Acne treatment

Acne, what are the treatment and causes?

Acne is caused by excess oil or sebum which builds up and forms a plug within the hair follicle. When bacteria and inflammation add to this the patient presents with severe acne. There is no specific set age or decade of life within which a patient may present with acne and the cause of the acne can be multifactorial from changes in medication, diet, stress or hormones to other reasons.

Excess androgenic activity can produce surges in testosterone levels which can present as acne, in addition menstruation and hormone related changes can also exacerbate acne and make the condition worse. Acne can present as mild, moderate or severe and can appear anywhere on the body from the face, forehead, chest to the shoulders and back.

Common mild acne presentations are as pimples, papules, blackheads, whiteheads and nodules which present as lumps and cysts.

Pimples present as small raised bumps which are raised and can be red in colour. Blackheads present as plugged hair follicles that are black or yellowish. Whiteheads have a yellow or white colour on the head. Papules present as small red and inflamed bumps that can also be very sore to the touch as well. Pustules are very similar to papules but have more of a yellow or white pus filled tip. Moderate acne presents as more white heads and black heads along with many papules and pustules aswell. Severe acne presents as large painful papules, pustules or cysts and nodules.

While most forms of mild acne can be treated with over-the-counter therapies and treatments, the more severe types of acne require prescription treatment.

The dermatologist or skin therapist can accurately identify the type of acne that the patient is suffering with and advise on the best treatment accordingly.

Which skincare ingredients work to target Acne?

There are a number of different skincare ingredients formulated within skincare products which work to actively target and treat acne. Salicylic acid is a beta-hydroxy acid and this is commonly formulated in acne therapy and treatment.

Salicylic acid deeply cleanses the pores within the skin to remove excess sebum, oil and congestion. Retinol is also an effective ingredient in skincare formulations to treat acne and it regulates the oil levels within the pores of the skin and the skin cell layers. Another ingredient which is commonly used to treat acne is the the alpha-hydroxy acid; glycolic acid, this has exfoliation effects on the surface of the skin and is particularly useful in patients who have acne pigmentation marks alongside acne for fading of scars and pigmentation marks. Benzoyl peroxide is an effective antibacterial agent and this works really well to not only regulate the oil levels but also to control the growth and regulation of the bacterium pseudomonas aeriginosa which is one of the main bacteria that is responsible for acne.

Skincare protocols for Acne treatment

There are a number of different skin care protocols available for the treatment of acne. The ZO Skin health protocol, OBAJI Clenziderm Protocol for acne treatment contains a number of products in a 3 step protocol which work together and alongside each other to control and treat acne. The NEOSTRATA range has a number of different products for acne treatment aswell.

Which treatments are good for Acne?

There are a number of different treatments that are available which work really effectively to treat acne .

Regular crystal microdermabrasion facials can work really well in cleaning the pores and removing excess sebum and also removing blackheads and whiteheads in the skin and controlling acne. In addition to this, hot towel steam facials with anti-acne masks which contain deep cleansing ingredients work very well. Skin peels have a deep pore cleansing action and capable of penetrating deep within the dermal skin cell layers to remove sebum work particularly well.

Lifestyle measures to help control Acne

Simple measures can be employed at home these include for example drinking plenty of fluids up to 2 litres of water a day to ensure that the body is detoxified and the lymph system is able to remove excess toxins and eliminate these from the body. Other recent viral trends having included use of special towels which are sterilised and can be used specifically in a patients skincare protocol as well as sleeping on fresh cotton pillows. Pillows that are regularly washed and cleaned and free from debris and dirt which otherwise aggravates the skin barrier, congesting clogged pores and exacerbating the acne. Nutritional supplements are sometimes used to achieve acne control aswell. Skin Ade produce a CLEAR acne range which contains over 30 ingredients including milk thistle, brocolli, zinc and vitamin B to control acne. The results are increased skin hydration, fewer breakouts, more balanced oil production and reduced inflammation and blemishes. The supplements can be sourced from this clinic. aswell.