Good news for teenagers: Using a combination of common acne medications has been found to be more effective for severe cases than a single treatment alone.
New research shows the topical Epiduo Gel – a combo therapy containing adapalene and benzoyl peroxide and the antibiotic doxycycline – reduced severe acne better than individual treatments.
More than three-quarters of 459 patients treated with the combination therapy had the biggest reduction in acne – with 50 percent saying it cleared pimples entirely – according to the research.
Thirty-four hospital facilities in the United States and Canada were involved in the studies published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology and Journal of Dermatological Treatment.
Acne is the most common skin disease, affecting nearly all adolescents and adults at some time in their lives.
“In adolescents and young adults, acne is associated with compelling psychosocial consequences, including depression and low self-esteem,” said Dr. Linda Stein Gold, a researcher at Henry Ford Hospital, one of the study’s participating facilities. “This combined therapy regimen gives patients who suffer from severe acne a new treatment option.”
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