Acne: types, causes, drugs, therapy, etc. • hello healthy

Definition

What is acne?

Acne is a non-contagious skin disease caused by clogging of hair follicles by dead skin and oil. Hair follicles are the parts that connect the pores to the oil glands (sebaceous). If left untreated, this skin problem can trigger skin inflammation.

The condition is known in medicine as Acne vulgaris it has several types. In addition, acne does not only appear on the face, but also on the shoulders, back and chest.

If not handled properly, this skin disease can cause scars (acne scars). This later becomes a new problem because it is more difficult to remove.

How common is this condition?

Acne is a skin problem that affects almost everyone, regardless of gender, age, and racial group. In fact, 80 - 85% of this condition often occurs in adolescents at the age of 15-18 years, aka puberty.

At puberty, male sex hormones (androgens) will increase, both in men and women. As a result, the sebaceous glands also produce more oil. Even so, people aged 40-50 years can also experience the same thing.

Signs and symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms?

There are many types of acne that people experience, ranging from non-abscess to pus-filled. This skin condition can also occur anywhere on your body.

However, acne is more common in areas where your sebaceous gland levels are high, including:

• face,
• chest,
• back,
• neck,
• lips, as well
• vagina.

Meanwhile, the signs and symptoms of acne also depend on the severity of your condition. Here are some of the signs.

• Whiteheads (white blackheads), closed pores that look like tiny white bumps
• Blackheads (blackheads), open pores that look like dark spots due to air oxidation
• Papulesa small, painful rash
• Pustules, a pimple filled with pus at the tips
• Nodules, a large, dense, painful lump
• Cystic acne, large pustules under the skin that cause pain

If there are symptoms that are not mentioned and you feel worried, consult a doctor or dermatologist immediately.

When to see a doctor?

Some people may feel they can treat this condition by finding their own way. If you feel anxious that this skin condition will get worse, try to consult a dermatologist when experiencing the things below.

• Have never been diagnosed with acne prone skin.
• The skin condition got worse after trying over-the-counter drugs.
• There are scars and changes in skin color.

In fact, almost all acne prone skin can be treated. Both a dermatologist and a dermatologist can help you treat, prevent, and reduce the risk of acne scars.

Cause

What causes acne to appear?

There are four main causes that make a person experience acne, namely:

• oil production,
• dead skin cells,
• clogged pores, and
• bacteria.

In general, this skin disease is caused by androgen hormones which are usually active during adolescence and adulthood. This hormone sensitivity causes hair cells, skin cells, and excess oil from the oil glands to mix together. As a result, hair follicles become clogged.

After that, the dead skin cells will rise to the surface of the pores and the body naturally releases them. If the oil glands are overactive, dead skin cells stick to the pore. Instead of rising to the surface, dead skin cells get trapped in the pores.

There are times when this condition allows the bacteria that cause acne to enter and lead to infection. The reason is, bacteria multiply rapidly in the pore because the environment is quite supportive.

If left untreated, bacteria can enter the clogged dead skin cells in the pore, which triggers inflammation. If the inflammation goes too deep, skin breakouts can occur.

Risk factors

What increases your risk of getting acne?

Apart from the four causes of acne that have been mentioned, there are various other factors that can increase your risk of experiencing this skin problem, which are as follows.

Age

Acne can be experienced by anyone, regardless of age. However, children who are going through puberty are more at risk of developing this problem. This condition is due to the increase in sex hormones (androgens) at puberty.

As a result, sebum production in the body becomes excessive, leading to the appearance of acne vulgaris.

Hormonal changes

Apart from age, hormonal changes are also one of the factors that can increase a person's risk of developing acne. Why is that?

Hormonal changes that occur at puberty, menstruation, or pregnancy often trigger this problem. In fact, hormonal changes due to consumption of birth control pills, corticosteroids, or lithium can also trigger this condition.

Family history

If one or both parents get acne frequently, you may also be at risk for the same problem. This is because this skin disease is also genetic, so it is very likely to be inherited.

Have an oily skin type

Those of you who have oily or combination skin types tend to get acne more often than those with dry skin. The reason is, the amount of sebum production in oily skin is far more, so that their pores are more easily clogged.

In addition, people with oily skin are also at risk for this problem when using lotions and creams that contain high oil. In fact, acne can also occur when you are in the kitchen for a long time because it is damp and oily.

Friction on the skin

Did you know that friction or unclean skin contact can increase your risk of developing acne? This condition most often occurs when the skin, especially the face, frequently rubs against dirty cellphones, helmets, or pillowcases.

Meanwhile, acne on the body, including the back and neck, can also occur because you use clothing that is not clean and does not match the skin. As a result, red rashes that sometimes cause itching appear.

Stress

Actually, stress does not trigger the appearance of acne prone skin. It's just that, once you have this condition, stress can exacerbate your skin problems.

Certain foods

Until now, many people are still debating whether food triggers acne. Even so, many studies have shown that certain types of food can aggravate this condition.

For example, dairy products, chocolate, and foods high in carbohydrates are strongly thought to worsen acne vulgaris. However, this usually depends on the individual body.

Some of you may be more sensitive to certain foods, but some are not. Therefore, experts still need further research why this condition can occur and whether certain eating patterns can help you.

Diagnosis and treatment

How to diagnose this condition?

If you decide to have a skin condition checked in the hospital, a dermatologist will do several things to diagnose this condition.

Examinations are carried out to find out the type of acne and how to deal with this condition based on the type.

First of all, the doctor will examine your skin. Then, he will begin to categorize the type and severity to determine the treatment. This is whether your skin needs combination treatment or not.

That way, the doctor can help get rid of acne and scars on your skin.

How to get rid of acne?

After your doctor has successfully diagnosed the type of acne vulgaris that you have, he or she will offer you a number of treatments to treat this condition. Acne skin care is done to prevent the growth of new pimples and acne scars, and to help increase self-confidence.

However, there are many types of treatment that doctors will offer, from topical drugs to therapy, including the following.

• Retinoids, to prevent clogging of hair follicles
• Acne antibiotics, which helps slow down bacterial growth and reduce inflammation
• Benzoyl peroxide, to kill the bacteria that cause skin breakouts
• Azelaic acid, fight bacterial growth on the skin
• Salicylic acid, to prevent clogging of hair follicles and help remove blackheads
• Dapsone, which is recommended for women who experience inflammation due to acne vulgaris
• Anti-androgen agent, used when antibiotics do not work and function to block the effects of androgen hormones on the oil glands
• Isotretinoin, commonly used for people with severe acne, but has serious side effects
• Laser and photodynamic therapy, with the help of lasers to reduce the production of oil and bacteria
• Dermabrasion, to remove the top layer of skin so that dead skin cells are lifted
• Chemical peels , which helps improve acne scars that are less severe
• Acne injection, which is recommended for acne nodules to reduce inflammation and speed healing

In fact, even general practitioners can treat facial problems and skin with acne. However, when your acne doesn't get better or gets worse, you may need to see a dermatologist.

What about acne treatments for children?

Most acne medications can be used by people over 12 years of age. However, this condition can also be found in younger children.

If your child has acne prone skin, consult a skin specialist pediatrician. Ask them what drugs children need to avoid and how the treatment affects the growth and development of children.

Home remedies

What are the home remedies for acne?

Apart from getting medication and treatment for acne from a doctor, there are several lifestyles that need to be considered to support the healing process, including:

Wash your face diligently

Washing your face is an important thing that needs to be done in treating acne prone skin. This habit needs to be done a maximum of two times a day and try to use a gentle facial wash product.

Also pay attention to how and for how long you wash your face because this affects the health of facial skin.

For example, one of the acne myths that needs to be cleared up is scrubbing acne-prone skin. You may find this a quick way to get rid of acne prone skin. The reason is, the skin will feel cleaner after scrubbing.

In fact, scrubbing facial skin vigorously can actually worsen acne conditions. Instead of getting better quickly, this habit can damage the protective outer layer of the skin (epidermis). As a result, the skin becomes dry more easily and is susceptible to bacterial infection.

Avoid irritating care products

If you are experiencing acne, try to avoid products that can irritate your skin, such as:

• scrub face,
• alcohol, and
• astringent.

The three products above are said to aggravate acne prone skin conditions, so you need to be careful.

Apart from that, most people believe that toothpaste helps get rid of acne. In fact, the content in toothpaste can actually irritate acne and worsen skin conditions.

Choose non-comedogenic and non-acnegenic products

In addition to avoiding products that can irritate the skin, try to choose skin care or cosmetics that don't clog pores. Typically, these products are marked with a non-acnegenic and non-comedogenic label.

You don't have to worry. When acne is not inflamed, you can use cosmetics that are specifically for acne prone skin. Also, don't forget to make sure the makeup brush is clean of germs to prevent new pimples from appearing.

Do not touch your face with dirty hands

It is no secret that hands are an invisible source of bacteria. Therefore, you need to avoid touching your face with dirty hands, especially on problematic skin areas.

This bad habit can certainly worsen acne conditions and cause new pimples in other areas of the skin. This habit also applies when crusts start to appear during the healing process.

This is because the body will start to heal the scars after you have peeled off the pimples. Then, the white blood cells move to the problem area and attack the bacteria.

Blood cells produce blood clots and give rise to a crust. If you remove the crust, the wound will re-open and become exposed to dirt and bacteria. As a result, acne scars are even more difficult to remove.

Limit your skin's exposure to sunlight

In some cases, sun exposure can also cause skin breakouts, including on the face. In addition, most of the acne medications used can also make your skin more sensitive to sunlight.

What's more, UV radiation from sunlight can stimulate melanocytes under the skin. As a result, black acne scars appear and slow down the healing process.

Therefore, always use sunscreen products every time you go outside the house during the day. Whenever possible, choose a gel-based sunscreen that doesn't clog pores.

Pay attention to diet

There are several types of food that can make your skin condition worse. For that, paying attention to diet is necessary to support the treatment of acne prone skin.

Try to multiply vegetables and fruits that are rich in vitamins and minerals. In addition, reduce foods that contain sugar because they can trigger inflammation in the body.

Can acne be prevented?

Most acne skin problems are caused by hormonal changes that occur during puberty. Therefore, preventing acne is quite difficult or even impossible.

Even so, avoiding substances that cause acne may help, including certain drugs, food, cosmetics. In addition, maintaining clean hair also reduces the risk of developing a pimply forehead because it reduces oil and fat on the scalp.

This means that early skin care can reduce the severity and acne scars that will appear later.

If you have further questions, consult your doctor for the right solution.