Why Nurx Now Treats Acne
Real solutions for this common, stressful skin condition can be hard to find — and our medical team wants to fix that.
We’ve been aware for a while that a whole lot of Nurx patients struggle with acne — because they tell our medical providers about it. When the Nurx medical team prescribes birth control, patients frequently ask for a birth control formula that will make acne better. We also know that acne is more than a cosmetic complaint. Acne may impact mental health, by hurting confidence and quality of life, and even increasing anxiety and depression. Finally, we know that, despite the many serums, supplements, and masks overflowing from drugstore shelves and popping up in Instagram ads, the most effective acne solution is often treatment with evidence-backed prescription medications.
For those reasons, we decided to help those patients, and more of the 50 million Americans who experience acne, by providing real medical care for acne, conveniently and affordably, with research-based topical and oral medications prescribed online and delivered to their doorsteps.
How Nurx Acne Treatment Works
After sharing your medical history and a few photos of your skin through our secure website or app, a specially trained medical provider licensed in your state will create your personalized treatment plan. Your plan will likely involve a prescription topical medication and, in some cases, an oral medication such as antibiotics, spironolactone, or combination birth control pills — the same evidence-based treatments you’d receive from an in-person dermatologist. If prescribed, your medication will be sent straight to your home with free shipping. We’ll bill insurance for your medication, and offer transparent out-of-pocket prices for those without insurance.
Nurx offers prescription treatment for acne, anti aging, melasma, rosacea, and eyelash growth.
Delivering Help for Maskne and More
To learn more about how Nurx community experiences acne, we asked you! In a survey of nearly 1000 Nurx patients we discovered that acne has real impacts on their quality of life, and solutions are hard to find. Here’s what we learned:
For many, acne is a constant issue.
85% experience acne at least once a month, and 1 in 4 experience it “always” or “nearly always.”
Acne hurts your quality of life.
61% said that an important life event had been negatively impacted by their acne. 1 in 3 have actually skipped a social event due to an embarrassing breakout, and 41% have heard rude comments about their acne.
The pandemic has made things worse.
“My acne got ten times worse with the stress of the pandemic and wearing masks,” shared one Nurx patient, who is not alone. 66% of Nurx patients with acne say that mask-wearing has caused more breakouts (aka “maskne”), and 65% believe that pandemic-related stress has made their acne worse (which makes sense, as studies show a correlation between stress and increased severity of acne conditions). “I’m almost 30 (and) I have not had issues with my face until the mask mandate,” says one Nurx patient. Another patient says, “I’m an RN so I wear masks and respirators constantly now, and have had to go back to extreme, high school-level skincare to try to treat my acne.”
Quality care is hard to access.
Despite the very real impacts acne has on our patients’ lives, an overwhelming majority do not have access to medical care for their acne. Only 7% are being treated by a dermatologist, with 25% listing cost concerns as a reason they don’t see a doctor for their skin, and 15% citing inconvenience or avoiding appointments because of the pandemic. “It’s hard to get an appointment due to working, as well as prescription acne medication can cost a lot of money,” noted one patient. Said another: “I’ve tried brand after brand of drugstore products. Each product will work for some time, then stop.”
For widespread acne on body parts other than the face, oral medications are often the best solution, and many patients will appreciate that our medical team provides support for body acne — 44% of patients surveyed experience acne on their backs, 33% do on their chest, and 23% struggle with “buttne”. “I’ve always had acne on my back and have never found anything that helps,” lamented a Nurx patient. “I would love to find something to help it.”
Learn More
Request acne treatment with Nurx through our website or free mobile app, and get your questions answered by reading our Acne FAQs.
