As a beauty blogger, one question my readers have repeatedly asked me is what acne is, what causes acne, and what is the best treatment for acne. So, this article and others will look at what acne is and the best skin care products for acne.
What is Acne?
Acne appears as a skin condition when the hair follicles in your scalp fill up with dead cells as well as oil. This leads to blackheads and acne. Although affecting individuals of different ages, teenagers are the age group where acne is most common. How does this occur?
The objective of the hormone testosterone is to the skin and oil glands, which produce sebum. When testosterone and the enzyme 5alpha-reductase interact, dihydrotestosterone is produced, which stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum.
The bacterial lipases (enzymes) produced by Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) and other bacteria on the skin and in the follicles go into the follicle openings and change the sebum into free fatty acids, irritating the follicle linings. Due to the increased cell and debris generation brought on by the inflammation, the follicles become blocked, trapping P. acnes inside. Acne infections are brought on by the P. acnes bacteria that thrive inside the clogged follicles. The skin becomes inflamed and infected. Inflammatory histamines are produced by macrophage cells, making the skin uncomfortable, swollen, and red. This increases follicular obstruction and encourages the spread of acne infections.
Simply said, your skin has microscopic openings called pores that can become clogged by dirt, oil, bacteria, and dead skin. By touching the face with their hands, bacteria come into contact with the skin. The skin becomes irritated as a result of this reaction, which causes acne to develop over time.
What Are the Types of Acne?
Various kinds of acne exist. Among them are
Open skin growths are called “blackheads” that collect too much sebum and dead skin. The black spots are created by an uneven light reflection off the clogged follicle, although they appear to be dirt deposits in the bump.
Whiteheads: Bumpy areas that are kept sealed by oil and dead skin.
Papules: Tiny, inflammatory, red or pink pimples.
Pustules are pus-filled bumps on the skin. They appear to be red circles encircling them.
If you pick at them or scratch them, it may leave scars.
Yeast overgrowth in the hair follicles is the cause of pityrosporum folliculitis, often known as fungal acne. They could begin to itch and bulge.
Nodules: Strong, deep-seated zits on your skin. Huge and awkward, they are.
Cysts: Pimples that contain pus. They could leave you with scars.
What Causes Acne?
Androgen hormones, which normally become active during adolescence and young adulthood, are mostly responsible for the hormonal disease known as acne. Acne can be caused by sensitivity to these hormones in combination with surface skin microorganisms and fatty acids found in oil glands.
Acne can be brought on by some factors or made worse by others:
Hormone that change
Oil and dead skin cells have plugged the hair follicles.
Extra oil (sebum) production
Bacteria
Diet
Lifestyle
Using greasy or oily creams such as thick creams, lotions, or pomades and waxes for the hair.
Stress, which raises the hormone cortisol, can further aggravate acne.
A few medicines.
Genetics.
What Are the Symptoms of Acne?
Different levels of acne symptoms might be seen.
Whiteheads, blackheads, and a few papules and pustules make up the majority of grade 1 (mild) lesions.
Multiple papules and pustules, primarily on the face, characterize grade 2 (moderate, or pustular acne).
Numerous papules and pustules, combined with occasionally inflammatory nodules, characterize Grade 3 (moderately severe, or nodulocystic acne). It might also impact your chest and back. Pielbeauty
Numerous big, painful, and inflamed pustules and nodules are seen in grade 4 (severe nodulocystic acne).
How Can I Control Acne Naturally?
- Never touch your face.
Keeping your hands off of your face as much as possible is one crucial acne prevention advice. It’s possible to transfer contaminants from your fingertips to your face when touching your faces, such as oil, grime, and other impurities. This will only aggravate the condition of your acne-prone skin.
- Utilize a moisturizer.
Skin irritation is a result of dryness. You may get more outbreaks if this occurs on skin that is prone to acne. Use a non-pore-clogging moisturizer after washing your face a day if you have dry skin. Avoid using any products, such as astringent or alcohol, that could cause your skin to become dry.
- Follow a nutritious “acne prevention” diet.
Acne outbreaks can be caused by certain meals, such as those high in sugar and processed carbs. These high-glycemic foods increase insulin levels and bring on inflammation, both of which aid in the development of acne.
Limit your intake of high-glycemic meals such as white bread, rice, spaghetti, French fries, soda, doughnuts, and so on.
Instead, restrict your consumption of ultra-processed meals and choose a diet high in real foods like vegetables and whole grains.
How Can I treat Acne?
Subtle medications, Skin therapy, and oral medications are all options for treating acne.
Subtle Medication
The afflicted skin areas receive this type of treatment.
Retinoids and medications that act similarly to retinoids are the most frequently prescribed topical acne treatments. For mild acne, retinoic acid or tretinoin-containing medications are frequently helpful. These come in lotions, gels, and cream forms. Examples include adapalene (Differin), tazarotene, and tretinoin (Avita, Retin-A, among others) (Tazorac, Avage, others). Apply this drug in the evening, the first three times each week, then every day until your skin adjusts. It stops hair follicles from being plugged. Applying tretinoin and benzoyl peroxide simultaneously is not advised.
Topical retinoids make your skin more sensitive to the sun. In addition, especially in those with brown or Black skin, they might cause dry skin and redness.
Antibiotics. These function by eliminating extra skin bacteria and lowering inflammation and redness. During the first few months of treatment, you might alternate between using a retinoid and an antibiotic, applying the retinol in the evening and the antibiotic in the morning. To lessen the possibility of the emergence of antibiotic resistance, benzoyl peroxide is frequently used with antibiotics. Erythromycin combined with benzoyl peroxide and clindamycin combined with benzoyl peroxide are two examples (Benzamycin). It is not advised to only use topical antibiotics.
Skin Therapies
The following treatments, either alone or in combination with medicines, may be beneficial for some people.
The Use of light.
With some degree of success, many light-based therapies have been explored. Some trips to your doctor’s office will be necessary for the majority. To choose the best technique, light source, and dose, more research is required.
A Chemical peel
Repetitive treatments of a chemical solution, such as salicylic acid, glycolic acid, or retinoic acid, are used in this technique. Mild acne can be treated with this method. Even though the transformation is temporary and usually requires additional treatments, the skin’s look might be improved.
Removal and drainage. Whiteheads, blackheads, or cysts that haven’t gone away after applying subtle treatments may be gently removed by your doctor using specialized instruments. This method gives your skin a temporary aesthetic boost, but there is a chance that scarring could result.
Injectable steroids
Treatment for nodular and cystic lesions involves injecting a steroid medication into them. Rapid improvement and pain reduction have been achieved with this therapy. In the treated area, skin thinning and discoloration are possible side effects.
Although hormones can cause acne, it is still feasible to prevent it by learning how it develops and keeping an eye out for workable solutions to lessen or stop it from happening.
Oral medicines
Antibiotics.
You might require oral antibiotics to control bacteria if your acne is moderate to severe. Tetracyclines (minocycline, doxycycline) or macrolides are typically the first drugs to treat acne (erythromycin, azithromycin).
Antibiotic resistance can be avoided by using oral antibiotics for a minimum amount of time. Additionally, they ought to be used in conjunction with other medications, like benzoyl peroxide, to lower the possibility of the development of antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotics are rarely used to treat acne and have severe negative effects. Your skin’s sensitivity to sunlight is increased by these medications. Acne
