A few days ago, @TheNerdyDerma, a board-certified Filipina dermatologist, created some buzz on the skincare side of Twitter by posting a viral tweet warning her followers against the dangers of using a certain popular acne treatment–clindamycin.
She explained that using antibiotics such as clindamycin without a prescription is extremely dangerous. The main problem that this habit may cause is antibiotic resistance–when bacteria causing a certain ailment is resistant to antibiotic treatment, thus rendering the medicine ineffective. The World Health Organization explains that “these bacteria may infect humans and animals, and the infections they cause are harder to treat than those caused by non-resistant bacteria. Antibiotic resistance leads to higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays, and increased mortality.” Self-medication and using these antibiotics without knowing their effects can easily lead to overuse, causing the resistance of bacteria.
What’s most concerning about this issue is that S.O.S Clindamycin Phosphate, the specific brand of antibiotic mentioned in @TheNerdyDerma’s tweet, is being widely used as a spot treatment for acne. The antibiotic is receiving glowing reviews all over social media, causing its wide popularity. On YouTube alone, several positive reviews from Filipino bloggers have been posted on the site, the most popular one garnering at least 302,000 views. However, the buzz around clindamycin all started on Facebook when skincare groups began sharing the great results they had with S.O.S Clindamycin‘s acne-clearing effects.
The bottom line is, during this day and age of the internet, misinformation is widespread. When it comes to your health, reading positive reviews on the internet about a new and affordable product is definitely not enough. It’s always best to consult a professional and cross-check whatever information you find. You should never risk your health just because a tita on a Facebook forum said so.
