What to do with unsightly acne

Overview

Acne is a skin condition that occurs when your hair follicles become clogged with oil and dead skin cells. It causes whiteheads, blackheads or pimples. Acne is most common among teenagers, though it affects people of all ages.

Effective acne treatments are available, but acne can be persistent. The pimples and bumps heal slowly, and when one begins to go away, others seem to crop up.

Depending on its severity, acne can cause emotional distress and scar the skin. The earlier you start treatment, the lower your risk of such problems.

Symptoms

Acne signs vary depending on the severity of your condition.

Whiteheads.
Blackheads.
Small red, tender bumps.
Pimples, which are papules with pus at their tips.
Large, solid, painful lumps under the skin.
Painful, pus filled lumps under the skin.

Acne usually appears on the face, forehead, chest, upper back and shoulders.

When to see a doctor

If self-care remedies don't clear your acne, see your primary care doctor. He or she can prescribe stronger medications. If acne persists or is severe, you may want to seek medical treatment from a doctor who specializes in the skin.

For many women, acne can persist for decades, with flares common a week before menstruation. This type of acne tends to clear up without treatment in women who use contraceptives.

In older adults, a sudden onset of severe acne may signal an underlying disease requiring medical attention.

The Food and Drug Administration warns that some popular acne lotions, cleansers and other skin products can cause a serious reaction. This type of reaction is quite rare, so don't confuse it with any redness, irritation or itchiness that occurs in areas where you've applied medications or products.

Seek emergency medical help if after using a skin product you experience.

Faintnes
Difficulty breathing
Swelling of the eyes, face, lips or tongue
Tightness of the throat

Causes

Four main factors cause acne:

Excess oil production.
Hair follicles clogged by oil and dead skin cells.
Bacteria.
Inflammation

Acne typically appears on your face, forehead, chest, upper back and shoulders because these areas of skin have the most oil glands. Hair follicles are connected to oil glands.

The follicle wall may bulge and produce a whitehead. Or the plug may be open to the surface and darken, causing a blackhead. A blackhead may look like dirt stuck in pores. But actually the pore is congested with bacteria and oil, which turns brown when it's exposed to the air.

Pimples are raised red spots with a white center that develop when blocked hair follicles become inflamed or infected with bacteria. Blockages and inflammation deep inside hair follicles produce cyst like lumps beneath the surface of your skin. Other pores in your skin, which are the openings of the sweat glands, aren't usually involved in acne.

Certain things may trigger or worsen acne.

Hormonal changes. Androgens are hormones that increase in boys and girls during puberty and cause the sebaceous glands to enlarge and make more sebum. Hormone changes during midlife, particularly in women, can lead to breakouts too.
Certain medications. Examples include drugs containing corticosteroids, testosterone or lithium.
Diet. Studies indicate that consuming certain foods including carbohydrate rich foods, such as bread, bagels and chips may worsen acne. Further study is needed to examine whether people with acne would benefit from following specific dietary restrictions.
Stress. Stress doesn't cause acne, but if you have acne already, stress may make it wores.

Complications

People with darker skin types are more likely than are people with lighter skin to experience these acne complications.

Scars. Pitted skin and thick scars can remain long-term after acne has healed.
Skin changes. After acne has cleared, the affected skin may be darker or lighter than before the condition occurred.

Risk factors

Risk factors for acne include.

Age. People of all ages can get acne, but it's most common in teenagers.
Hormonal changes. Such changes are common during puberty or pregnancy.
Family history. Genetics plays a role in acne. If both of your parents had acne, you're likely to develop it too.
Greasy or oily substances. You may develop acne where your skin comes into contact with oil or oily lotions and creams.
Friction or pressure on your skin.This can be caused by items such as. telephones, cellphones, helmets, tight collars and backpacks.

Treatment

If you've tried over the counter acne products for several weeks and they haven't helped, ask your doctor about prescription strength medications. A dermatologist can help you.

Control your acne.
Avoid scarring or other damage to your skin.
Make scars less noticeable

Therapies

For some people, the following therapies might be helpful, either alone or in combination with medications.

Light therapy. A variety of light-based therapies have been tried with some success. Most will require multiple visits to your doctor's office. Further study is needed to determine the ideal method, light source and dose.
Chemical peel. This procedure uses repeated applications of a chemical solution, such as salicylic acid, glycolic acid or retinoic acid. This treatment is for mild acne. It might improve the appearance of the skin, though the change is not long lasting and repeat treatments are usually needed.
Drainage and extraction. Your doctor may use special tools to gently remove whiteheads and blackheads or cysts that haven't cleared up with topical medications. This technique temporarily improves the appearance of your skin, but it might also cause scarring.
Steroid injection. Nodular and cystic lesions can be treated by injecting a steroid drug into them. This therapy has resulted in rapid improvement and decreased pain. Side effects may include skin thinning and discoloration in the treated area.

Lifestyle and home remedies

You can try to avoid or control mild or moderate acne with nonprescription products, good basic skin care and other self care techniques.

Wash problem areas with a gentle cleanser. Twice a day, use your hands to wash your face with mild soap or a gentle cleanser and warm water.
Avoid irritants. Oily or greasy cosmetics, sunscreens, hair styling products for acne concealers can worsen acne. Instead, use products labeled water based or non comedogenic, which means they are less likely to cause acne.
Protect your skin from the sun. For some people, the sun worsens the discoloration that sometimes lingers after the acne has cleared.
Avoid friction or pressure on your skin. Protect your acne prone skin from contact with items such as phones, helmets, tight collars or straps, and backpacks.
Avoid touching or picking acne prone areas. Doing so can trigger more acne or lead to infection or scarring.
Shower after strenuous activities. Oil and sweat on your skin can lead to breakouts

"Adhering to proper health habits can reduce the harm that may occur in the body"