Acne - What is it? Who Gets it? What causes Acne?
Acne - What is it? Who Gets it? What causes Acne?
Hello again to all my wonderful followers.
Today, I thought I'd talk about Acne as I've suffered from this since I was very young and still break out occasionally even though I'm in my mid 40s!
Acne is a common skin problem seen by GPs and is treatable in most cases. Treatment can take several months depending on the case but can be quite successful and reduce risk of future scarring.
WHAT IS ACNE AND WHO GETS IT?
ACNE is the common cause of 'spots'. Most people with acne are aged between 12 and 25, but some older and younger people are affected. Acne usually affects the face but may also affect the back, neck, and chest. It can be mild to severe. About 9 in 10 teenagers develop some degree of acne. Often it is mild. However, it is estimated that about 3 in 10 teenagers have acne bad enough to need treatment to prevent scarring. Untreated acne usually lasts about 4-5 years before settling. However, it can last for many years in some cases.
WHAT CAUSES ACNE?
During the teenage years, you make more sebum (oil that lubricates skin and hairs) than when you were a child. This is due to the hormone changes of puberty. As a rule, the more sebum that you make, the more greasy your skin feels, and the worse acne is likely to be.
MILD TO MODERATE ACNE - BLACKHEADS, WHITEHEADS, AND SMALL PIMPLES
Some pores become blocked ('plugged') due to the skin at the top of the pores becoming thicker, combined with dead skin cells that are shed into the pores. You can see the 'plugs' that block the top of the pores as tiny spots known as comedones (blackheads and whiteheads). Note: the black of the blackheads is due to skin pigment, and is not dirt as some people think. In most cases, acne does not progress beyond this mild stage. Some sebum may collect under blocked pores. You can see this as small spots called pimples.
MODERATE TO SEVERE ACNE - LARGER SPOTS AND INFLAMMATION
Trapped sebum is ideal for a bacteria called P.acnes to live and multiply. Small numbers of this bacteria normally live on the skin and do no harm. However, if a large number develop in the trapped sebum, the immune system may react and cause inflammation. If inflammation develops, it causes the surrounding skin to become red, and the spots become larger and filled with pus (pustules). In some cases the pustules become even larger and form into small 'nodules' and cysts.
In some cases these inflammatory spots can leave small marks or scars which may not fade fully. There are other rarer causes of acne but if you are concerned about acne, please see your own GP.
In addition acne may be worsened by the following:
TREATMENT AND SKIN CARE IN ACNE
SKIN CARE:
TREATMENT OPTIONS
The aim of treatment is to clear spots as much as possible, and to prevent scarring.
There are different types of treatment that work in different ways and depend on the severity and type of acne you may have.
TOPICAL PREPARATIONS FOR ACNE
Benzoyl peroxide (OTC) - it kills bacteria, reduces inflammation, and helps to unplug blocked pores and works well to clear inflamed spots. It also helps to clear blackheads and whiteheads. Retinoids may also help unblock pores but is available on prescription only. Topical antibiotics may help reduce the number of bacteria and reduce inflammation.
TABLETS THAT CAN TERAT ACNE
Antibiotic viagra work by killing and help in reducing inflammation. However, they have little effect on unplugging blocked pores. So, if you only have mild acne with just blackheads and whiteheads, you are better off using a topical treatment that unblocks pores. The pill (a hormone treatment) may help some women if their acne seems to be partly related to their hormone changes.
Isotretinoin cheap cialis (roaccutane) - greatly reduces the amount of sebum that you make by the sebaceous glands. It works very well, and usually clears spots even in severe cases. However, it is used only on the advice of a specialist after other treatments have been tried first because there is a risk of serious side effects with Isotretinoin tablets.
HOW LONG IS TREATMENT NEEDED?
Whatever treatment is used, it normally takes up to four weeks for there to be any noticeable improvement in the skin. There is often a good response to treatment by six weeks. However it can take up to four months (sometimes longer) for maximum response to a treatment, and for the skin to be generally free of spots. The most common reason for a treatment failure is because some people think that treatment is not working after a couple of weeks or so, and give up.
In some cases maintenance treatment is then required with topical benzoyl peroxide or topical retinoids. If you are concerned about acne or any skin condition, it is always best to contact your own doctor for further advice or treatment.
Article taken from Waterford News & Star, Ireland.
Hello again to all my wonderful followers.
Today, I thought I'd talk about Acne as I've suffered from this since I was very young and still break out occasionally even though I'm in my mid 40s!
Acne is a common skin problem seen by GPs and is treatable in most cases. Treatment can take several months depending on the case but can be quite successful and reduce risk of future scarring.
WHAT IS ACNE AND WHO GETS IT?
ACNE is the common cause of 'spots'. Most people with acne are aged between 12 and 25, but some older and younger people are affected. Acne usually affects the face but may also affect the back, neck, and chest. It can be mild to severe. About 9 in 10 teenagers develop some degree of acne. Often it is mild. However, it is estimated that about 3 in 10 teenagers have acne bad enough to need treatment to prevent scarring. Untreated acne usually lasts about 4-5 years before settling. However, it can last for many years in some cases.
WHAT CAUSES ACNE?
During the teenage years, you make more sebum (oil that lubricates skin and hairs) than when you were a child. This is due to the hormone changes of puberty. As a rule, the more sebum that you make, the more greasy your skin feels, and the worse acne is likely to be.
MILD TO MODERATE ACNE - BLACKHEADS, WHITEHEADS, AND SMALL PIMPLES
Some pores become blocked ('plugged') due to the skin at the top of the pores becoming thicker, combined with dead skin cells that are shed into the pores. You can see the 'plugs' that block the top of the pores as tiny spots known as comedones (blackheads and whiteheads). Note: the black of the blackheads is due to skin pigment, and is not dirt as some people think. In most cases, acne does not progress beyond this mild stage. Some sebum may collect under blocked pores. You can see this as small spots called pimples.
MODERATE TO SEVERE ACNE - LARGER SPOTS AND INFLAMMATION
Trapped sebum is ideal for a bacteria called P.acnes to live and multiply. Small numbers of this bacteria normally live on the skin and do no harm. However, if a large number develop in the trapped sebum, the immune system may react and cause inflammation. If inflammation develops, it causes the surrounding skin to become red, and the spots become larger and filled with pus (pustules). In some cases the pustules become even larger and form into small 'nodules' and cysts.
In some cases these inflammatory spots can leave small marks or scars which may not fade fully. There are other rarer causes of acne but if you are concerned about acne, please see your own GP.
In addition acne may be worsened by the following:
- In women, the hormone changes around the monthly period may cause a flare-up of spots.
- Thick or greasy make-up may, possibly, make acne worse. However, most make-up does not affect acne. You can use make-up to cover some mild spots. Non-comedogenic or oil-free products are most helpful for acne-prone skin types.
- Picking and squeezing the spots may cause further inflammation and scarring.
- Sweating heavily or humid conditions may make acne worse.
- Spots may develop under tight clothes. This may be due to increased sweating and friction under tight clothing.
- Drugs: steroids, certain contraceptives, epilepsy medication and some creams containing steroid.
- Note - Acne is not caused by poor hygiene, diet or stress.
TREATMENT AND SKIN CARE IN ACNE
SKIN CARE:
- Do not wash more than normal. Twice a day is normal for most people. Use a mild soap and lukewarm water. (Very hot or cold water may worsen acne.) Do not scrub hard when washing acne affected skin.
- Do not use abrasive soaps, cleansing granules, astringents, or exfoliating agents. Use a soft wash cloth and fingers instead. Excess washing and scrubbing may cause more inflammation, and possibly make acne worse.
- Antiseptic washes are heavily advertised, but are unlikely to make any difference.
- You cannot clean off blackheads. The black tip of a blackhead is actually melanin (skin pigment) and cannot be removed by cleaning or scrubbing.
- Some topical acne treatments (described below) may dry the skin. If this occurs, use a fragrance free, water-based moisturiser cream. Do not use ointments or oil rich creams as these may clog pores.
TREATMENT OPTIONS
The aim of treatment is to clear spots as much as possible, and to prevent scarring.
There are different types of treatment that work in different ways and depend on the severity and type of acne you may have.
TOPICAL PREPARATIONS FOR ACNE
Benzoyl peroxide (OTC) - it kills bacteria, reduces inflammation, and helps to unplug blocked pores and works well to clear inflamed spots. It also helps to clear blackheads and whiteheads. Retinoids may also help unblock pores but is available on prescription only. Topical antibiotics may help reduce the number of bacteria and reduce inflammation.
TABLETS THAT CAN TERAT ACNE
Antibiotic viagra work by killing and help in reducing inflammation. However, they have little effect on unplugging blocked pores. So, if you only have mild acne with just blackheads and whiteheads, you are better off using a topical treatment that unblocks pores. The pill (a hormone treatment) may help some women if their acne seems to be partly related to their hormone changes.
Isotretinoin cheap cialis (roaccutane) - greatly reduces the amount of sebum that you make by the sebaceous glands. It works very well, and usually clears spots even in severe cases. However, it is used only on the advice of a specialist after other treatments have been tried first because there is a risk of serious side effects with Isotretinoin tablets.
HOW LONG IS TREATMENT NEEDED?
Whatever treatment is used, it normally takes up to four weeks for there to be any noticeable improvement in the skin. There is often a good response to treatment by six weeks. However it can take up to four months (sometimes longer) for maximum response to a treatment, and for the skin to be generally free of spots. The most common reason for a treatment failure is because some people think that treatment is not working after a couple of weeks or so, and give up.
In some cases maintenance treatment is then required with topical benzoyl peroxide or topical retinoids. If you are concerned about acne or any skin condition, it is always best to contact your own doctor for further advice or treatment.
Article taken from Waterford News & Star, Ireland.