Casey Gallagher, MD, is board-certified in dermatology. He is a clinical professor at the University of Colorado in Denver, and co-founder and practicing dermatologist at the Boulder Valley Center for Dermatology in Colorado.

You used your acne medicine for weeks (or months) without fail, and you were rewarded with clearer skin. You were glad to finally put those acne treatments on the shelf and forget about them.

But as soon as you stopped using your acne medicine, the pimples came back. Did the medication not work properly? Is your acne medication just not effective? Why do the pimples come back when you stop using your acne treatment?

This article discusses what happens when you stop acne medicine and how to keep acne from coming back.

Most people anxiously await the day they will no longer have to use their acne medications. Unfortunately, stopping treatment usually means a return of pimples.

This doesn't mean that your medication isn't working. In fact, if you've had a significant clearing, your medications are actually working quite well.

Acne treatment medications don't cure acne, and they don't stop the factors that cause acne in the first place. Instead, they just control these factors to keep breakouts at bay.

Acne is caused, in general, by an overabundance of oil, dead skin cells, and acne-causing bacteria within the pore. Acne treatment medications work by reducing oil and bacteria and help keep pores clear of dead skin cells.

But acne medications don't change the way your skin behaves. If treatment is stopped, the pores become impacted again and breakouts return.

Acne treatment reduces oil and bacteria and clears out dead skin cells. If you stop using the treatment, your acne may return.

To keep pimples from coming back, you'll have to keep using your acne medications even after your skin is clear. The notable exception to this is isotretinoin.

Isotretinoin is the closest thing we have to an actual acne cure. You'll only use isotretinoin for a specific amount of time. Most people only need one or two courses of treatment with this medication. Once acne is gone, it's typically gone for good.

All other acne treatment medications, whether over-the-counter or prescription, will need to be used continuously to keep acne from coming back. This means you'll be applying your benzoyl peroxide, topical retinoids, topical antibiotics (or whatever treatment you're currently using) over clear skin. This is what will keep your skin clear.

Once your acne is significantly cleared, though, you may be able to cut back on your treatments. For example, instead of applying your salicylic acid twice daily, you may be able to scale back to a once-a-day application. Or you may drop your oral antibiotics and continue using Retin-A Micro alone.

Isotretinoin typically gets rid of acne for good. After using it for a specific amount of time, your acne shouldn't come back. If you use other acne treatments, you'll probably need to keep using them. However, you may be able to cut back once your acne is under control.

So to keep acne clear, you're going to need a long-term treatment plan. If your acne is mild, and over-the-counter acne treatment products work for you, use them in your daily skincare routine.

If you've been using prescription acne medications, your dermatologist will help map out a treatment plan to maintain your hard-won results. Don't change how you use your prescription medications without first talking with your dermatologist.

If you're using an acne treatment, you'll likely need to keep using it, or your acne may come back. Acne treatment helps reduce bacteria, oil, and dead skin cells to keep your pores clear.

The prescription isotretinoin is the exception to this rule. If your doctor prescribes this for your severe acne, you'll take it for only a certain amount of time to get rid of acne.

If over-the-counter acne medications are working for you, keep using them as part of your skincare routine. If you're using prescription acne medications, check with your dermatologist. They can help you figure out how long to use them and when you can try cutting back.

Rademaker M. Isotretinoin: dose, duration and relapse. What does 30 years of usage tell us?. Australas J Dermatol. 2013;54(3):157-62. doi:10.1111/j.1440-0960.2012.00947.x

Fox L, Csongradi C, Aucamp M, Du plessis J, Gerber M. Treatment modalities for acne. Molecules. 2016;21(8). doi:10.3390/molecules21081063

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