Acne is a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous unit, i.e., the hair and its adjoining gland that secretes normal oils to keep the skin moisturized. Acne is also called pimples, open heads, black heads, etc.
The quality of sebum generated by these glands changes and makes the environment more suitable for the growth of bacteria (Cutibacterium acnes).
In addition to excessive and abnormal sebum production, the dead cells of the superficial layer tend to clog the opening of the pilosebaceous unit.
The combination of these factors makes the glands swell, resulting in painful reddish spots on the face, back, chest, arms, buttocks, scalp etc. The environment inside the gland opening is determined by the genetics, bacterial load, regularity of exfoliation, blood glucose levels, hormones etc.
Whether a person will get acne or not is strongly determined by their family history. 39% of teenagers with acne have first-degree relatives with a history of acne.
There are other factors that make a person predisposed to acne. These are as follows:
In addition to the physical trauma of pain, rarely itching on the affected site; acne affects the mental health too.
People who suffer from acne can experience the following:
The most common age group for acne is 14-18 years, and this is the age when one develops the personality and confidence that determine a person’s social and professional growth in a significant way. Acne can affect personality development and individuals may end up avoiding social gatherings, setting low expectations and goals for themselves. Therefore, early and aggressive treatment of acne can greatly improve the outcome in multiple ways other than just cosmetic appearance.
When it comes to acne, delaying the treatment or using home remedies only prolongs the suffering and deteriorates the outcome. The earlier and holistic approach to acne treatment not only resolves acne faster but also prevents the scarring due to acne. Early resolution of acne also prevents the psychological trauma due to acne.
Taking acne treatment advice from your aunt, friend, salon lady, or an unqualified professional might not only delay treatment but may also complicate the situation. Quick fix For acne treatment, creams or tablets can be more harmful than helpful as they may fix the acne temporarily but cause long-term issues like exacerbation of acne, skin thinning, unwanted visible veins on the skin, and photosensitivity.
The diagnosis of acne is mostly clinical unless it involves the scalp, pubic area, and axilla severely, and another diagnosis needs to be ruled out. The doctor will take a detailed history of your acne regarding the duration and associated symptoms.
The doctor might ask you to get a few blood tests done before starting the treatment. The treatment plan might include multiple modalities depending on the severity of acne and the cause of acne. It can be as simple as applying a few creams or gels or something as advanced as microneedling and fractional lasers. The treatment is step-wise and slow.
You might need to get tested for the following, depending on your history:
The treatment options for acne can be anywhere between topical creams and microneedling.
Mild acne treatment may include topical creams with salicylic acid, azileic acid, glycolic acid, tretinoin, lactic acid, tea tree oil, etc.
For moderate acne, treatment will include one or more of the following:
In-clinic treatments for acne include one or more of the following:
Laser toning with Carbon or “The Glo Signature Hollywood Facial” improves your acne by reducing inflammation, controlling sebum production, stimulating new collagen, and preventing acne scars.
In cases of mild acne or comedonal acne, carbon is extremely helpful. The carbon enters the pores and forms a layer over the epidermis. This carbon, when targeted with a laser, gets activated and reduces the bacterial load in the oil glands. The heat generated by carbon dissipates into the dermis and tightens the collagen, thereby reducing the acne scar formation. The laser light also reduces the erythema, or redness, left by the acne.
Acne has the peculiar property of not letting the medication enter from outside. This creates an oxygenless environment in the oil glands which further supports the growth of acne-causing bacteria.
With microneedling using Dermapen 4, we cause oxygenation of the pilosebaceous gland, which kills the bacteria. Also, the serums used during microneedling change the sebum composition of the oil glands from pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory. The trauma caused by microneedling also stimulates the collagen and does not let the scars happen.
Acne will take around 6-8 weeks to improve, though you will need to maintain a lifestyle and skin care products for 2-3 years to prevent a recurrence of acne. In cases of severe acne, you may need treatment for 12–18 months. The treatment duration is quite variable depending on your underlying cause of acne. The in-clinic treatments will be required for 6-8 sessions to treat acne as well as acne scars.
The fact that touching acne only makes it scar is not entirely true. All acne will scar if left untreated.
Though the scarring is variable depending on the depth of acne lesions,
Black heads and white heads will leave ice-pick scars, which are mostly perceived as open pores.
Cystic and nodular acne usually leaves behind rolling or box-type scars due to the larger extent of tissue damage.
Sometimes the scars left are flat changes in skin color, especially if the acne is treated. This scarring responds best to the treatment.
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