Hello. Thank you for writing to us Acne can last for years and sometimes decades. Acne may involve face, back and chest. All these areas are rich in sebaceous glands. You seem to have inflammatory acne i.e acne that is pustular, red and painful. Oral retinoids i.e Isotretinoin is the drug of choice for long standing stubborn acne Or acne that recurs frequently Or is resistant to traditional antiacne treatment. Apart from retinoids, topical antiacne antibacterials e.g benzoyl peroxide gel/ Clindamycin gel/ Nadifloxacin gel may be used for active acne spots, once or twice daily. Oral antibiotics e.g Azithromycin can also be combined with Oral retinoids for the initial 4-6 weeks by which retinoids would take full control of acne. I suggest that you visit a dermatologist. Your dermatologist will tell in more details about the various treatment options and advice accordingly. Of course, skin peeling sessions with salicylic acid is quite useful for acne and can be used along with other Oral and topical antiacne treatment. Regards