How to treat acne on adolescent boys' faces

If a boy finds acne on his face during adolescence, it will be very troublesome. This will seriously affect the beauty of his facial skin. He still needs to improve the symptoms by taking care of and cleaning his face every day. He should use clean water to clean his skin. Another key point is that the treatment of acne should not be taken lightly, and the right medicine should be used.

1. Daily care

Wash your face with warm water once or twice a day to clean your skin. Avoid squeezing or scratching the skin. Avoid using oily or powdery cosmetics and ointments and creams containing glucocorticoids.

2. Common methods of acne treatment

(1) Topical medications: Retinoic acid (retinoic acid cream, adapalene gel, tazarotene gel), benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics (clindamycin, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, etc.), azelaic acid, sulfur lotion, etc.

(2) The first choice of oral antibiotics is tetracycline (minocycline, doxycycline, etc.), followed by macrolides (erythromycin). Avoid antibiotics commonly used to treat systemic infections such as levofloxacin. The course of antibiotic treatment is usually 6 to 12 weeks.

(3) Oral isotretinoin For severe acne, oral isotretinoin is the standard treatment and is currently the most effective method for treating acne. The goal of the treatment course is to achieve a minimum cumulative dose of 60 mg/kg.

(4) Anti-androgen therapy, such as oral contraceptives such as cyproterone acetate tablets, is suitable for female patients with moderate to severe acne, accompanied by excessive androgen levels (such as hirsutism, seborrhea, etc.) or polycystic ovary syndrome. Female patients with delayed acne and those with significantly aggravated acne before menstruation may also consider the use of oral contraceptives.

(5) Oral glucocorticoids are mainly used for fulminant or aggregated acne, following the principle of short-term, small doses, and combined with other methods.

(6) For patients who cannot tolerate or are unwilling to accept drug treatment, physical therapy such as photodynamic therapy (PDT), fruit acid therapy, laser therapy, etc. can also be considered.

3. Graded treatment of acne

(1) Level 1 is generally treated topically, with topical retinoic acid preparations being the first choice.

(2) Level 2 combined with topical retinoids and benzoyl peroxide or antibiotics, and oral antibiotics if necessary.

(3) Grade 3 often requires combined treatment, with oral antibiotics combined with topical benzoyl peroxide and/or retinoic acid drugs as the first choice. Antiandrogen therapy can also be considered for female patients with indications.