Management of acne could be a tough task for majority of the people. But it is not as tough as it is assumed to be.

Management of moderately severe acne

Treatment for moderately severe acne usually includes topical agents. In addition, a doctor or dermatologist may prescribe an oral medication, usually for at least six months.

Suitable oral medications include:

• Antibiotics such as tetracycline, minocycline, doxycycline or erythromycin
• In females, oestrogens and antiandrogens such or spironolactone
• Some patients are helped by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents for resistant or persistent acne, oral isotretinoin may be more suitable

See your doctor or dermatologist for advice if your skin problem fails to improve within three months or you have severe acne.

Management of severe acne

Oral treatment is required for severe acne conditions. Patients should be under the care of a dermatologist.

Many patients will be treated with:

• High dose oral antibiotics for six months or longer
• in females, especially those with polycystic ovary syndrome, oral antiandrogens such as oestrogen/cyproterone or spironolactone may be suitable long term.

Tips for managing and preventing acne

Tip 1:

Wash your face twice a day with warm water and a mild soap made for people with acne. Gently massage your face using circular motions.  Do not over-wash or over-scrub your face. Then apply any lotion containing benzoyl peroxide which helps in decreasing oil and bacteria.

Tip 2:

Do not prick your pimples. It’s tempting, pricking pimples can push infected material further into the skin, leading to more swelling and redness, and even scarring.

Tip 3:

Avoid touching your face with your fingers. Touching your face can spread the bacteria that cause pores to become inflamed and irritated. To keep bacteria trapped, wash your hands before applying anything to your face, such as treatment creams or makeup.

Tip 4:

Never keep your makeup on face overnight. While buying makeup, make sure to choose brands that say “noncomedogenic” or “nonacnegenic” on the label. Do not  use old or expired makeup on your face.

Tip 5:

Keep hair clean and out of your face to prevent additional dirt and oil from clogging your pores.

Tip 6:

Protect your skin from the sun. A tan may worsen your acne, and also causes damage to skin that will eventually lead to wrinkles and increase your risk of skin cancer.
These tips could help you if you really care for your skin!

Acne is a common human skin disease characterized by areas of skin with red scales, blackheads, whiteheads, pinheads, pimples and papules. Acne occurs most commonly during adolescence, and sometimes might continue into adulthood. There are various types of acne, out of which the most common is acne vulgaris, which is found mostly among teenagers. The other types of acne are acne rosacea, cystic acne, nodular acne, acne inversa etc. There are several different types of acne, which are categorized according to the severity of the condition:

Grade 1: The mildest form of acne like blackheads and whiteheads
Grade 2: The moderate form of acne like increased blackheads,   whiteheads and pimple
Grade 3: Moderate to severe acne. More inflammations on skin…
Grade 4: Most severe form of acne, like cyst

BLACKHEADS

Blackheads are follicles that have a wider than normal opening. They are filled with plugs of sebum and sloughed-off cells and have undergone a chemical reaction resulting in the oxidation of melanin. This gives the material in the follicle the typical black color.

WHITEHEADS

Whiteheads are follicles that are filled with the same material, but have only a microscopic opening to the skin surface. Since the air cannot reach the follicle, the material is not oxidized, and remains white.

ACNE VULGARIS

Acne vulgaris is one of the most common types of acne, affecting teenagers and adults. This distressing and common skin condition develops due to overactive sebaceous glands during puberty.

ACNE ROSECEA

In some people this skin condition is caused by hot baths or prolonged sun exposure, while in others spicy foods and hot beverages may lead to the reddish complexion of the skin. Wind, cold weather and harsh skin care products may also be responsible for acne rosacea outbreaks.

CYSTIC ACNE

Cystic acne is by far the most severe form of acne, and comes under grade4 classification of acne. It is usually pus filled in nature. Squeezing this type of acne will result in serious consequences as well as prominent acne scarring.

NODULAR ACNE

Nodular acne is a severe form of acne vulgaris, classified as grade3 inflammation of acne. This develops from the progression of grade II acne like papules or pustules, Papules and pustules are grade2 acne. Inflammatory types of acne. This is the type of acne, which is commonly known as a pimple.

ACNE INVERSA

Acne inversa is a severe inflammatory skin condition manifesting through blackheads and painful red bumps filled with pus that may persist for weeks or even months.

Acne could be found on skin in the form of pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, red scaly skin, pinheads or papules. The pores on our skin consist of a type of gland called the sebaceous glands. These glands produce a type of oil called sebum which is required as a lubricant to our skin and hair. Most of the time these glands produce only the right amount of oil required. As a teen’s body begins to mature and develop, though, hormones stimulate the sebaceous glands to make more sebum, and the glands may become overactive. Pores become clogged if there is too much sebum and too many dead skin cells. Bacteria can then get trapped inside the pores and multiply, causing swelling and redness — the start of acne.

All these happens due to hormonal changes. But it is also found that acne is caused due to improper diet, psychological reasons of stress and depressions, and due to unhygienic reasons. It could also be caused due to genetic reasons where acne is inherited from parents or ancestors.

Hormonal Changes

One of the major reasons for pimples in teens is due to the hormonal changes happening within their body during menstrual cycles and puberty. In males, during puberty, an increase in male sex hormones results in large secretions of oil clogging the skin pores. Hormonal acne is seen mostly in women due to the natural cycles a woman goes through, such as menstruation, pregnancy and menopause.

Follicle Fallout

As the body sheds dead skin cells to replace them with new ones, the hair follicle gets blocked with the skin cells. This blockage makes it so that the sebum cannot get out which results in acne.

Genetic

Inheritance from parents is also a reason for the cause of acne during adolescence. In inherited cases of acne individual becomes more sensitive to bacteria trapped in hair follicle with dead skin cells and sebum.

Psychological

Stress and acne are somehow related to each other. However, it is also not clear whether acne causes stress and thus perpetuates itself to some extent. Tension causes the glands to close up and that results in the backup of sebum that would otherwise be released.

Diet

Too much of oily food, eggs and even milk in diet may turn out to be a reason for acne.French fries, pizzas, and chocolates in excess consumption can cause acne.

Acne is a common human skin disease found among teenagers as they enter puberty. Acne occurs most commonly during adolescence, and sometimes might continue into adulthood. It affects mostly the skin over the face, the upper part of the chest and the back. Hormonal imbalance during the puberty stage is responsible for the teen age acne. Boys produce these hormones in high concentrations. This is why teen age boys suffer more severely from acne as compared to girls. Often teen acne is considered as just a phase and is not treated. However, proper treatments during the very first stage of acne results in the reduction of acne all through the teenage years.

The pores on our skin consist of a type of gland called the sebaceous glands. These glands produce a type of oil called sebum which is required as a lubricant to our skin and hair. Most of the time these glands produce only the right amount of oil required. As a teen’s body begins to mature and develop, though, hormones stimulate the sebaceous glands to make more sebum, and the glands may become overactive. Pores become clogged if there is too much sebum and too many dead skin cells. Bacteria can then get trapped inside the pores and multiply, causing swelling and redness — the formation of acne.

The above mentioned cause of acne is due to hormonal changes. But it is also found that acne is caused due to improper diet, psychological reasons of stress and depressions, and due to unhygienic reasons. It could also be caused due to genetic reasons where acne is inherited from parents or ancestors.   Sometimes the wall of the pore opens; allowing sebum, bacteria, and dead skin cells to make their way under the skin — and you’re left with a small, red bump called a pimple. Sometimes pimples have a pus-filled top from the body’s reaction to the bacterial infection.  Blackheads, also known as ‘open comedones’, are follicles that have a wider than normal opening. They are filled with plugs of sebum and sloughed-off cells and have undergone a chemical reaction resulting in the oxidation of melanin. This gives the material in the follicle the typical black color. Whereas, whiteheads, also known as ‘closed comedones’, are follicles that are filled with the same material, but have only a microscopic opening to the skin surface. Since the air cannot reach the follicle, the material is not oxidized, and remains white. Blackheads are formed mainly on the nose, whereas, whiteheads are formed on one’s face.

Acne vulgaris is the most common form of acne, that usually affects people from puberty and sometimes to adulthood. Acne is an inflammatory disease involving the sebaceous glands of the skin, characterized by seborrhea (scaly red skin), comedones (black heads and whiteheads), papules (pinheads), pustules (pimples) , nodules (large papules) and possibly scarring. The sebaceous gland is a cutaneous gland that secretes sebum, a type of oil, usually into a hair follicle for lubricating hair and skin.

Acne mostly affects the skin with the densest population of sebaceous follicles. Such areas include the face, the upper part of the chest, and the back of one’s body. Severe acne is inflammatory, but acne can also manifest in non- inflammatory forms. The lesions are caused by changes in pilo-sebaceous units- skin structures consisting of a hair follicle and its associated sebaceous gland. The changes in several glands and hormones occur as one enters adolescence or puberty. The presence of acne in teenagers can cause a high level of frustration and depression in them. Hormonal imbalance during the puberty stage is responsible for the teen age acne. Boys produce these hormones in high concentrations. This is why teen age boys suffer more severely from acne as compared to girls.

Sometimes acne could be in the form of large nodules. Such large nodules are commonly known as   “cysts” and the term ‘nodulocystic’ has been used to describe such severe cases of inflammatory acne.  The cysts or boils that accompany cystic acne, often appears on the buttocks, groin, and armpit area, and anywhere else where sweat collects in hair follicles and perspiration ducts. Cystic acne affects deeper skin tissue than does common acne.

Apart from scarring, its main effects are psychological, such as reduced self-esteem, depression and in very extreme cases, suicide. Acne, as mentioned earlier, usually appears during adolescence, when people already tend to be most socially insecure. Often teen acne is considered as just a phase and is not treated. However, proper treatments during the very first stage of acne results in the reduction of acne all through the teenage years. Early and aggressive treatment is therefore advocated by some to lessen the overall long-term impact to individuals.

Thus the most common form of acne is what is known as acne vulgaris, meaning “common acne”. Teenagers are the major victims of this type of acne. Use of the term “acne vulgaris” simply implies the presence of comedones.