Acne is not just a skin issue for many people, its a uniquely emotional and psychological issue
~Meg
The month of June is acne awareness month and I decided to do a write-up on it.
By Maddie7 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia
I also discovered that it could also affect people's self-esteem. This is why most people spend a lot on this condition. Some complain that the treatments are not effective while others feel they have found the magic cream or solution that works.
In today's post, I will be demystifying the topic of acne under the following heading.
- What is acne?
- What are the causes of acne
- Types of acne
- Ways to treat acne
- Prevention of acne
What is acne?
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You must have heard of the term breakouts from the female folks a lot.
In the simplest of terms, acne is pimples. I would have loved to leave it at that but for the sake of knowledge, I will just expand.
The skin has tiny holes called pores. You can see them if you look closely. It is through these pores that hair follicles erupt.
When these pores get blocked with oil, dead cells, or microorganism, the result is acne.
Acne can be defined as localized skin inflammation that happens as a result of the overactivity of the oil glands at the base of specialized hair follicles in the skin. It is important to note that oil glands become active during puberty. The oil glands are also known as sebaceous glands.
How does acne occur?
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Like I earlier said, the skin has tiny holes called pores. These pores are opening to a follicle. A follicle is made up of hair and the sebaceous gland.
The sebaceous gland is responsible for the production of sebum.
This oil that is secreted now travels through the hair and gets out of the pore to lubricate the skin.
When there is an aberration in this above process acne results.
The pores can be blocked by oil when there is excess secretion, it can also be blocked by dead cells and bacteria. When this occurs acne occurs, with further progression, the area can become inflamed, and then pain results. This why some pimples are painful while others are not.
Which set of people can have acne?
I used to have a friend that will always say that when she's about to see her menstrual period she begins to see a lot of pimple on her face. In fact, she tries to establish a relationship between the severity of her period and the severity of the acne.
I remember as a child that I started having pimples when I was about 14 years.
Acne can be caused by a variety of things. Some of them include;
Hormones- This is acne that arises due to the interplay of hormones. This is the acne that presents in ladies before or during their period.
Puberty: Pubertal acne is a common phenomenon as during this period there is overactivity of certain glands in the skin responsible for producing oil. Also, there is an upsurge of hormones during this period too.
Positive Family history: Having a first-degree relative with acne predisposes one to acne. You must have seen siblings or relatives who have serious acne.
Medications: Some studies have shown that some medications are responsible for causing acne. Medications like birth control pills mimic the kind of hormonal interplay that happens during puberty and hence have been seen to predispose one to acne. Steroids used in treating many conditions have also been implicated in causing acne. As you read on you will discover that these same medications can also be used to treat acne.
Diet: A balanced diet is the first step to being healthy. A diet that is rich in refined sugar or carbohydrate can increase the risk of acne by providing glucose for the bacteria. Some people have claimed that groundnut and butter have a strong correlation with acne. However, there are not enough studies to back this claim.
It is important to note that the most common cause of acne is puberty.
Types of acne?
There are different types of acne. I used to have a friend who had very small numerous acne on her face and another friend who would just have very big red painful ones.
The types are based on if they are inflamed or not.
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Non-inflammatory acne: These are simple acnes. They are relatively easy to treat with over-the-counter medications. Some of them clear up without treatment. Examples of non-inflammatory acne include; whiteheads and blackheads. Whiteheads are those small pimples that are under the skin that have not opened to the exterior. They appear whitish and sometimes people try to press it and the whitish thing comes out(This practice is wrong).
Blackheads are very visible, they are black and appear on the surface of the skin. You might not appreciate the color on a dark individual but they are obvious on a light-skinned person. -
Inflammatory acne; These ones are difficult to treat and painful. They include papules, pustules, cysts, and nodules.
Papules results when the walls surrounding the pores break down from severe inflammation. When this happens a slightly elevated bump is seen on the face. It is characterized by being hard, and painful, and very red. This redness is much appreciated in light-skinned persons.
Pustules form the same way papules form however the distinction is the presence of pus.
Cysts and nodules occur when the pores are clogged by a combination of bacteria, dead cells, and oils.
You might want to ask what is the difference between papules, nodules, and cysts?
The main difference between papules, cysts, and nodule is in the depth of the skin that has been breached. Papules are more superficial than nodules. The deepest of them all is cystic acne.
Although nodules and cysts form as a result of a further irritation of the pores and like I said the major distinction is the depth.
In terms of treatment, nodules and cysts require prescription medication.
Nodules and cysts also have the tendency to form scars.
How severe is each type of acne?
By Dr. Thomas Brinkmeier - Own work, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia
In assessing the severity of acne, there are things that are looked for. The most important is pain, then size, cosmetic disturbance, and finally treatment required.
In terms of severity, whitehead and blackhead are mild while papules and pustules are moderately severe forms of acne.
Whiteheads and blackheads can clear up on their own or with topical mild over-the-counter (OTC) medication.
Papules and pustules can be cleared using topical treatment but some forms may require oral treatment. Oral treatment helps to treat it if the problem has gone systemic.
Nodules and cysts are severe forms and they most times require the attention of a dermatologist. Sometimes they require surgeries or minor procedures with oral medications as add-ons.
How can acne be treated?
There are different modes of treatment. They include;
- Topical treatment
- Oral treatment
- Surgical treatment
Like I earlier said some pimples clear up without any form of treatment while some do not go. Also, some respond to treatment very fast while some are very resistant to treatment.
I have a friend who has spent at least 300 dollars on acne in one year but yet the skin is not giving way to treatment.
It is also important to note that treatment is based on skin type and therapy is individualized.
Like every other condition in medicine, there are things you can do before going to a clinic. they include;
- cleaning your skin daily with mild soap to remove excess oil and dirt. This makes the skin clean and healthy.
- shampooing your hair regularly and keeping it out of your face
- Some make-ups are oil-based while others are water-based. Using makeup that’s water-based or labeled “noncomedogenic” (not pore-clogging) are very helpful. Also cleaning makeups before sleeping is also helpful
- A lot of people think squeezing or picking pimples helps but in the real sense it doesn't as bacteria is being spread to other pores. I mean how many people sterilize their hands before attempting to pop a pimple.
- Some studies have shown that not wearing caps or tight headbands can help with reducing the incidence of acne.
- Not touching your face will prevent you from introducing bacteria to your face.
What medications can be used to treat acne?
It should be noted that medication should be used when self-care doesn't work.
The medications used in treating acne contain ingredients that function by either killing bacteria, reducing oil production, reducing inflammation, or removing dead cells.
Benzoyl peroxide, Resorcinol, sulfur, and salicylic acid are common ingredients in acne creams.
Benzoyl peroxide and sulfur help in killing acne-causing bacteria. Benzoyl peroxide also helps in drying out existing pimples and preventing new ones from erupting.
Salicylic acid is used in soaps and acne washes. It helps in reducing inflammation and preventing pores from getting clogged. Neutrogena, the common acne wash contains salicylic acid.
Resorcinol is a less common ingredient used to remove dead skin cells.
In essence, if you are going to buy an OTC topical medication it should contain at least 2 of the four ingredients preferably benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid.
When do you see a doctor?
Like I earlier stated, some acne responds to the slightest of treatments while others don't clear up easily.
If after topical application, the symptoms are still there you may want to see your doctor.
The aim of seeing a doctor is to help prescribe medications that will reduce the symptoms and prevent scarring. They include;
- Oral or topical antibiotics: which help to reduce inflammation by killing the bacteria that cause pimples. Antibiotics are only used for a short time so that the body doesn’t build up resistance and leave you prone to infections. This is why any antibiotics taken must be prescribed so it doesn't get abused.
- Prescription topical creams such as retinoic acid or prescription-strength benzoyl peroxide are stronger than over-the-counter treatments because they are in stronger concentration and care should be taken when applying them. Prescription benzoyl peroxide works the same way the over-the-counter meds work just with higher effectiveness. Retinoic acid also acts in a similar way.
It is worthy to note that prescription benzoyl peroxide serves as a bactericidal agent that prevents the resistance of acne-causing bacteria to antibiotics.
As earlier stated, some forms of acne are hormonal and treatment is focused on reducing the levels of hormones that cause acne thereby reducing the production of oil. Birth control pills and spironolactone have been used in treating acne with a fair amount of success rate.
Spironolactone is a diuretic meaning it helps to remove water from the body by diuresis. Spironolactone works by reducing androgen production which causes excess oil production, clogging of pores, and eventually acne. These androgens are responsible for sexual drive in men and hence they are not used to treat acne in men.
Sometimes it is combined with birth control pills. So if you are desiring a child, you should not use birth control pills for your acne.
Isotretinoin (Accutane) is a vitamin-A-based medication used to treat severe nodular acne. This drug is like the last option as it has serious side effects but also works wonders. Serious side effects include increased cholesterol, joint and muscle problems. Some conditions worsen or increase the risk of having hypercholesterolemia following the use of this drug. Diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome fall under the conditions.
There are some procedures that can be used to treat acne. They include; photodynamic therapy which uses medication and light or laser to treat acne, dermabrasion, use of a chemical peel to remove the top layer of the skin. Some doctors claim that chemical peels help reduce mild scarring.
Cortisone reduces inflammation in all parts of the body so since acne occurs as a result of inflammation, it has been used in the treatment of acne. It is important to note that when stopping cortisone it needs to be tapered off.
How can acne be prevented?
Like in everything in life prevention is always better than cure. Funny enough a hand full of medical conditions can be prevented and acne is one of them.
Prevention of acne starts from health education and educating the public on healthy practices that reduce the incidence of acne.
Healthy habits include;
- washing your face regularly
- Avoiding oil-based makeups
- Avoiding touching the face
- AVoidance of popping pimples
- Taking a bath after exercising
- Balanced diet that is low in fats and oils.
Also, good health-seeking habits also prevent the progression of severity.
Counseling patients and making them know that having acne does not define them.
References
- Good rx
- Health line
- Medical news today
- Davidson principle of medicine
Thank you for reading.
Originally posted here: https://hive.blog/hive-196387/@bhoa/acne-causes-risk-factors-treatment-and-prevention
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