Acne

Acne, what are the causes? 

Acne is caused by excess oil or sebum which builds up and forms a plug within the hair follicle. When bacteria and inflammation add to this the patient presents with severe acne. There is no specific set age or decade of life within which a patient may present with acne and the cause of the acne can be multifactorial from changes in medication, diet, stress or hormones to other reasons.

Excess androgenic activity can produce surges in testosterone levels which can present as acne, in addition menstruation and hormone related changes can also exacerbate acne and make the condition worse. Acne can present as mild, moderate or severe and can appear anywhere on the body from the face, forehead, chest to the shoulders and back.

Common mild acne presentations are as pimples, papules, blackheads, whiteheads and nodules which present as lumps and cysts.

Pimples present as small raised bumps which are raised and can be red in colour. Blackheads present as plugged hair follicles that are black or yellowish. Whiteheads have a yellow or white colour on the head. Papules  present as small red and inflamed bumps that can also be very sore to the touch as well.  Pustules are very similar to papules but have more of a yellow or white pus filled tip. Moderate acne presents as more white heads and black heads along with many papules and pustules aswell.  Severe acne presents as large painful papules, pustules or cysts and nodules.

While most forms of mild acne can be treated  with over-the-counter therapies and treatments, the more severe types of acne require prescription treatment.

The dermatologist or skin therapist can accurately identify the type of acne that the patient is suffering with and advise on the best treatment accordingly.

Which skincare ingredients work to target acne?There are a number of different skincare ingredients formulated within skincare products which work to actively target and treat acne. Salicylic acid is a beta-hydroxy acid and this is commonly formulated in acne therapy and treatment. 

Salicylic acid deeply cleanses the pores within the skin to remove excess sebum, oil and congestion. Retinol is also an effective ingredient in skincare formulations to treat acne and it regulates the oil levels within the pores of the skin and the skin cell layers.  Another ingredient which is commonly used to treat acne is the the alpha-hydroxy acid; glycolic acid, this has exfoliation effects on the surface of the skin and is particularly useful in patients who have acne pigmentation marks alongside acne for fading of scars and pigmentation marks. Benzol peroxide is an effective antibacterial agent and this works really well to not only regulate the oil levels but also to control the growth and regulation of the bacterium pseudomonas aeriginosa which is one of the main bacteria that is responsible for acne.

Skincare protocols for acne treatment 

There are a number of different skin care protocols available for  the treatment of acne. The ZO Skin health protocol contains exfoliating cleanser, exfoliating polish scrub and oil control pads which contain 2% salicylic acid which is a beta-hydroxy acid for deep pore cleansing and removal of excess sebum. In addition to this they also have a complexion clearing mask which contains kaolin. This provides excellent cleansing deep within the pores when applied to the skin up to twice a week for regulating oil levels and controlling acne. 

A dual action scrub which contains tea tree leaf oil and lactic acid and salicylic acid is also very effective in controlling acne and effective in more oily skin types. Furthermore, upon consultation a retinol can also be advised. A highly effective combination retinol product which contains 1% percent retinol and 2% salicylic acid is the ZO Skin health retinol and acne complex formulation product containing both retinol and salicylic acid for a dual effect in acne control.

The OBAJI Clenziderm Protocol for acne treatment contains a number of products in a 3 step protocol which work together and alongside each other to control and treat acne. The active ingredients include benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid and these are incorporated into a daily care foam cleanser, pore therapy toner and acne treatment lotion. The active ingredients work to remove excess sebum, regulate the pH and control oiliness of the skin. 

The NEOSTRATA range has a number of different products for acne treatment.  These products contain combinations of alpha- and beta-hydroxy acids as well as bionic polyhydroxy acids and gluconolactone and malto bionic acids as well.  The additional hydroxylated derivates of alpha- hydroxy acids have hydrating properties and skin repair and protective properties and it is important to seek advice first on the best skin care product which suits the patient not only to treat the acne but also taking into consideration the skin type and dryness and need for a more hydrating product to prevent over drying the skin barrier. Furthermore The diversity of alpha- and  beta-hydroxy acids that are used within the neostrata skincare products are far more vast than they are of most of the other  product ranges. Products contain, for example, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, mandelic acid, Kojic acid , butyric acid to name a few.  It is important that advice is sought so that the correct hydroxy acid product for the patients skin type is selected, for example, in patients of pigment on the Fitzpatrick scales of between 4 to 6 mandelic  acid preparations are more effective than those for example like glycolic acid which is more appropriate for patients on a fitzpatrick scale of 1 to 3 with moderate acne. 

Which treatments are good for acne?

There are a number of different treatments that are available which work really effectively to treat acne . Regular crystal microdermabrasion facials can work really well in cleaning the pores and removing excess sebum and also removing blackheads and whiteheads in the skin and controlling acne. In addition to this, hot towel steam facials with anti-acne masks which contain deep cleansing ingredients like kaolin and sulphur work very well. Skin peels which contain beta -hydroxy acids like salicylic acid which have a deep pore cleansing action and capable of penetrating deep within the dermal skin cell layers to remove sebum work particularly well alongside alpha-hydroxy acids like glycolic acid and kojic acid which produce anti-pigmentation affects and can be effective alongside salicylic acid in removing pigmentation associated with the acne scars and blemishes and also for exfoliation of the outermost epidermal layer of skin within which there are  dead skin cells as well.  OBAJI blue peel radiance is a superficial  skin peel and contains salicylic acid. Micro-needling  also produces effective results in the treatment of acne and this can often be used alongside an acne serum as well during the procedure. 

Lifestyle measures to help control acne 

Simple measures can be employed at home these include for example drinking plenty of fluids up to 2 litres of water a day to ensure that the body is detoxified and the lymph system is able to remove excess toxins and eliminate these from the body. Other recent viral trends having included use of special  towels which are sterilised  and can be used specifically in a patients skincare protocol as well as sleeping on fresh cotton pillows. Pillows that are regularly washed and cleaned and free from debris and dirt which otherwise aggravates the skin barrier, congesting clogged pores and exacerbating the acne. Nutritional supplements are sometimes used to achieve acne control aswell. Skin Ade produce a CLEAR acne range which contains over 30 ingredients including milk thistle, brocolli, zinc and vitamin B to control acne. The results are increased skin hydration, fewer breakouts, more balanced oil production and reduced inflammation and blemishes. The supplements can be sourced from this clinic. aswell.