# Why Does Acne Improve Then Plateau
When you start treating acne, you often see quick improvements. Breakouts decrease, your skin looks clearer, and you feel hopeful about finally solving the problem. But then something frustrating happens – the progress slows down or stops entirely. Your skin plateaus, and you’re left wondering if the treatment still works or if you need to change your approach.
This pattern of improvement followed by a plateau is actually quite common and happens for specific reasons related to how acne treatments work and how your skin adapts over time.
## How Acne Treatments Create Initial Improvements
Acne develops when dead skin cells mix with excess oil and sebum, clogging hair follicles. Bacteria thrive in these blocked pores, causing inflammation and breakouts. When you introduce effective acne medications like benzoyl peroxide or start a consistent skincare routine, you’re directly attacking this problem. These treatments dry out existing blemishes, kill acne-causing bacteria, and reduce inflammation. The result is rapid improvement – fewer new breakouts appear within the first few weeks of treatment.
For example, one acne treatment program reports that initial results showing a decrease in new breakouts are often noticeable around six weeks. This early success feels dramatic because you’re finally addressing the active cycle of acne that’s been causing problems.
## Why Progress Eventually Plateaus
The plateau happens because your skin adapts to the treatment. When you first start using acne medications or skincare products, they’re highly effective at clearing congestion and killing bacteria. But as your skin adjusts, the dramatic improvements slow down. The treatment doesn’t stop working – it shifts from creating noticeable changes to maintaining the improvements you’ve already achieved.
Think of it like this: the first phase of treatment is about stopping active breakouts and clearing existing congestion. Once you’ve accomplished that, the treatment’s job becomes maintenance rather than dramatic improvement. Your skin still needs the treatment to prevent new acne from forming, but you won’t see the same level of visible change you experienced at the beginning.
## The Importance of Continuing Treatment
This is where many people make a mistake. They see the plateau and assume the treatment has stopped working, so they stop using it. In reality, stopping treatment often leads to acne returning because you’re no longer addressing the underlying causes.
Acne’s root causes – excess oil production combined with hormonal changes – don’t disappear on their own. If you want to maintain the clear skin you’ve achieved, you need to continue using your acne treatment products and follow the lifestyle modifications you learned during your treatment program. This continued approach protects your skin from factors that can cause future breakouts and helps prevent scarring.
## Timeline for Results
Understanding the realistic timeline helps you stay committed through the plateau phase. Initial improvements typically appear around six weeks into treatment. More comprehensive results with smoother texture and significant clearing usually develop over a longer period – often around twelve weeks for a complete program. Many people achieve 90 percent or more clarity by this point.
The plateau you experience after these initial improvements is normal and expected. It doesn’t mean the treatment is failing. It means you’ve moved from the active clearing phase into the maintenance phase, where your job is to keep your skin clear rather than dramatically transform it.
## Sources
https://www.scoutaesthetics.com/skin-treatments/acne-treatment/
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/a69307596/pregnancy-acne/
https://www.theinkeylist.com/blogs/news/best-retinol-for-beginners
