Acne is a persistent skin disorder that leads to pimples and spots on your face, neck, shoulders, chest, or upper back. It’s formed when the pores of your skin are obstructed by dead skin cells, hair, bacteria, or oils. Risk factors that make you get acne include genetics, hormones, particular medication, climate, compressing pimples, certain makeups, and stress. They aren’t harmful per se; however, having them causes much discomfort, especially when you go to work, school, or attend functions with friends.
It’d help if you knew the depth of acne to comprehend what you’re dealing with. It usually comes in different types and can be inflammatory or noninflammatory. There are also various remedy options for acne. Read below for more details on the different acne types and treatment options.
Types Of Acne
To effectively treat your acne, it’s best to know what type you’re dealing with. They’re as follows:
- Non- Inflammatory Acne
These don’t cause bumps on the skin. You can only separate them by checking for open or closed pores. They include the following:
- White Heads
It’s the most common type of acne, also known as closed comedones. They’re concealed with a white head, hence the name. It’s usually similar to fungal acne; the only distinction is the origin. Fungal acne results from inflammation of the follicles making the skin problem come out as acne and cause irritation to your skin. It appears when there’s too much yeast in your hair follicles. On the other hand, closed comedones acne appears as white bumps filled with dead skin oils, which are complex to get rid of. Being in the know of how closed comedones presents themselves and separating them from fungal acne enables you to get the right treatment plan.
- Black Heads
Blackheads are the dark-colored version of comedones. They’re also known as open comedones because the pores are open and remain on the skin’s surface. You could see it as black spots on your face, chest, shoulders, or back.
They’re a gentler form of acne. The dark color doesn’t come from the fact that they accumulate dirt but because of oxidation. Thus, the content of white heads is the same as blackheads.
- Inflammatory Acnes
These types generate swelling and irritation on the skin’s surface. These pimples contain dead skin cells, excess oils, and pus. And usually, they can be found on the face, shoulders, back, and chest. They’re the following:
- Papules
These tiny red swells can cause a lot of irritation to your skin. They come about when your hair follicle wall is destroyed, making it easy for bacteria to get into the inner skin layer, resulting in swelling and soreness.
- Pustules
These are spot-holding pus, extra oils, and dead skin cells. If you scratch or compress them, they leave scars on your skin.
- Nodules
They’re sore, vast, and have hard spots underneath your skin. When the follicles are destroyed, they cause inflammation referred to as the nodules, which have pus.
- Cysts
These are pus-filled pimples that lead to scarring on your skin. They’re the most extreme forms of acne and can also have blood in them.
Treatment Options for Acne
To reiterate, acnes are persistent skin problems you can treat severally but to no avail. However, knowing the type of acne helps you find suitable treatment options. Therefore, speak to your dermatologist about the acne you’re suffering from and its typical symptoms. From there, you can work on a feasible treatment plan to help you get rid of the acne. Below are some of the standard treatment options:
Prescribed Treatment
These are medications that you can purchase only once your dermatologist has written a prescription for you. Some of them are:
- Antibiotics: On top of the cream you’re applying, your dermatologist can suggest an antibiotic. It helps in removing the bacteria leading to acne and minimizes redness. They’re effective because they enter the skin and remove hidden acne. Antibiotics can cause many side effects on your body. For example, oral antibiotics can make you susceptible to light. You could also develop yeast infection as a woman.
- Azelaic acid: It’s a gel or cream with antibacterial features that destroy microorganisms on the skin and decrease inflammation.
- Salicylic acid: It’s a cleanser that breaks down dead skin cells to stop your hair follicles from obstruction.
- Retinoids: It’s a viable treatment if you have whiteheads, blackheads, or pimples on your skin. You can use them as topical or oral medications. It gets rid of acne by influencing how skin grows. However, you could experience irritation, swelling, or dryness when you use them.
- Oral contraceptives: If your acne is due to your menstrual cycles, oral contraceptives can help eliminate the acne on your skin.
- Benzoyl peroxide: It’s a non-prescribed treatment option you can try if you have less acne. It’s a good solution that aids in managing bacteria that cause acne. If you stop using it, the acne can come back.
Most of these drugs can help you get rid of acne completely. However, be on the lookout for their side effects before you can see them. It’d also help if you work with a dermatologist before you purchase them.
Skin Therapies
On top of the medications or creams your dermatologist may suggest you supplement the treatment options with the following:
- Laser therapy: You could try out laser treatment therapy to help get rid of the acne scars on your skin. It works by transmitting heat to the damaged collagen underneath your skin, stimulating the growth of new skin. You can try it, especially when using other kinds of treatment.
- Steroid injection: When your acne is widespread, your dermatologist can inject the swells with a steroid injection to alleviate discomfort and reduce the nodule size. You should exercise caution with this type of treatment plan because it’s known to have numerous side effects, such as thinning, high blood pressure, and increased risk of infections.
- Chemical peel: It utilizes certain chemicals to get rid of the upper layer of your older skin. After its removal, the new skin will be soft and devoid of pronounced acne scars.
At-home options
You could complement the above-mentioned medications and therapies by trying out the at home-treatments below:
- Healthy diet: Some foods are believed to cause acne. These include: refined grains and sugars, fast food, chocolates, foods with omega-6 fats, and dairy products. Therefore, you may want to find alternative diets beneficial to your skin.
- Soap and water: You could wash your face gently at least twice a day to help prevent acne. However, this won’t help clear your already existing acne.
- Herbal medication: Herbal medicines are believed to cure acne; however, the efficiency of their use is yet to be verified.
There are different types of treatment for acne. Before you use any of them, speak to your dermatologist so they can advise you accordingly.
Conclusion
Acne can significantly lower your self-esteem, especially when they form on your face, back, shoulders, or face. You may shun the idea of showing up to functions simply because you feel your spots and pimples are the first things people will see. However, you can help mitigate such problems by getting a good understanding of what acne is. This way, you can ensure you get the proper treatment depending on your current symptoms. You’ll ultimately get rid of acne and have healthy skin.