The Paths to Clear(er) Skin

River Chad4 min readTreating adult acne can feel like one big science experiment—until now. This is the guy’s guide to adult acne. Read the rest of the stories here.IT’S ONE THING to get advice from a doctor (still important and invaluable), but it’s another to hear from other guys who’ve been there. Guys who understand what it’s like to cancel plans because of a whopper of a zit. Guys who’ve also hesitated to take their shirts off at the pool for fear of being judged for their bacne. We wanted to hear about their struggles, and successes—what finally worked to help them send breakouts packing and regain their confidence. As you’ll learn from these three men, no two plans are the same. But with a little consistency and some experimentation, blemish-free skin is possible.Courtesy Of SubjectBeforeWhat Worked: A mix of prescription topicals and OTC productsI like to take care of myself. I work out at least five times a week. I’m consistent with my diet. But my confidence takes a hit because of my acne. Since I was a teenager, I’ve dealt with deep cystic breakouts that have totally upended my life. I’ve canceled dates; I’ve canceled trips; I won’t leave the house when I have a flare. It’s improved as I’ve gotten older—since 2023 I’ve been using Winlevi, a prescription hormone-blocking cream, in the morning and at night, and Tazorac, a doctor-dispensed retinoid that I’ve been using since my 20s, at night—but I still deal with the occasional breakout. And it still messes with my confidence.I went to Greece over the summer, and I could feel a big one coming under my skin. The one thing that really makes a difference is the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+M treatment, which you can get for $25 at the drugstore. I apply it religiously every few hours as soon as I feel a zit coming on, and sometimes it helps it come to a head faster or stops it from forming altogether. I’ve found a routine that works, but acne is always something lingering in the back of my mind. —Derek Monacchio, 38, tax directorCourtesy of The Kaga InstituteBeforeCourtesy of The Kaga InstituteAfterWhat Worked: AviClearBack acne is something I’ve had my entire life, but honestly, I just thought it was something I’d always have to deal with. I couldn’t reach back there with a cream or a wash, and I didn’t want to go on Accutane or any prescription medications. Even though most people couldn’t see it, I’d get very self-conscious whenever I’d take my shirt off in public, which sucked because I take good care of my body.That all changed when I went in for a laser hair removal appointment at a physician-led laser center, The Kaga Institute, about six months ago. The office staff knew my situation with the breakouts on my back and told me they had something that could help—a new laser called AviClear, which supposedly suppresses oil gland production. I was curious, so I gave it a try. After three sessions, the pimples on my back were gone. It was totally painless for me—especially when compared to the laser hair removal I’ve tried. Each click of the laser felt like a warm sensation for a millisecond, and I was able to continue with my laser hair removal at the same time. Now that I’ve finished my series of treatments, I was told the results should improve with time. It feels great to have found a solution that works. I’m ready for next summer already. —William Sebok, 42, construction company ownerCourtesy of SubjectBeforeWhat Worked: Smart lifestyle choices and avoiding breakout-causing ingredientsThere’s a perception that when you have acne, you find a solution and then it’s over. That has not been my experience. My first breakouts (a mix of whiteheads and inflamed red bumps) started just as I was hitting puberty, around age 11, and persisted well into my 30s. I’ve seen a few different dermatologists since I was 15 and was prescribed everything under the sun—from clindamycin (a prescription antibiotic) to Accutane. I would take the medications for a few months at a time, and some would help for a while, but once I stopped, my skin would inevitably break out again. Plus, I experienced some side effects from the Accutane, including significant lethargy.After I stopped taking the medications, I started looking at the labels of the skin care products I was using and noticed that when the ingredient list was extremely long, there was a higher likelihood there would be something in there that would clog my pores. [Editor’s note: Look for the label “noncomedogenic,” a.k.a. not pore clogging, on your products.] For me, it became more about avoiding certain products and soothing the skin barrier. I also became much more careful about not overloading my routine with too many strong ingredients. I focused instead on making sure the products I was using were appropriate for my acne-prone skin. That was the game changer. Another thing that causes my skin to react is my diet. If I’m eating a lot of high-glycemic foods and meals that are high in sugar, I immediately break out. I also try to wash my face or shower immediately after every workout, and if I can’t, I spray on a hypochlorous acid spray to kill the bacteria. Less is more, and I’m proof of that. —Brute Choi, 37, content creatorBrian Underwood is beauty director at Women’s Health, where he oversees content strategy for the brand across all platforms, including digital, print, and social. Underwood previously served as beauty and wellness director at Oprah Daily and O, The Oprah Magazine. During his tenure leading beauty content for the Oprah brand at Hearst, stories Underwood commissioned were awarded the Skin Cancer Foundation Media Award and a Fragrance Award for Editorial Excellence (his second). He was the launch Beauty Director of Dr. Oz THE GOOD LIFE, and has held additional editorial positions at Fitness, Organic Style, Good Housekeeping, Life & Style Weekly, and Woman’s Day and has written for Self, Shape, Seventeen, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, and many more. Underwood previously served on the Skin Cancer Foundation’s gala committee and as partnerships director of the Trans Beauty Clinic, a New York-based charitable organization that provided beauty services and workshops to the city’s trans community.