Acne
What is acne?
Acne is a common skin condition where the pores of your skin clog. Pore blockages produce blackheads, whiteheads and other types of pimples. Pimples are pus-filled, sometimes painful, bumps on your skin.
What are the symptoms of acne?
- Symptoms of acne on your skin include:
- Pimples (pustules): Pus-filled bumps (papules).
- Papules: Small, discolored bumps, often red to purple or darker than your natural skin tone.
- Blackheads: Plugged pores with a black top.
- Whiteheads: Plugged pores with a white top.
- Nodules: Large lumps under your skin that are painful.
- Cysts: Painful fluid-filled (pus) lumps under your skin.
Acne can be mild and cause a few occasional pimples or it can be moderate and cause inflammatory papules. Severe acne causes nodules and cysts.
What causes acne?
Clogged hair follicles or pores cause acne. Your hair follicles are small tubes that hold a strand of your hair. There are several glands that empty into your hair follicles. When too much material is inside your hair follicle, a clog occurs. Your pores can clog with:
- Sebum: An oily substance that provides a protective barrier for your skin.
- Bacteria: Small amounts of bacteria naturally live on your skin. If you have too much bacteria, it can clog your pores.
- Dead skin cells: Your skin cells shed often to make room for more cells to grow. When your skin releases dead skin cells, they can get stuck in your hair follicles.
When your pores clog , substances plug up your hair follicle, creating a pimple. This triggers inflammation, which you feel as pain and swelling. You can also see inflammation through skin discoloration like redness around a pimple.
How is acne treated?
There are several ways to treat acne. Each type of treatment varies based on your age, the type of acne you have and the severity. A healthcare provider might recommend taking oral medications, using topical medications or using medicated therapies to treat your skin. The goal of acne treatment is to stop new pimples from forming and to heal the existing blemishes on your skin.
Topical acne medications
- Salicylic acid: This is available over the counter for acne as a cleanser or lotion. It helps remove the top layer of damaged skin. Salicylic acid dissolves dead skin cells to prevent your hair follicles from clogging.
- Retinoids(vitamin A derivatives): Retinol which is available without a prescription, breaks up blackheads and whiteheads and helps prevent clogged pores, the first signs of acne. Most people are candidates for retinoid therapy. These medications aren’t spot treatments and must be used on the entire area of skin affected by acne to prevent the formation of new pimples. You often need to use these for several months before noticing positive results.Oral acne medications
Oral acne medications
- Antibiotics: Topical antibiotics like clindamycin and erythromycin control surface bacteria that aggravate and cause acne. Antibiotics are more effective when combined with benzoyl peroxide.Oral acne medications Oral acne medications are pills that you take by mouth to clear your acne. Types of oral acne medications could include:
- Antibiotics: Antibiotics treat acne caused by bacteria. Common antibiotics for acne include tetracyclin, minocycline and doxycycline. These are best for moderate to severe acne.
- Isotretinion: Isotretinoin is an oral retinoid. Isotretinoin shrinks the size of oil glands, which contributes to acne formation.
How long does it take for acne to go away?
On average, it can take between one to two weeks for acne pimples to clear up on their own. With medicated treatment and a good skin care routine, you can speed up your body’s healing time to make acne go away faster. For severe acne, it can take several weeks for your acne to go away, even with treatment.
How can I prevent acne?
You can’t completely prevent acne, especially during hormone changes, but you can reduce your risk of developing acne by:
- Washing your face daily with warm water and a facial cleanser.
- Using an oil-free moisturizer.
- Wearing “noncomedogenic” makeup products and removing makeup at the end of each day.
- Keeping your hands away from your face