't always get any pus out. I could just about put up with it when i was sixteen but i just think i ought to have outgrown it by now. Is there anything else that i can do apart from taking antibiotics to deal with my acne and what is the root cause of acne in adulthood? Might there be other root causes that i should be worrying about and will i ever grow out of it? Thanks.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Acne, like most diseases, doesn't have a root cause.  Factors which contribute are oil, bacteria, genetics, and luck.  Acne at 25 is quite common.  Even so, it eventually goes away.  Treating it usually involves both oral and topical antibiotics, as well as derivatives of Vitamin A.  With patience and proper follow-through (and avoidance of any picking or squeezing), you should do fine.  All medications, by the way, take 2-3 months to take effect in acne.  Hence the request for patience.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff