Question:
I’ve heard about combination acne treatment. What does that
mean? Why might it work for my skin?
Answer:
The idea behind combination treatment for acne is similar to the
reason you use more than just a fork when you eat a meal. The
fork is great, but it really doesn’t do the job a knife
does at cutting your steak or buttering your slice of bread. And
when you try using the fork for your soup…well, you get
the idea.
There
are a number of factors involved in the development of acne. Generally,
acne boils down to four fundamental factors leading to its development.
And, while some agents used in treating acne address more than
one of these factors, few address them broadly.
As
a result, dermatologists have generally concluded that taking
a more comprehensive approach to treating acne is the most effective.
So, the recommendations given to patients frequently include more
than one agent.
On the OTC (over-the-counter or non-prescription) front, the approved
medicines for the treatment of acne are benzoyl peroxide, salicylic
acid, sulfur and resorcinol. Other than sulfur + resorcinol, these
medicines cannot be mixed with each other in the same formula.
And,
it’s a good idea not to apply two different stay-on medications
with different ingredients at the same time. But, it has been
found that these OTC medications can often be more helpful if
they’re used in combination with each other – like
using both a knife and a fork to eat a meal.
I
agree with dermatologist Dr. Katie Rodan, who said in an interview
with the New Beauty magazine, (Spring-Summer 2007): “The
best scenario for treating acne is combination treatment with
both salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide.”
Benzoyl peroxide generally gets deeper into the pore than salicylic
acid, down where many of the P acnes bacteria hang out. And that’s
great, since it’s also a better antibacterial agent than
salicylic acid.
On
the other hand, salicylic acid is usually a gentler, less irritating
medication that works closer to the surface. That’s the
area that has a thickened lining and the plug blocking the pore
– problems that salicylic acid is good at treating.
So, if acne has you frustrated, it might be a good idea to try
using more than just one utensil.
