Acne breakouts are the worst. Nobody likes dealing with breakouts, but the ugly truth is that blemishes happen all the time at any age. Approximately 40 to 50 million Americans have acne. Most are teens, but young adults have acne. Children get acne. Newborns. Women in menopause. Athletes. There are many factors that could be causing your acne outbreaks. Most people think of acne as just “pimples” – but it actually has different signs such as blackheads (open comedones), whiteheads (closed comedones), Papules (red bumps), Pustules (red bumps with white centers, what many people call “pimples”), Cysts and Nodules. Acne most commonly appears on the face, back, chest, neck, shoulders and upper arms.
What Causes Acne: When the skin becomes clogged with dead skin cells as our body creates new skin, excess oil becomes trapped inside the pores. Everyone has different bacteria which can multiply quickly due to environment and hormone changes which can inflame and damage the lining, causing deep acne / nodular cysts to appear.
Does Diet Effect My Acne? There may or may not be a link between diet and acne. Researchers are studying if certain foods can worsen and trigger acne or not. Studies have shown smoking can make acne worse.
Treatments: Your dermatologist can customize an acne treatment for you. Cleaning your skin thoroughly is a way to keep acne outbreaks under control. It is important you inform your doctor if you are allergic to any medication, are pregnant, breastfeeding or are trying to become pregnant. You may require more than one treatment for the best results, such as a face wash, topical treatments (which can include retinols, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, azelaic acid and sulfacetamides), oral medications such as antibiotics (Minocycline, Doxycycline and Tetracycline) in order to treat severe acne or larger areas of the body that are affected.
Benefits of Acne Treatments: Having realistic expectations is important. Keep in mind it takes time to see results. On average it can take 4 – 8 weeks for acne to clear up, be cured or the preventions of breakouts to occur. Avoiding rough skin care treatments are recommend. Do not squeeze, pop or pick your acne.
