How to get rid of acne: a step by step plan

Getting rid of acne follows the same pattern for most people: find out what type you have, start one treatment with good evidence, use it the right way, give it 12 weeks, and then add a second treatment or see a doctor. This page walks through each step, based on the 2024 acne guideline from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and the UK guideline from NICE, which advises doctors in England. Skinli is education and is not a doctor. Deep, painful or scarring acne needs a dermatologist, and the last step explains when.

Step 1: Find out what type of acne you have

The AAD says a dermatologist diagnoses acne by looking at the breakouts, and that different types of acne often need different treatment. You can do a first check in a mirror, in daylight.

What you see	What it is	Where to start
Small bumps, white or dark tops, little redness	Whiteheads and blackheads (clogged pores)	A retinoid such as adapalene, or salicylic acid
Red, tender bumps, some with pus	Papules and pustules (inflamed spots)	Benzoyl peroxide, or a wash with benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid
Large, painful lumps deep in the skin	Nodules and cysts	A dermatologist

NICE also sorts acne by count. Mild to moderate acne means any number of blackheads and whiteheads, up to 34 inflamed spots, and up to 2 nodules. Moderate to severe means 35 or more inflamed spots, or 3 or more nodules. A store routine is built for the first group.

Step 2: Start one proven treatment

The 2024 AAD guideline gives its strongest rating to benzoyl peroxide, topical retinoids, topical antibiotics and oral doxycycline. Salicylic acid and azelaic acid get a conditional rating, one step lower. Two of the strongest are sold without a prescription in the US:

• Benzoyl peroxide, which reduces acne-causing bacteria. The FDA allows 2.5 to 10 percent. The AAD advises starting at 2.5 percent.
• Adapalene 0.1 percent gel, a retinoid that clears pores. The FDA approved it without a prescription in 2016 for ages 12 and up.

Salicylic acid, allowed at 0.5 to 2 percent, works best on whiteheads and blackheads, the AAD says.

Start one. AAD dermatologists advise using one product for 6 to 8 weeks without adding or stopping others, because the FDA requires every acne label to warn that irritation is more likely when two acne medicines are used together.

The best acne treatments by guideline compares every option, over-the-counter acne treatments shows how to read a Drug Facts box, and acne serums explains how to judge a serum by its active ingredient. For the choice between the two most common store ingredients, see salicylic acid vs benzoyl peroxide.

Step 3: Use it the right way

How you apply a treatment matters as much as which one you pick.

1. Whole area, thin layer. The AAD says to spread a thin layer over all acne-prone skin. Putting medicine only on the spots you see treats them but fails to prevent new ones.
2. Start slowly. The FDA directions say to start with one application a day. NICE says to start benzoyl peroxide and retinoids every other day, or to wash them off after an hour, and to move to normal use once the skin copes.
3. Once a day for adapalene. Its label says using it more often will not give faster or better results but may worsen irritation.
4. Moisturize. The AAD says acne treatments tend to dry and irritate the skin, and a daily moisturizer helps skin tolerate them.
5. Cut back, do not quit. If dryness or peeling bothers you, the FDA label says to reduce to once a day or every other day.

How to start adapalene without irritation walks through the first weeks of a retinoid.

Step 4: Protect your skin while treatment works

These habits come from the AAD, the NHS and NICE:

• Wash gently, twice a day and after sweating. Use a mild cleanser and fingertips. The AAD says scrubbing irritates acne-prone skin and makes acne flare.
• Keep your hands off. The AAD says picking and popping make acne take longer to clear and raise the risk of scars and dark spots. NICE says persistent picking can increase the risk of scarring.
• Check your products. Use makeup, sunscreen, moisturizer and hair products labeled non-comedogenic or won't clog pores, and remove makeup before bed.
• Skip drying products. The AAD warns against astringents, toners and exfoliants.
• Wear sunscreen. Some acne medicines make skin more sensitive to the sun. The AAD advises a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher labeled non-comedogenic.

NICE says there is not enough evidence to support specific diets for treating acne. How to get rid of acne naturally covers what research shows about diet, tea tree oil and home remedies, and the complete acne skincare routine puts every product in order.

Step 5: Give it 12 weeks

Source	Timeline
AAD	At least 6 to 8 weeks before fewer breakouts. Complete clearing generally takes 3 to 4 months
AAD, adult acne	Fewer breakouts in 4 to 8 weeks. Clearing 16 weeks after starting
NHS	Benzoyl peroxide usually starts to work within 4 weeks
Adapalene label	Up to 3 months of once-daily use to see results
NICE	Review the first treatment at 12 weeks

The adapalene label also says acne may look worse in the early weeks before it improves, and calls this normal. How to get rid of acne fast covers what helps treatment work as soon as it can, and how long an acne routine takes to work covers what to look for at each week.

Step 6: Add a second treatment, or see a doctor

If one product has not helped after 4 to 6 weeks, the AAD suggests adding a second product that works on a different cause. If you use benzoyl peroxide, the second might be adapalene. Add it slowly.

See a doctor if any of these apply, per the AAD, NICE and the NHS:

• Deep, painful lumps (nodules or cysts), at any point
• Acne that leaves scars, or dark marks that stay
• Mild to moderate acne that has not responded to two full 12-week courses
• Acne that affects your mood or mental health
• Hot, swollen, red skin around spots, a sign of skin infection

A dermatologist can prescribe creams, antibiotic pills paired with benzoyl peroxide, hormone treatments for women, and isotretinoin for severe acne. Severe acne and when to see a dermatologist covers each option.

Single pimples, adults and scars

Some questions fall outside the six steps.

• One pimple, now. How to get rid of pimples covers each type of spot, acne spot treatment and pimple patches cover single-spot products, and can you get rid of a pimple overnight? covers what one night can do.
• Acne after the teen years. Adult acne covers the causes the AAD lists, from hormones to hair products.
• Scars. How to get rid of acne scars covers what creams and dermatologist procedures can do.

Brown and black skin

On darker skin, acne often leaves marks that last longer than the spots. AAD dermatologists say dark spots after acne clears are more common in people with darker skin tones, and that they show the acne is causing a lot of inflammation, which products bought without a prescription usually cannot control. They advise seeing a dermatologist when these marks appear. The AAD also says raised scars are more common on darker skin, and that squeezing a deep pimple raises the risk of discoloration. Three steps from this plan matter most here: start treatment early, keep your hands off, and wear sunscreen every day.

Teens and pregnancy

The 2024 AAD guideline covers acne in adults, teens and children from age 9. Adapalene 0.1 percent gel is approved without a prescription for ages 12 and older. Retinoids for teens covers what the labels say for younger users.

Pregnancy changes the plan. AAD dermatologist Ramone Williams, MD, says to consult a dermatologist before treating acne on your own if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant. NICE says topical retinoids, including adapalene, should not be used during pregnancy or while planning one.

Keep acne away after it clears

Clear skin is a reason to keep going. The AAD says to keep using acne treatment after you see clearing, to help prevent new breakouts, and that dermatologists may recommend a topical retinoid as maintenance. For people whose acne often returns, NICE suggests considering a combination of adapalene and benzoyl peroxide as maintenance, reviewed every 12 weeks.

Skinli's plan follows these steps. It uses the two gels NICE names first for acne of any severity, adapalene 0.1 percent and benzoyl peroxide 2.5 percent, starts them every other night for two weeks, and asks for 12 weeks before judging the result.