Overview
What is acne?
Acne is a common skin condition where the pores of your skin clog. Pore blockages produce blackheads, whiteheads and other types of pimples. Pimples are pus-filled, sometimes painful, bumps on your skin.
The medical term for acne is acne vulgaris.
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 girls adn women. 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.
Causes of Acne
Doctors and researchers believe that one or more of the following can lead to the development of acne:
- Excess or high production of oil (sebum) in the pore.
- Buildup of dead skin cells in the pore.
- Growth of bacteria in the pore.
When your pores clog, substances plug up your hair follicle, creating a pimple. This triggers inflammation, which you feel as pain and swelling. You can also see inflammation through skin discoloration like redness around a pimple.The following factors may increase your risk for developing acne:
- Hormones - An increase in androgens, which are male sex hormones, may lead to acne. These increase in both boys and girls normally during puberty and cause the sebaceous glands to enlarge and make more sebum. Hormonal changes related to pregnancy can also cause acne.
- Family history - Researchers believe that you may be more likely to get acne if your parents had acne.
- Medications - Certain medications, such as medications that contain hormones, corticosteroids, and lithium, can cause acne.
- Age - People of all ages can get acne, but it is more common in teens.
The following do not cause acne, but may make it worse.
- Diet - Some studies show that eating certain foods (e.g., dairy products, high sugar diet) may make acne worse. Researchers are continuing to study the role of diet as a cause of acne.
- Stress
- Pressure from sports helmets, tight clothes, or backpacks
- Environmental irritants, such as pollution and high humidity
- Squeezing or picking at blemishes
- Scrubbing your skin too hard
- Food allergies
- Hormonal changes
What are the symptoms of acne?
Symptoms of acne on your skin include:
- Pimple (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
Acne can be mild and cause a few occasional pimples or it can be moderate and cause inflammatory papules. Severe acne causes nodules and cysts.
Management and Treatment
Stress management, maintaining a healthy diet and avoiding common triggers are the basis for preventing and treating acne. In addition, there are over the counter, topical medications you can use such as benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, azelaic acid and low-dose retoinoids. Dermatologists and other health care providers can prescibe higher strength retinoids, antibiotics, dapsone and higher strength azelaic acid, as well as perform other procedures such as steroid injections.
How can an aesthetician help my acne?
There are many therapies that a trained aesthetician can utilize to help manage your acne.
Acne facials
An acne facial treatment can help clear out blackheads and remove dead skin from blocked pores. Some people may want to add them to their regular acne care, alongside medication and other skin treatments you do at home and/or as directed by your dermatologist. These acne facials, like extractions, are typically done by a licensed aesthetician rather than another type of provider.
Hydrafacials
When the skin is exposed to the high intensity ultraviolet light, the response is a creation of oxygen molecules inside the sebaceous gland that destroy the bacteria (called P.Acnes) and help the healing process. With the bacteria gone, acne begins to clear up and skin begins to heal.
Chemical peels are special acid solutions applied to the face by atrained aesthetician. When applied correctly, the acid solution damages and removes the top layer of dull skin over 2 weeks (or sometimes more). The peel reveals smooth, healthier skin underneath, and allows topical acne treatments to penetrate more deeply into the skin where they can work.
