Prescription acne treatment after a proper assessment, with photographs reviewed before your appointment.
Assessed and prescribed by a GMC-registered GP
Prescriptions sent electronically to a pharmacy
Monitoring and follow-up included where it is needed
Your NHS records in the room, with your consent
Care led personally by Dr Khan
Attentive, unhurried care that listens properly
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Registered with the Care Quality Commission
Acne is one of the conditions that assesses well remotely, provided the photographs are good. Send clear, well-lit images beforehand and the GP can see what they need to see.
Treatment depends on the type and severity — what works for blackheads and blocked pores is not what works for deep, painful cystic lesions.
Options include topical retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, topical or oral antibiotics, and hormonal treatment such as the combined pill for some women.
Isotretinoin requires dermatology supervision and cannot be prescribed remotely, but we can refer.
Severe nodulocystic acne, or acne that has not responded to two adequate courses, needs dermatology and probably isotretinoin — which requires specialist supervision and cannot be prescribed remotely.
Topical and oral retinoids must never be used in pregnancy or when trying to conceive. Tell the GP if either applies.
Blackheads and blocked pores respond to different treatment from deep, painful cystic lesions. Getting this right first avoids months of using the wrong thing.
Topical retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, topical or oral antibiotics, or hormonal treatment for some women.
Retinoids commonly cause dryness, peeling and an initial flare for the first four to six weeks. This is the point most people stop, and it is the point worth pushing through.
Acne treatment is slow. Judging it at four weeks is judging it too early.
If twelve weeks of adequate treatment has not worked, the next step is a different approach — not more of the same.
Topical retinoids commonly cause dryness, peeling and irritation in the first weeks, and increase sun sensitivity. Oral antibiotics are used for a limited period to avoid resistance.
Topical and oral retinoids must never be used in pregnancy or when trying to conceive. Tell the GP if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy.
Acne treatment is slow, and judging it at four weeks is judging it too early. Most people who conclude a treatment has failed stopped it before it had a chance.
Oral antibiotics for acne are used for a defined period — usually around three months — and always alongside a topical, to reduce resistance and prevent relapse. Being left on one indefinitely is poor practice, and if that has happened to you it is worth reviewing.
Acne returns when treatment stops, so most people continue a topical retinoid long term at a reduced frequency. That is expected rather than a failure.
Benzoyl peroxide is available over the counter, is genuinely effective, and does not cause bacterial resistance. Start at the lowest strength and build up.
Adapalene, a topical retinoid, is also available from pharmacies without prescription. If you have not tried either properly for twelve weeks, that is the cheapest reasonable starting point — and we would rather say so.
Frequently the missing piece, and often not offered. The combined pill works well for acne that flares with periods or sits along the jawline. Spironolactone is used off-licence and is effective for adult female acne.
Acne with irregular periods, excess hair growth or weight change should prompt a PCOS assessment rather than skin treatment alone.
Isotretinoin requires specialist supervision and cannot be prescribed remotely by anyone. It is the most effective acne treatment there is, and it needs blood monitoring, pregnancy prevention, and mental health review.
Refer if: severe nodulocystic acne, scarring, or failure of two adequate courses. NHS dermatology referral is free and it is the route we recommend — we can refer, and so can your own GP.
Most acne treatments are inexpensive generics. Topical retinoids and antibiotics are cheap; some combination products cost more. We earn nothing from what is prescribed.
If you have not given either a proper twelve-week trial, that is where to start — and it costs less than an appointment.
Matching treatment to the type of acne, and knowing when to escalate. Comedonal, inflammatory, hormonal and nodulocystic acne need different things, and months are routinely lost using the wrong one.
Early treatment reduces scarring, which makes this genuinely time-sensitive — scarring cannot be undone, and treating it later is expensive and imperfect.
Isotretinoin requires dermatology, and NHS dermatology referral is free. Private dermatology and private isotretinoin cost a great deal, and the NHS route is the one we recommend — the monitoring involved is substantial and is what makes the treatment safe.
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Yes, and it is one of the conditions that does this best — provided the photographs are good.
Daylight, no flash, no filters or make-up. One straight-on shot and one from each side, plus a close-up of the worst area. Take them near a window, not under a bathroom light.
Twelve weeks. Not four. And with retinoids it commonly gets worse for the first four to six weeks before improving.
That initial flare is the point at which most people stop, and it is precisely the point worth pushing through.
Usually not — but reduce rather than abandon it. Apply every third night instead of nightly, use a pea-sized amount for the whole face, and moisturise afterwards.
Come back rather than stopping altogether. Irritation is nearly always manageable with a change of routine.
No — and nor can any remote service. It requires dermatology supervision, blood monitoring, a pregnancy prevention programme and mental health review.
We can refer, and NHS dermatology referral is free. Anyone offering isotretinoin without that structure is not doing it safely.
Effective early treatment substantially reduces scarring, which is why this is time-sensitive.
Scarring cannot be undone — it can be improved with laser or other treatments later, expensively and imperfectly. Deep, painful nodules scar, and should be escalated rather than waited out.
Far less than the internet suggests. There is modest evidence for high glycaemic index diets and weak, inconsistent evidence around dairy.
There is no evidence that chocolate or greasy food causes acne, and restrictive dieting is not a treatment. If someone is selling you an acne diet, they are selling you something.
Often yes, and it is frequently treated wrongly. Adult female acne tends to sit along the jawline and chin, flares with periods, and responds well to hormonal treatment — the combined pill, or spironolactone off-licence.
With irregular periods, excess hair growth or weight change, PCOS is worth assessing rather than treating the skin alone.
Not retinoids — topical or oral — and this is absolute. They must not be used in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, or when trying to conceive.
Azelaic acid and some antibiotics are options, so treatment is still possible. Tell the GP if any of this applies.
No. Oral antibiotics for acne are used for a defined period — usually around three months — and always alongside a topical, to limit resistance and prevent relapse.
If you have been on one for a year or more, that warrants review.
Usually yes, at reduced frequency. Acne returns when treatment stops, so a maintenance topical retinoid is the norm rather than a sign of failure.
Yes, and it is a legitimate reason to be seen in its own right. Acne has a well-documented effect on mood, confidence and social life, particularly in teenagers.
Please say so at the appointment — and if you have had thoughts of harming yourself, say that too. It changes both the urgency and the plan.
Clinically reviewed by Dr Mohammad Zubair Khan, GMC 7563469
Last reviewed
August 23, 2026
On this page
Ongoing
Time to be seen
Appointment length
Your NHS record in the room
Written treatment plan
Told when a test isn’t needed
Cost
Same day, usually
20 minutes
Yes, with your consent
Included
Yes, and told why
£40 for 20 minutes
Varies by practice
Typically 10 minutes
Yes, your full record
Not routinely
Usually
Free
Same day
Often 10 to 15 minutes
Usually not
Sometimes charged
Varies by provider
Often a subscription
Same-day access is usually available, from 6am to 10pm, seven days a week. You choose a time that suits you rather than waiting on hold at 8am.
Yes. Care is led personally by Dr Mohammad Khan, so you are not passed between clinicians. Continuity is the point of a small practice: someone who knows your history and is listening attentively rather than working through a checklist.
Yes, with your consent. We can access your Summary Care Record during the consultation, so your current medications, allergies and significant history are in the room. That means fewer questions you have already answered elsewhere, and safer prescribing.
No. We are not here to replace GPs, only to support them. Your NHS practice remains responsible for your ongoing care, and with your consent we write to them after the consultation. We are useful when you need to be seen sooner, or want more time than a standard appointment allows.
Twenty unhurried minutes and a comprehensive assessment. A written treatment plan is included, along with any prescription, sick note or referral letter arising from the consultation, at no extra charge.
£40 for 20 minutes, self-pay. Membership is optional and never required. Priced for fairness, because we are not here to charge extortionate amounts for access to a doctor.
It means the diagnosis can usually be made from your history and photographs, and that treatment can be arranged safely without examining you. Where a condition is not marked treatable online, it is because examination is the diagnosis — listening to a chest, feeling an abdomen, examining an ear or a joint — or because a procedure or device is needed.
Yes, where there is a genuine bacterial infection — cellulitis, impetigo, bacterial urine infections, confirmed strep throat. We will also frequently tell you that you do not need one. Most sore throats, coughs, colds and earaches are viral, and an antibiotic gives you the side effects with none of the benefit.
If your problem turns out to be genuinely outside what we can do remotely, the doctor will tell you straight away, point you to the right service, and refund your fee in full. We would rather do that than fill twenty minutes to justify the charge.
Call 999 or go to A&E — do not book an online appointment and do not wait for a reply to an email. For urgent problems that are not emergencies, NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, online or by phone, and can direct you to the right service.
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