Acne

Cameron Diaz has battled with acne.

If you have ever suffered from acne, you are not alone. Treatments for acne have improved significantly. At home treatments like Skinceutical Blemish and Age range, depending on the grade / type of acne you have this may require the addition of a topical antibiotic and or medication.

All acne is not created equal.
A single pimple or a face (or back) full of them, most people can relate.  Acne is the most common skin condition . 80 % of people in the world will suffer from acne at some point in their lifetime.  The first step is to make the right diagnosis. Not all bumps on the face or back are acne. You could have rosacea (Along with spots, rosacea can cause facial flushing and persistent redness of the skin, particularly across the cheeks, nose and chin. Possible triggers are thought to include extremes of weather, sunlight, spicy food and alcohol.), or  folliculitis  - blocked hair follicle. However, if you  have acne, there is still a diagnosis to be made.

You have to figure out what kind of acne you have so you can treat it appropriately!

When that follicle is obstructed (usually by dead skin cells), the oil doesn’t have a way to get out. This creates a comedone, otherwise known as a whitehead or blackhead.  There is a bacteria that lives on our skin called P. acnes.  When you have a blocked pore, these bacteria begin feeding off the oil and skin cells and give off toxic free fatty acids that perforate the base of the follicle and release toxins into the dermis.  The body reacts with an inflammatory response and a part of this response results in the formation of a pustule.  Acne can be triggered by hormonal changes. The sebaceous glands that are attached to the follicles secrete more oil in response to certain hormonal triggers.  This is why women may notice more breakouts at certain time of the month.  This is also why teen males may have worse acne than teenage females. This is because it is actual the male hormones known as androgens that trigger sebaceous glands.  Lastly, acne can also be influenced by a few other things, including genetics, certain food choices, and stress.  Physical irritation can also generate an inflammatory response resulting in pimples.

Types of Acne 

Type 1: Comedonal

This type of acne appears as a small bump but generally is not red and swollen.  Often you will hear these referred to blackheads and whiteheads and your case can be mild or severe.  Comedonal acne is typically found on the chin and forehead but can form anywhere there is a pore (including face, neck, shoulders, chest, thighs and back). Especially common during the preteen and teen years (but can happen at any age), comedonal acne tends to run in families (if your parents or siblings had it, you’re more likely to have it too) and people with oily skin are more prone to it.

Type 2:  Inflammatory

Inflammatory acne is a response by your body to the clogged follicle.   Inflammatory acne occurs when acne blemishes become inflamed, forming papules and pustules (pimples and zits).  In more severe cases, deeper and larger pus filled lesions called nodules may form.  While it may be tempting to pop these new spots, it’s important not to as this can result in scarring. Inflammatory acne tends to be more common in men due to higher testosterone levels leading to more oil production. A bacteria on the skin called P.Acnes loves to eat those dead skin cells covered with all the oil from your sebaceous glands.If the bacteria really go to town on those blocked pores you get pustules, white pus filled bumps on your face, or large inflamed bumps on your face.  This type of acne is called inflammatory acne

Type 3:  Cystic

Cystic acne is the most severe form of acne vulgaris.  Breakouts become deep and inflamed and blemishes form cysts that become very large and painful. Cystic acne can affect anyone but is much more common in teenage boys and young men and it does seem to run in families.  This type of acne is severe and needs to be treated by a  Specialist Doctor or Dermatologist.

Type  4:  Hormonal acne

Hormones called androgens stimulate sebaceous glands to produce more oil-- the more active the sebaceous glands, the happier the P,.acnes bacteria.  If you go through hormonal fluctuations related to menstruation,  pregnancy,menopause, or possibly because you have a condition called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, you may have times when the androgens are stimulating your skin to make inflammatory acne.  This acne usually has a specific pattern, and  presents normally  as painful bumps around the chin and jaw line.

Image source:  American Academy of Dermatology.

Treatments

Treatment of mild forms of acne can usually be accomplished with over the counter products.  Once you can understand the type of acne that you have, you can identify the best treatment option for you. Each type of acne will require a different treatment option.
Book a free consultation if you need advice on 012300244/012300255
http://www.nualawoulfe.ie/index.php/treatments/the-facial-collection