Acne - Types, Causes, Symptoms, Treatments & Remedies

Introduction

Are you feeling the worst nightmare while you found acne breakout in your face?

While you see your face in the mirror with pimples or blemishes, it just swept away all your confidence in the blink of an eye, Right?

Absolutely, we understand your inner turmoil related to acne breakout.

Do you know some facts & figures about acne problem across the world?

?It is estimated that acne affects between 40 million & 50 million people in the United States. One study reveals that 54% of women & 40% of men older than 25 years are impacted by facial acne.

Though, acne mainly harms adolescents, around 80-90% of teenagers of the Western world are infected by acne complications. Sometimes, it also affects children & adults. In 2015, it was identified that the acne problem was the eighth-common disease worldwide.??

In this small blog post, we will discuss types, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment & home remedies for acne problems which may be a great solution to your persistent & upsetting skin problems:

So, let’s dive into it!

What is Acne?

Acne is a very common skin disorder problem that occurs when hair follicles under the skin become clogged with sebum (oily substance), bacteria & dead skin cells. Another name of acne is acne vulgaris.

?Due to this problem, nodules, whiteheads, blackheads & other types of pimple breakout happen. This outbreak can take place not only on the face but also spread on the forehead, chest, back & shoulders.

The proliferation of acne on the face may lead to frustration, depression, anxiety & in extreme cases, reduced self-esteem for the sufferer.

Nearly half of acne-affected people experience this problem into their twenties & thirties. Very few people may suffer from acne problems in their forties.

?The Difference between Acne & Pimples:

The major difference between acne & pimples is that acne is itself a skin disease condition & pimples are one of its symptoms. Those who have acne-prone skin will suffer from pimples as a part of their stage. But, those who suffer from occasional pimples they may not have acne-prone skin.

There is a common practice found that both acne & pimple are sometimes used interchangeably. Acne is a skin disorder condition that affects its hair follicles & oil glands. Acne is an ongoing skin condition that is much more stressful & painful.

Acne forms when pores of your skin are blocked with over-active sebaceous (oil) glands, the proliferation of acne-causing bacteria, or dead skin.

Acne has various phases. At different stages, it appears its different symptoms. Pimples are those types of acne symptoms.

Pimple is also called an informal term for closed or open comedones, also known as blackheads and whiteheads. Due to the overproduction of oil by the sebaceous gland, it can clog the pore.

The excessive amount of oil & dead skin cells creates a plug in the gland. This pore may be clogged with this massive amount of oil, sebum & even bacteria. These over-active bacteria can cause inflammation, infection & swelling surrounding the clogged pore.

Due to these complications, fluid pus will sometimes form at the surface of the clogged pore. This process creates a pimple.

These types of blemishes appear close to the surface of the skin in the epidermal layer.??

Causes & Risk factors of Acne

Though the exact causes for acne problems are still unidentified, some critical factors are profoundly linked with the development of this long-term skin condition. Few factors are discussed below:

• ?Changes in hormonal levels especially during puberty, pregnancy & the menstrual cycle.
• Acne may be genetically originated. If your family has a history of acne infections, you may possess it.
• The constant picking & squeezing of your existing pimples.
• Cosmetics, such as oil-based products, hair products & sunscreen can clog your pores which may cause more breakouts.
• Forceful cleaning or scrubbing your skin may develop more breakouts.
• Rubbing skin from various elements such as hats, helmets, collars & backpack straps.
• Certain weather conditions, such as high humidity & air pollution
• Stress increases the level of the hormone cortisol, which can also trigger the break-out of acne.
• Few medications such as anabolic steroids & lithium may cause an acne breakout.

?Consuming high-glycemic-load diets also exacerbate the acne conditions.

Different Types of Acne

Several types of acne may form. They include:

Blackheads: It is a type of acne that forms as small bumps that result from clogged hair follicles. Blackheads are filled with excess oil & dead skin. Usually, blackheads show their sign on the face, especially on the nose & chin. But, they may also be available on the chest, back, arms, and shoulders. They have a dark or black surface which seems dirt deposited in the bump. But, the black spot results from the irregular reflection of light coming from clogged hair follicles. Blackheads can be treatable with over-the-counter medications.

Whiteheads: It is a type of acne that stays closed at the surface of the skin. This is a small bump with a white tip in which the outer layer of the pores closed with oil & dead skin. These closed comedones are considered as a mild form of acne. The over-the-counter medicines which normally use for treating blackheads can also be effective for whiteheads.

Pustules: It is a kind of pimple that contains yellowish pus. Pustules often form as a red bump with white centers or as white bumps with solid shapes that are soft to touch. They appear like whiteheads surrounded by red rings. Pustules normally happen due to the breakdown of the walls of the affected pores.

Papules: It is a type of small red or pink bumps that’s size is less than 1 centimeter around. Papules can appear in different types of shapes, colors & sizes. Papules are often known as skin lesions which normally change in your skin’s color or texture.

Nodules: It is a type of acne that can develop in deeper skin tissues. Nodules may occur due to the thyroid gland. This is also known as enlarged lymph nodes.

Cysts: The size of cysts may range from microscopic to very large. Cysts are closed capsules typically filled with liquid & semisolid or gaseous materials

Fungal acne (pityrosporum folliculitis): Most commonly it forms as small pimples & has less variety in size or shape. Fungal acne is a type of skin infection which occurs in your skin’s hair follicles. It can cause whiteheads & skin irritation.

Each type of acne has scarring & itching symptoms that may cause major frustrations & lower self-esteem for you. Therefore, take specialized health care support to address this issue without delay.

Diagnosis of Acne Problem

?A specialized dermatologist may take a skin exam to diagnose your acne problems. They may investigate your face, chest, or back to identify the different types of spots or blemishes.

They may ask also other risk factor-related questions like if you have a family history of acne complications or if you’re undergoing any chronic stress-related conditions.

Sometimes menstrual cycles may create more breakout therefore teenage girls & women patients may be asked questions related to this issue.

In the case of older people, the sudden breakout of acne may signal an underlying skin disease, therefore deep medical attention is required here.

?Skin specialists rank acne depending upon the severity:??

?Grade 1 (mild): Most commonly whiteheads & blackheads, with a few papules & pustules.

?Grade 2(moderate or pustules acne): multiple papules & pustules mostly appear on your face.

?Grade 3(moderately severe, or nodulocystic acne): Numerous stressful papules, pustules, along with some occasional inflamed nodules.?

?Grade 4(severe nodulocystic acne): multiple large, painful pustules, papules, nodules, or cysts. It causes some scars & inflammation.

?For the mild type of acne, you can take the advice of a pharmacist. For moderate or severe acne, you must talk with any dermatologist.

Treatment of Acne:

Your dermatologist will suggest treatment & medications for acne problems depending upon your age, type of acne & the severity of the skin condition.

Sometimes, you may have tried to alleviate your acne problem by taking over-the-counter (nonprescription) acne products for several weeks but they haven’t brought any satisfactory outcome.

In such a case, you may share the details with your dermatologist & they will prescribe strong medications for your acne problem. Usually, acne-related drugs will try to resolve your ongoing skin related problem:

• ?Reduce your acne breakout
• Minimize scarring, irritation & other damage to your skin.
• Control oil production & decrease bacterial infection
• Hide the acne spot from being noticed.

To relieve from acne problem, you might have to wait month’s even years to clear up completely. Therefore, need patience & perseverance in this regard. The doctor often uses a combination of topical & oral medications for treating the acne problem.

Let’s discuss a few medications & therapies that are normally applied to control acne problems:

Topical Medications:

Benzoyl peroxide: This medication is typically used to treat mild to moderate acne. When you apply these drugs to your skin, it will try to minimize the acne-prone bacteria & keep your skin dry.

This medication is often considered as an over-the-counter product (such as Stridex & Clearasil). It is particularly suitable for inflammatory acne, such as pustules, papules, cysts & nodules. Side effects involve itching, peeling & reddened skin especially at the starting of the treatment.

Retinoids & retinoid-like drugs: These types of drugs are usually used for treating skin disorders, skin aging & skin cancer. These medications are quite helpful for moderate to severe acne problems.

When you use it on your skin, retinoids can unclog pores, helping other gels & creams to work better. They also control acne outbreaks by obstructing dead cells from clogging pores.

Retinoid drugs come in the forms of creams, lotions & gels. A few examples are adapalene (Differin), tretinoin (Avita, Retin-A, others), and tazarotene (Tazorac, Avage, others). The side effects of retinoid-like drugs are redness, peeling, skin tender to touch & nausea.

Antibiotics (topical types include erythromycin & clindamycin): Typically, these types of drugs try to stop the growth of acne-causing bacteria or kill them altogether. In addition, antibiotics also reduce inflammation, swelling & redness.

Your doctor may recommend using both a retinoid & an antibiotic for the first few months of treatment. You may apply antibiotics in the morning & the retinoid in the evening. But, antibiotics are more effective when consumes along with benzoyl peroxide.?

Dapsone: This type of topical drug is normally used to treat the acne problem of children, teenagers & adults. It is a functional medicine that usually slows down or obstructs the growth of bacteria & decreases skin swelling.

It is recommended for women with acne that should apply Dapsone (Aczone) 5% gel twice daily for inflammatory acne. There may be some side effects involved with that like redness & dryness.

Medications are taken Orally (by mouth)

Antibiotics: For moderate to severe acne, oral antibiotics kill bacteria in your skin pores. Normally, tetracycline antibiotics such as minocycline & doxycycline are commonly prescribed to treat acne problems.

Isotretinoin: This medicine usually is recommended for treating moderate to severe acne while other medications remain ineffective to reduce the symptoms. Isotretinoin (Amnsteem, Claravis, others) is a derivative of vitamin A.

There are some side effects associated with oral Isotretinoin, such as depression, inflammatory bowel disease & severe birth defects.

Because of such risk factors, anyone who is consuming this drug must participate in a Food & Drug Administration-approved risk management program known as iPledge.?

Oral Contraceptives: These types of drugs are helpful to control breakouts during the menstrual cycle. These drugs reduce the circulation of androgens which minimize the production of sebum.

To be effective to fight against acne, the pills must contain both estrogen & progestin. FDA approved three classes of oral contraceptives for treating acne patients. Some brand names include Beyaz, Estrostep, Yaz & Ortho Tri-Cyclen.

Therapies:

Your health care provider may suggest any one of the below therapies along with other medications:

Steroids: To treat the problem of nodular & cystic lesions, steroid drugs can be used. A steroid injection is highly useful in minimizing swelling, inflammation & redness. There are some associated side effects like skin thinning & discoloration of the area.

Light Therapy: Few acne-prone bacteria in your skin are sensitive to certain types of light. When your doctor applies light-based therapy on your skin, toxic substances form & kill the bacteria. To complete this therapy, most have to visit multiple times at the doctor’s office.

Chemical peel: This treatment is normally used for mild acne. These treatments apply special chemicals to remove the top layer of old skin. Chemical peels normally work to exfoliate the skin, allowing the dead skin cells to remove effectively.

This treatment also stops excess oil from clogging the hair follicle. In this manner, it reduces pore blockages & pimples can be removed. This treatment uses the repeated application of chemical solutions, such as salicylic acid, glycolic acid, or retinoic acid.

Drainage & Extraction: Your doctor may use a sterile needle or surgical blade to open the blemish & then clear up what is inside it. This method might improve the appearance of your skin temporarily, it may cause swelling & scarring.

?Lifestyle Changes & Home Remedies for Acne Problem:

For preventing acne problems, we can make necessary lifestyle changes & self-care methods:

• Daily clean your face with warm water & a mild facial cleanser.
• Try to avoid using oily cosmetics, acne concealer, hairstyling products, sunscreen which may be more harmful to acne. Instead, use “non-comedogenic” products for makeup. Must remove makeup at the end of each day.
• To stop producing excess oil & removing dead cells, you can try over-the-counter products. You may use these types of products, such as salicylic acid, glycolic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or alpha hydroxyl acids.
• Regularly use a nonoily (noncomedogenic) moisturizer which sunscreen ingredients.
• Keep your hand away from touching acne-prone areas.
• Remove various items such as phones, tight collars, helmets & backpacks from touching your acne-wound areas.?

FAQ:

Will acne go away?

Most commonly, acne symptoms will go away on their own at the end of puberty, some people still suffer from acne during their adulthood. Finding out the right treatment for your acne type may release you from these complications.

?What food causes pimples?

• Foods that are high in sugar, fat & dairy ingredients can cause an adult acne breakout.
• Few specific foods, such as french fries, milk chocolate & sugary drinks are susceptible to increase acne problems.

?How can I prevent pimples on my permanently?

• Properly wash your face two times a day.
• Know your skin type.
• Use moisturizer that is fragrance-free & noncomedogenic.
• Stay hydrated by drinking enough water.
• Remove makeup gently before going to sleep at the night.
• Avoid touching the acne-wound area.
• Apply oil-free sunscreen lotion.

?Is honey good for pimples?

Raw honey is useful for controlling the growth of acne bacteria, which makes a great natural remedy product for acne.

Is turmeric good for pimples?

The anti-inflammatory content of turmeric can calm your skin & target your pores. Turmeric is also helpful to reduce acne scarring & swelling.?