Using Combination Therapy To Treat Acne

Benzoyl peroxide is the mainstay of over-the-counter acne treatment. In addition to using benzoyl peroxide alone to treat your mild acne, benzoyl peroxide is also often used in conjunction with topical or systemic antibiotics. This treatment option is referred to as combination therapy. In fact, combination therapy is used to treat most cases of acne because it's caused by a combinations of factors.

 

Combination therapy can refer to using combination products, such as those in Benzamycin, Duac, or BenzaClin, or by using them in addition to a topical retinoid and an oral antibiotic, for example. By using drugs that have different means and modes of activity, your acne is attacked on many fronts.

 

Combining benzoyl peroxide with erythromycin or clindamycin has the following advantages:

 

If you're looking to save some money on your combination acne treatments, talk to your doctor about using a prescription for a generic topical antibiotic such as clindamycin or erythromycin lotion along with an over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide. Use them one on top of the other.

 

Before applying medicine to affected areas, wash your skin gently, rinse with warm water, and pat dry. Apply the gels in small, pea-sized amounts once or twice a day or as directed by your doctor, in the morning or at bedtime to all of your acne-prone areas.

 

When used alone, the benzoyl peroxide/antibiotic combination takes about four to six weeks to show significant improvement. Once-a-day applications are usually sufficient and allow for the application of other topicals such as retinoids, if they are required, at another time of day.

 

If you have blackheads and whiteheads (comedones), a comedolytic agent such as a topical retinoid may be prescribed for you to apply at a different time of day. To minimize irritation, try alternating the products daily for two weeks until you adapt to using them both daily.

 

 

You can expect the same dry skin and skin irritation that are the most common side effects for benzoyl peroxide, plus the slight chance of mild irritation from the topical antibiotics. Side effects may include dry skin, itching, peeling, redness, and possibly a contact dermatitis from the sensitivity to the benzoyl peroxide.

 

To combat excessive dryness, apply a moisturizer generously in the morning. If you apply medication in the morning, the moisturizer should be applied over the medicated gels so that you don't block them from doing their job.

 

As with the topical retinoids, use only emollient, non-irritating cleansers to wash your face when you're using these preparations.

 

If you find that the combination products are too irritating (that's usually due to the benzoyl peroxide in them), you might try an over-the-counter water-based benzoyl peroxide preparation such as Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment, or a benzoyl peroxide soap bar such as Fostex 10% BPO Wash. There are also prescription benzoyl peroxide washes such as Zoderm and Triaz Cleansers.

 

All of these products may be left on the skin for 5 minutes and then rinsed off. Afterward, a topical antibiotic preparation such as clindamycin or erythromycin can be applied. That way, you still can get the benzoyl peroxide effect and hopefully avoid the irritation.