Acne

What is acne?

Acne is a common scne is a very common skin condition that causes pimples. You’ll usually get pimples on your face. Clogged pores cause acne. Teenagers and young adults most often get acne, but it can also occur during adulthood for many people. Treatment is available to clear acne from your skin and prevent scarring.

What are the types of acne?

There are several types of acne, including:

• Fungal acne (pityrosporum folliculitis): Fungal acne occurs when yeast builds up in your hair follicles. These can be itchy and inflamed.
• Cystic acne: Cystic acne causes deep, pus-filled pimples and nodules. These can cause scars.
• Hormonal acne: Hormonal acne affects adults who have an overproduction of sebum that clogs their pores.
• Nodular acne: Nodular acne is a severe form of acne that causes pimples on the surface of your skin, and tender, nodular lumps under your skin.

All of these forms of acne can affect your self-esteem, and both cystic and nodular acne can lead to permanent skin damage in the form of scarring. It’s best to seek help from a healthcare provider early so they can determine the best treatment option(s) for you.

Who does acne affect?

Acne usually affects everyone at some point in their lifetime. It’s most common among teenagers and young adults undergoing hormonal changes, but acne can also occur during adulthood. Adult acne is more common among women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB). You may be more at risk of developing acne if you have a family history of acne (genetics).

How common is acne?

If you have acne, know that you’re not alone. Acne is the most common skin condition that people experience. An estimated 80% of people ages 11 to 30 will have at least a mild form of acne.

Where on my body will I have acne?

The most common places where you might have acne are on your:

• Face.
• Forehead.
• Chest.
• Shoulders.
• Upper back.

Oil glands exist all over your body. The common locations of acne are where oil glands exist the most.

HOW to treat every types of acne?

• 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.

MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT

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• Your healthcare provider may recommend using a topical acne medication to treat your skin. You can rub these medications directly onto your skin as you would a lotion or a moisturizer. These could include products that contain one of the following ingredients:

  • Benzoyl peroxide: This is available as an over-the-counter product (such as Clearasil®, Stridex® and PanOxyl®) as a leave-on gel or wash. It targets surface bacteria, which often aggravates acne. Lower concentrations and wash formulations are less irritating to your skin.
  • 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.
  • Azelaic acid: This is a natural acid found in various grains such as barley, wheat and rye. It kills microorganisms on the skin and reduces swelling.
  • Retinoids (vitamin A derivatives): Retinol, such as Retin-A®, Tazorac® and Differin®, 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.
  • Antibiotics: Topical antibiotics like clindamycin and erythromycin control surface bacteria that aggravate and cause acne. Antibiotics are more effective when combined with benzoyl peroxide.
  • Dapsone: Dapsone (Aczone®) is a topical gel, which also has antibacterial properties. It treats inflamed acne.

  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 tetracycline, minocycline and doxycycline. These are best for moderate to severe acne.
  • Isotretinoin (Amnesteem®, Claravis® and Sotret®): Isotretinoin is an oral retinoid. Isotretinoin shrinks the size of oil glands, which contributes to acne formation.
  • Contraceptives: The use of certain contraceptives can sometimes help women and people AFAB who have acne. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved several types of birth control pills for treating acne. Some brand names include Estrostep®, Beyaz®, Ortho Tri-Cyclen® and Yaz®. These pills contain a combination of estrogen (the primary AFAB sex hormone) and progesterone (a natural form of steroid that helps regulate menstruation).
  • Hormone therapy: Hormone therapy is helpful for some people with acne, especially if you experience acne flare-ups during menstruation or irregular periods caused by excess androgen (a hormone). Hormone therapy consists of low-dose estrogen and progesterone (birth control pills) or a medication called spironolactone that blocks the effect of certain hormones at the level of your hair follicles and oil glands.

  Additional acne therapies

  If topical or oral medications don’t work well for your acne or if you have scars from your acne, a healthcare provider may recommend different types of acne therapies to clear your skin, including:

  • Steroids: Steroids can treat severe acne with injections into large nodules to reduce inflammation.
  • Lasers: Lasers and light therapy treat acne scars. A laser delivers heat to the scarred collagen under your skin. This relies on your body’s wound-healing response to create new, healthy collagen, which encourages growth of new skin to replace it.
  • Chemical peels: This treatment uses special chemicals to remove the top layer of old skin. After removal of the top layer of skin, new skin grows in smoother and can lessen acne scars.

  How do antibiotics treat acne?

  Antibiotics are medications that target bacteria. Some used to treat acne also can decrease inflammation. Bacteria can clog your pores and cause acne. Antibiotics are responsible for:

  • Blocking bacteria from entering your body.
  • Destroying bacteria.
  • Preventing bacteria from multiplying.

  A healthcare provider will recommend antibiotics if you have acne caused by bacteria or if you have an infection. Antibiotics get rid of an infection if bacteria gets into a popped pimple, which can swell and become painful. This medication isn’t a cure for acne and you shouldn’t take it long-term to treat acne.