I have been on antibiotics for about 10 years for acne (I am in my 40s) and they really help! I tried topical antibiotics before that but they were not effective. I was recently on birth control pills for about 6 months and did not need antibiotics during this time. But I just went off of them and my oily skin and acne are back full force. I recommend going to a dermatologist. My PCPs always wanted to mess around and give me medicine that was not strong enough for my acne. The dermatologists are not so cautious and will give you what it takes to get your skin under control.