Can I use a scar fading cream while on Doxycycline?
I'm fifteen years old, and within this year my skin has become very oily and I've gotten a lot of breakouts. On top of this, I also have a lot of dark post acne marks on my face which are not fading very well on their own. I know these eventually do fade, but they are extremely disfiguring and I've had some for as long as since february.
I went to my doctor yesterday and I was put on Doxycycline, Duac, and another topical antibiotic which I think is for my back. However, when I asked my doctor about doing something to fade the acne scars, he was very vague and didn't really answer my questions. I know that treating acne will prevent scars, but I would really like to do something about the existing ones. They're almost worse than the acne itself. I realize that these antibiotics and benzoyl peroxie creams really won't do anything about the scarring.
Is it safe to use gentle over the counter fading treatments (without hydroquinone of course) while using all these treatments as well? and do you know of any effective fading creams that wouldn't make me breakout? I mean, aside from being prone to acne, my skin is not very sensitive and nothing makes it itchy or flaky.
Also, once I finish the antibiotics course, will my acne remain subsided or will it flare up again?
August 8th, 2010 - 08:36
Yes, you should be able to use OTC fading creams while on doxy….I used scar zone and mederma for a bit and it appeared to work, after a while the scars faded naturally as well. If they are just flat red scars, they will most likely heal best using a cream as well as letting them heal naturally. If they are indentations or pock marks, it may be best toou may better to wait until you’re done with treatment and considering lazer treatment/peels/other medical treatment options.
Unfortunately, I was told by several sources that I "couldnt remain on them (antibiotics) forever", and while I thought it was BS and didn’t understand it, I tried my best to keep taking antibiotics. However, because most antibiotics for acne simply kill germs and temporarily affect what is causing the acne, eventually your body may become immune to the drug: either if you continue taking it for a long period of time, or if you stop taking it and then continue taking it again.
Unfortunately this happens to most people on antibiotics. So, basically it’s just a temporary fix, unless your body never becomes immune to it, in which case, I recommend trying to stay on it as long as you can.
For me, Doxy/ topicals cleared my acne almost completely within a month, and I had cystic acne. I stopped taking it for just about one week and my face began to break out; I got back on doxy but my body had already begun to reject it, and my cystic acne came back two-fold (imagine finally having a clear face, and then it gets worse than it was before! It sucked…)
My last option was going on accutane, and at that point I was willing to try it, knowing the risks and feeling that any of them was worth it; if your antibiotics don’t end up working, I definitely recommend isotretinoin/accutane. While I’ve had some bad side effects–some of the less common ones–I will never regret trying it, even if I have to end up doing multiple courses. Accutane works by actually shrinking the sebum glands/pores in your skin, ultimately preventing any breakouts. Also, one treatment is often permanent or can prevent acne for years. It’s a serious drug, so only consider it if you’ve tried anything else and are willing to possibly have permanent damage to your body.
Anyways, good luck! You’re probably going to have to get off of Doxy eventually–when you do, hopefully your acne doesn’t come back.