Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum.  ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Dermatology  (Expert Forum)
 | 
recent flare up
Answered by
Alan Rockoff, MD - dermatology, Child Skin Problems
The Rockoff Dermatology Center Brookline - MA
Welcome to the DERMATOLOGY FORUM! Questions in this forum are answered by Dermatologists from St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, under the direction of Andrew Alexis, M.D., M.P.H.

recent flare up

by mav01, Aug 14, 2001 12:00AM
Dear Doc,

During my teen years I battled acne, face & back.  I've used many types of topical creams and antibiotics that helped to finally get rid of most of my acne by about 20-21 years old.  I am now 24 and have just had a recent outbreak mainly on my forhead.  THey are the small red pimples, and there are about 12-20 little pimples on my forehead.  My question is why all of the sudden this outbreak on my forehead after such a long absence?  I would still get the occassional pimple here and there, but nothing like I have now.  This outbreak started about 4 weeks ago.  I did see a derm prior to this outbreak for remaining acne on my back that I wanted to rid myself of.  He prescribed me brevoxyl and tetracylene.  About two weeks after going on the tetracylene I started breaking out on my face.  Could the tetracylene be causing this breakout?  I've used tetracylene during my teen years, and it did little to nothing to help my acne then.  I've also been exposed to very humid, hot weather.  Could the humidity be causing this breakout?  Thanks for your reply.

mav01

by Alan Rockoff, MD, Aug 14, 2001 12:00AM
Good questions, to which I have few answers.  Basically, we don't know why intermittent rashes like acne flare up at particular times.  I will say that 1) getting flareups post-adolescence is far from uncommon and 2) tetracycline may not have prevented the flare, but certainly didn't cause it.

I recommend that you ask your demratologist what other measures he or she might recommend to control the acne, whatever miay have caused the outbreak.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff
Continue discussion
RSS Expert Activity
EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACH TO NEUTER S...
Dec 15 by Arnold L Goldman, D.V.M.
HOW DO/SHOULD DOCTORS THINK ABOUT T...
Dec 15 by Arnold L Goldman, D.V.M.
Simple tool to Assess your Risk for...
Dec 14 by Lee Kirksey, MD