Wearing decorative star patches has become a major beauty statement, with outlets like Vogue tracking how blemish stickers turned into everyday accessories. At the same time, The New York Times highlights our ongoing obsession with viral routines like "skin cycling."

Yet behind aesthetic selfies and quick spot fixes lies an important clinical reality. Waiting it out has a price. In a 2026 study, more than half of adults with acne already had noticeable scarring, with rates rising sharply for those who waited over three years to begin targeted medical care. A surface patch cannot stop the next breakout from forming underneath, and simply waiting things out carries a lasting cost.

Quick Answer: How do you get rid of acne?

Getting rid of acne comes down to six key steps: treat it early, match your products to your specific breakout type, stay consistent, get clinical guidance when progress stalls, maintain your regimen post-clearing, and check in to adjust your routine.

When proven over-the-counter products like salicylic acid cleansers, benzoyl peroxide washes, and adapalene gel fall short, connecting with a licensed dermatologist to align your skin with targeted prescription medications such as tretinoin, clindamycin, spironolactone, or oral isotretinoin provides the most reliable path to clear, healthy skin.

To help cut through the crowded drugstore aisles, here are six dermatologist-backed ways to clear acne quickly and keep your skin clear for good.

1. Start treatment early instead of waiting it out

Mild acne sometimes improves on its own, but dermatologists generally treat acne as a long-term condition, not a phase. An expert consensus calls it a chronic disease that requires long-term management. And the longer inflammatory acne lasts, the greater the risk of scarring.

In the same 2026 scar study, people with scars were more likely to be men and to have had longer-lasting, more severe acne. Scars aren't the only mark acne leaves, either. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), the flat dark spots left behind after a pimple heals, showed up in 48% of Hispanic and 65% of Black women with acne, according to one review. Picking makes both worse: squeezing pimples makes acne take longer to clear and raises the risk of scars and dark spots. Our guide to popping pimples covers safer alternatives.

“In my practice, I hear ‘I thought I’d grow out of it’ all the time, and by the time patients come in, many already have scars or dark spots that take far longer to treat than the acne itself. Acne is a lot like a small leak in your roof. It’s much easier to fix early than to repair the water damage later,” says Dr. Christina Marcelus, MD, MS, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist.

Red flag: Deep, painful bumps, new scars, or dark marks that keep piling up are signs acne is doing lasting damage. Acne that leaves you feeling embarrassed or anxious counts too, and the NIH's skin institute says those feelings are worth raising with a doctor. These generally call for a provider's help now, not after another season of waiting.

Acne that starts or flares suddenly in adulthood, especially with irregular periods, thinning scalp hair, or extra facial or body hair, can also point to a hormonal cause worth checking. Adult-onset acne with these signs can be linked to conditions like PCOS, and it changes how we treat it.

If waiting isn't the plan, the next question is what to use.

2. Match a proven treatment to your acne

The treatments with the strongest evidence each target something that drives breakouts: clogged pores, acne bacteria, inflammation, or hormones. The 2024 AAD guidelines give a strong recommendation to benzoyl peroxide, topical retinoids, topical antibiotics, and oral doxycycline. Salicylic acid, a drugstore staple, gets only a conditional (weaker) one.

Retinoids target clogged pores: they clear your pores and treat blackheads, whiteheads, and inflamed pimples.

“Retinoids also have anti-inflammatory effects and are a cornerstone of prevention”

Adapalene is a retinoid sold over the counter, and prescription tretinoin belongs to the same family. “A pea-sized amount at night for the whole face is usually enough.” says Marcelus.”Overapplying is one of the most common reasons patients get irritated skin and quit so don’t overdo it.”

Here's how guideline support lines up with the most common acne patterns:

ACNE PATTERNTREATMENTS WITH GUIDELINE SUPPORTSTRENGTH OF SUPPORT
Clogged pores (blackheads, whiteheads)Topical retinoids such as adapalene or tretinoin; salicylic acidStrong for retinoids; conditional for salicylic acid
Red, inflamed pimplesBenzoyl peroxide, topical retinoids, topical antibiotics (used with benzoyl peroxide); azelaic acidStrong; conditional for azelaic acid
Widespread or stubborn inflamed acneOral doxycycline, short-term and alongside topicals; minocycline or sarecyclineStrong for doxycycline; conditional for the others
Hormonal patternSpironolactone (usually for female patients); certain combined birth control pills (estrogen plus progestin), such as those FDA-approved for acne; clascoterone cream (a topical hormone blocker)Conditional
Severe, scarring, distressing, or not respondingAccutane (oral isotretinoin)Strong

While Birth control pills are one of the most common hormonal treatments dermatologists use and are in the AAD guidelines, not all birth control helps acne. Combined pills that contain estrogen can improve breakouts, while progestin-only methods, like the hormonal IUD, implant, shot, or mini-pill, can sometimes make acne worse. Dermatologists typically combine treatments that work in different ways, which the guidelines call good practice. Topical antibiotics, for example, are generally used with benzoyl peroxide rather than alone. Isotretinoin isn't reserved for the worst cases, either. The guidelines strongly recommend it for acne that's severe, scarring, causing real distress, or not responding to standard treatment.

If you’re pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or breastfeeding, let your provider know, since some acne treatments, including retinoids, spironolactone, doxycycline, and isotretinoin, aren’t safe during that time.

For one angry pimple before a big day, our overnight fixes guide covers spot treatment. Picking the right treatment is half the job. Using it long enough is the other half.

3. Stay consistent for about 3 months

Most of the time, the treatment isn't the problem. The plan stops before it can work. In a 2026 study of 2,349 acne patients at 18 dermatology centers, only 48% said they used their treatment consistently, and men were less consistent than women.

Timing trips people up too. Most acne treatments take at least 6 to 8 weeks before breakouts start to drop, and the best results generally take several months. Switching products every couple of weeks restarts that clock, and trying new treatments too often can irritate your skin and cause more breakouts.

The same study asked people why they slipped. Here are the top three reasons, and what generally helps with each:

  • Forgetting (28.7%): Tying your treatment to something you already do every day, like brushing your teeth, turns it into a habit instead of a decision.
  • Disliking how it feels (26.4%): Dryness and stinging are common at first. Adapalene's label notes that irritation usually lessens with continued use, and that acne may look worse before it improves. If irritation is severe or isn't settling, talk to your provider about adjusting the plan.

Starting a retinoid every other night and using a gentle moisturizer can make the first few weeks much easier. If your skin is still sensitive, try the ‘sandwich method’: apply a thin layer of moisturizer, then your retinoid, then another layer of moisturizer on top. The moisturizer acts as a buffer to reduce dryness and stinging while the retinoid still does its job.

  • Not wanting long-term treatment (21.5%): Acne is a long-term condition, so care usually comes in two phases: one to clear your skin and one to keep it clear. More on that below.

What to expect: Some dryness or redness early on, fewer new breakouts after about 6 to 8 weeks, and a fuller picture by around 3 months. Experts suggest a follow-up within 3 months of starting a new treatment, which is a natural point to judge it.

Christina Marcelus, MD

“Some dryness, mild redness, or a little flaking in the first few weeks is normal. It’s your skin adjusting, kind of like breaking in a new pair of shoes. But burning that doesn’t settle, swelling, or a rash that spreads is your skin telling you something needs to change, and that’s when you should message your provider instead of stopping on your own.”

— Christina Marcelus, MD, MS, FAAD | Board-Certified Dermatologist

Sometimes, though, a plan really isn't working. Here's how to tell when it's time for more help.

4. Get a provider's help if it stalls

It's generally time for a provider when acne hasn't clearly improved after about 3 months of steady use, or sooner if it's deep, painful, scarring, or leaving dark marks. The AAD's advice is to partner with a board-certified dermatologist if you keep seeing breakouts after covering the basics.

Prescription treatments run on their own timelines. Oral antibiotics like doxycycline are generally kept to the shortest time needed, typically about 3 to 4 months, and paired with topicals. Spironolactone, a pill usually prescribed to female patients with hormonal acne, takes patience. In a UK trial, 82% on spironolactone reported improvement at 24 weeks, compared with 63% on placebo, and the gap was bigger at 24 weeks than at 12. It isn’t used during pregnancy, and most healthy patients don’t need routine potassium checks.

Two-phase acne care timeline. Clearing phase: fewer breakouts usually begin at 6–8 weeks, and a typical first follow-up comes within about 3 months. Maintenance phase: the goal is skin that stays clear or almost clear, and a topical retinoid is the usual maintenance treatment. A separate panel notes that an isotretinoin course typically lasts 15–20 weeks and that spironolactone showed a bigger benefit at 24 weeks than at 12 in one trial.

A course of isotretinoin usually lasts about 5 to 6 months, and sometimes longer depending on the dose. “15 to 20 weeks is the label's standard course, but in practice many patients are on lower doses for longer“ advises Dr. Marcelus. It must not be used during pregnancy, so everyone on isotretinoin enrolls in a safety program called iPLEDGE. People who can become pregnant use two forms of birth control and take monthly pregnancy tests, and patients have routine bloodwork during treatment. Cost is a fair worry at this step. Prescriptions can run through your insurance, and our care team helps with prior authorizations when a medication needs approval.

Clearing acne is phase one. Keeping it clear is phase two.

5. Keep a maintenance plan once your skin clears

Once your skin clears, the usual next step is a maintenance phase, most often with a topical retinoid. Experts describe acne care in two phases, and the goal of the second is to keep skin clear or almost clear. The AAD notes that a retinoid used for maintenance can keep skin clear once acne is under control. Oral antibiotics, by contrast, are meant to be short-term, so they aren't the maintenance plan. Many patients also keep a benzoyl peroxide wash in their routine a few times a week. A benzoyl peroxide wash is a simple, low-cost maintenance option I recommend often,” explains Marcelus. “especially for patients prone to inflamed breakouts.”

Christina Marcelus, MD

“Clear skin means the treatment is working, not that the acne is gone for good. Stopping everything at once is like taking your foot off the brakes on a hill. Most patients do best staying on a retinoid a few nights a week to keep new breakouts from forming.”

— Christina Marcelus, MD, MS, FAAD | Board-Certified Dermatologist

Everyday habits help protect the result. The standard routine is washing with a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser in the morning, at night, and after heavy exercise, plus choosing products labeled noncomedogenic, meaning they don't clog pores. Daily sunscreen matters more than usual, since some acne medications make your skin sensitive to UV.

Staying on track is where follow-up matters, and it's where online care can help.

6. Keep your follow-up check-ins, online or in person

Follow-up matters wherever you get care, and research suggests online acne care works about as well as in-person visits. A 2024 review of 21 studies found similar results on several acne-grading scales, and patients were about as satisfied.

The weak spot was follow-up. In one study the review covered, 13% of virtual patients came back within 90 days, compared with 31% of in-person patients. That matters, because acne plans usually need a check-in and an adjustment or two.

Steady contact helps close that gap. With us, care is managed 100% online, and our Care Team offers support 7 days a week. As one Honeydew patient wrote in a review: “Quick no nonsense service, got me on a treatment course that worked and was easy to stick to.”

Here's how our providers put it all together.

Honeydew Recommends

Our providers recommend treating acne that's lasted more than a few months, or that's deep, painful, scarring, or leaving dark marks, now rather than waiting it out. That means starting a prescription plan matched to your acne, usually a topical retinoid with benzoyl peroxide, and keeping a retinoid going once you're clear. Waiting is linked to scarring, combining treatments works on more than one cause of acne, and maintenance protects the progress you've made.

“The patients who get the best results aren’t the ones with the fanciest products. They’re the ones who start early, stick with a simple plan for at least three months, and keep checking in so we can adjust,” says Dr. Marcelus.

If your breakouts are mild and occasional, a drugstore benzoyl peroxide wash in the morning or adapalene gel at night, used for about 3 months, is a reasonable first step. “Adapalene is best used at night, and since benzoyl peroxide can bleach towels and pillowcases,” recommends Dr. Marcelus. “We usually suggest it as a wash.”

When topicals aren't enough, our providers may add a short course of doxycycline, spironolactone for hormonal breakouts, or isotretinoin for acne that’s persistent, scarring, or resistant to other treatments—even if it isn’t severe. No treatment works overnight or comes with a guarantee, and plans sometimes need adjusting along the way. Still, over 90% of our acne patients see real progress, based on a survey of 80 patients subscribed for acne treatment over 4 months.

At Honeydew, your first consultation with a board-certified dermatologist like Dr. Christina Marcelus is free!

Membership for acne care other than Accutane starts at $25/month with an annual plan, and Accutane care starts at $50/month with an annual plan. Membership includes unlimited follow-ups and messaging with your provider.

Medications aren't included in the membership. They're prescribed to outside pharmacies and may be covered by insurance, and for some generics the cash price is lower than a copay. The membership is HSA/FSA eligible. Start your free online consultation with a dermatologist today to get a plan built for your skin.

References Cited

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