Acne is one of the most widely common skin conditions that affect almost everyone at some point in their lives. It commonly manifests during puberty and appears on the face as the body undergoes hormonal changes.
Many other things can trigger acne, ranging from stress to certain medications and food. Initiating lifestyle changes can help reduce or even resolve acne. However, severe and persistent acne cases often require medical help. Fortunately, various safe and effective treatments, like doxycycline for acne, are available.
Doxycycline is a commonly prescribed antibiotic to treat acne and different skin conditions.
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What does doxycycline treat?
As an antibiotic, doxycycline treats various bacterial infections and diseases. These include:
- Skin inflammatory conditions, such as acne and rosacea
- Cellulitis
- Skin infections
- Anthrax and tularemia- serious infections that spread as part of a bioterror attack
- Malaria prevention
- Urinary tract infections
- Escherichia coli or E.coli
- Pneumonia and other respiratory tract infections
Although doxycycline treats respiratory tract infections, it is not an effective medication for colds, flu, and similar viral diseases. Using doxycycline for such cases may increase the risk of infection and build up antibiotic resistance, lowering the effectiveness of infection treatments.
Doxycycline for Acne – What to Know
Doxycycline is commonly prescribed as an oral medication for moderate to severe bacterial acne. This acne occurs due to excessive bacterial growth in clogged skin pores.
Since it is an oral medication, doxycycline is an ideal treatment option for individuals with acne breakouts on their back or other parts of the body that are difficult to reach and apply with topical acne products.
Doxycycline is also prescribed for mild forms of inflammatory acne that have not responded to other medications. Doxycycline treatments can help calm inflammation, minimize redness, and improve the appearance of pustules and cysts.
How Doxycycline Works for Acne
Doxycycline eliminates bacteria and prevents their continued growth and spread. This holds true regardless of whether the medication is used in treating acne or other bacterial infections and conditions.
Doxycycline kills the Cutibacterium acnes or C. acnes (formerly Propionibacterium acnes) bacteria that proliferate in the skin. This bacteria causes the oil glands to produce more oil, which is one of the primary causes of acne and pimples.
Due to how the medication works, doxycycline exhibits lower effectiveness in treating non-inflammatory acne, such as blackheads and milia.
How Long Does Doxycycline Take to Work for Acne?
Doxycycline is absorbed almost wholly after ingestion. However, it takes some time before users experience its full benefits and effects.
People may start to see signs of improvement beginning at the two-week mark. It is more common, though, for the medication to take up to 12 weeks or three months of regular use before any positive changes are evident.
Doctors generally prescribe doxycycline treatment for three months. The patient may risk developing antibiotic resistance to the drug any longer than that. The doctor may re-evaluate and extend the treatment depending on the severity of the acne and the overall response to the treatment.
Doxycycline Dosage for Acne
The typical doxycycline dosage for acne can start at 40 mg once daily, particularly for delayed-release tablets or capsules. After that, the dosage can be increased up to 100 mg twice daily, depending on how severe the condition is.
Doxycycline is only available with a doctor’s prescription. The prescribed dosage may depend on the brand, the patient’s age, and the acne’s severity. The type of the medication, such as whether the tablet is a delayed-release type, may also affect the prescribed dosage.
Doxycycline treatments are usually short-term to prevent the development of antibiotic resistance. As a result, physicians and dermatologists often prescribe the medication for only three to four months at a time.
How to Use Doxycycline for Acne
Doxycycline is an excellent oral antibiotic treatment for acne and other skin inflammatory conditions. However, it is best used with other treatment options for acne to ensure all factors that may cause or trigger acne breakouts are addressed.
Doctors usually prescribe doxycycline together with other topical acne medications. For example, benzoyl peroxide and topical retinoids are safe with doxycycline and help produce faster, better results.
Warnings and Precautions
As a general precaution, patients should always inform the doctor about allergies and any prescriptions, medications, or supplements they may take. These can help minimize adverse effects and drug interactions.
Doxycycline may decrease the overall effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives. Therefore, women are advised to consult their doctors regarding switching to other forms of birth control.
Taking the medication also increases photosensitivity or sensitivity to the sun. This may cause skin rashes, itching, redness, and severe sunburn. As such, it is often best to limit staying in direct sunlight. In addition, ensure to take necessary precautions, such as sunscreen and protective clothing outdoors.
Common Side Effects of Doxycycline
Like other medicines, doxycycline may cause unwanted side effects. These include:
Upset stomach. It is recommended to take doxycycline after meals. However, eating or drinking dairy products before taking medicine may make it less effective.
Indigestion and esophagus pain. Doxycycline may irritate the esophagus and make it difficult or painful to swallow. It’s best to take tablets and capsules with water and to avoid lying down for an hour or so after ingesting the medication.
Sensitivity to the sun. The medication increases the overall sun sensitivity of the skin. This can be countered by wearing sunscreen daily and reapplying it every two hours outdoors.
Some people also report losing appetite, rashes or hives, and teeth discoloration due to the medication. Teeth color discoloration can be permanent when doxycycline is taken during the tooth development, from the last half of pregnancy up to eight years old.
Doxycycline’s more common side effects do not warrant immediate medical attention. However, check with a healthcare professional in case of multiple adverse or extreme side effects simultaneously is recommended.
Watch out for serious side effects, such as:
- High blood pressure, heralded by symptoms like blurry vision and headache
- Anemia
- Pancreatitis
- Severe skin reactions, like blisters or purple spots
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Severe or persistent diarrhea
Alternative Treatments for Acne
Many effective natural and alternative treatments reduce inflammation and acne breakouts. These include:
Topical products with at least 5% tea tree oil, such as creams, serums, or cleansers
Creams containing 5% bovine cartilage
Apple cider vinegar and water mixture as a facial toner
Homemade facial mask using honey and cinnamon powder
Drinking green tea regularly or applying cooled brewed tea to the skin
Make sure to do a patch test when trying new acne drugs or alternative homemade treatments. It is also best to consult a medical professional or dermatologist to ensure the treatments will not have any adverse reactions with any medications you may be taking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Specifically, doxycycline helps in clearing bacterial acne.
Cutibacterium acnes or Propionibacterium acnes is a type of bacteria that lives in the oil glands of our skin. When hormone changes trigger the oil glands to produce more oil, it causes this bacteria to multiply, which causes inflammation and acne.
Doxycycline helps clear acne by killing C. acnes. This reduces and prevents inflammation, one of the primary triggers of acne breakouts.
Taking only doxycycline will not cure acne sufficiently or permanently. Taking doxycycline is meant to help kill off and limit the proliferation of bacteria that causes C. acnes.
Although it can significantly help reduce C. acnes and inflammation, it does not address other causes of acne. Therefore, people suffering from acne need additional treatments to prevent acne breakouts due to other causes or triggers.
Doxycycline is not meant for prolonged intake. It is primarily intended to control bacterial growth and help prevents acne from worsening. People who are only taking doxycycline for acne and no other medications will usually see a return of acne and pimples after stopping the treatment.
This is why doctors often prescribe doxycycline and other acne treatments, such as benzoyl peroxide or retinoid creams. This allows them to address other factors that may trigger acne. As such, people dealing with acne continue to see improvements in their acne condition even after they stop taking doxycycline.
Doxycycline is absorbed almost wholly after ingestion. However, it takes some time before its full benefits are seen and felt.
Some people start to see signs of improvement starting at the two-week mark of taking the antibiotic. But, generally, it can take up to 12 weeks or three months of doxycycline treatment before they experience any positive changes.
In general, doctors typically limit patients taking doxycycline to only three months of treatment. This is primarily done to prevent Propionibacterium acnes or the bacterial acne they cause from becoming resistant to the antibiotic.
Take note that this is only a general guideline. Some doctors may extend the doxycycline treatment duration depending on how the patient reacts.
Some people use doxycycline and tretinoin together. However, doctors generally do not recommend taking doxycycline simultaneously with tretinoin. This is because using these two medications simultaneously may increase the potential risk of pseudotumor cerebri, also known as “false brain tumor” or idiopathic intracranial hypertension.
Although it can significantly help reduce C. acnes and inflammation, it does not address other causes of acne. People suffering from acne will also need other treatments to prevent acne breakouts due to other causes or triggers.
Doxycycline is not meant for prolonged intake. It is primarily meant to control bacterial growth and help prevents acne from worsening. People who are only taking doxycycline for acne and no other medications will usually see a return of acne and pimples after stopping the treatment.
Doctors often prescribe doxycycline and other acne treatments, such as benzoyl peroxide or retinoid creams. This allows them to address other factors that may trigger acne. As such, people dealing with acne still continue to see improvements in their acne condition even after they stop taking doxycycline.
Doxycycline is absorbed almost completely after ingestion. However, it takes some time before its full benefits are seen and felt.
Some people start to see signs of improvement starting at the two-week mark of taking the antibiotic. Generally, it can take up to 12 weeks or three months of doxycycline treatment before they experience any positive changes.
Doctors typically limit patients taking doxycycline to only three months of treatment. This is primarily done to prevent Propionibacterium acnes or the bacterial acne they cause from becoming resistant to the antibiotic.
Take note that this is only a general guideline. Some doctors may extend the doxycycline treatment duration depending on how the patient reacts.
Some people use doxycycline and tretinoin together. However, doctors generally do not recommend taking doxycycline simultaneously with tretinoin. Using these two medications simultaneously may increase the potential risk of pseudotumor cerebri, also known as “false brain tumor” or idiopathic intracranial hypertension.
