Topical retinoids, which are medicines based on vitamin A, and are rubbed into the skin once or twice a day. They work by encouraging the outer layer of skin to flake off, and may cause irritation and skin peeling at the start of treatment. Disadvantages of this treatment include them making the skin hypersensitive to sunlight.

A topical antibiotic lotion applied to the skin can be used to control the Propionobacterium acnes bacteria. Treatment needs to continue for at least six months. Preparations that combine an antibiotic with other acne medication are available. Oral treatments

Oral antibiotics (tablets), taken daily for around 3 months, can be prescribed for inflammatory acne. This acts to kill off the bacteria infecting the skin. The success of this treatment can be limited because the strains of bacteria are often resistant to the common antibiotics. It might take four to six months for the benefits to be seen. Antibiotics do not prevent pores from becoming blocked so treatment to prevent blackheads, such as benzoyl peroxide, is often also prescribed at the same time. Some people find that it's a prolonged course of antibiotics is a nuisance. This explains whey some people do not always complete the course.

Hormone treatment. For women, a standard combined oral contraceptive pill (containing an oestrogen and a progestogen) can improve acne symptoms. But in some women, it can also make symptoms worse. One particular type of Pill, called Dianette, contains a medicine called cyproterone acetate which cuts the amount of male hormone in circulation and be an effective treatment for acne.