Unfailingly, pimples seem to appear right before you most want to make a great impression. Chances are, you have or will experience this dreaded foe, perhaps on other parts of your body but almost certainly on the most visible one--your face.
Definition
Facial acne develops when the normal process of skin lubrication goes awry. Normally, the sebaceous glands beneath the facial skin produce sebum, an oil that reaches the skin surface by traveling up the follicle and out through the pores, and which protects and lubricates the skin. However, the sebum, the follicle hair, and the cells lining the follicle can form a plug that prevents the sebum from reaching the skin surface, and the plug attracts bacteria that normally lives on the skin, leading to inflammation. Once the plug breaks down, all of its elements fall onto the surrounding skin, resulting in pimples or lesions on the face.
Types
The most basic form of acne found in the face are plugged hair follicles called comedones, or as they are more popularly known, whiteheads or blackheads. A whitehead is a closed comedo that stays beneath the skin and produces a white bump. A blackhead, on the other hand, is an open comedo, called so because it opens on the skin surface and exposes a black bump that gains its color from the interaction between the sebum and air. Other types of acne include pink, small and sometimes sensitive bumps called papules; pustules or pimples, which are papules containing pus and a red base; painful and large lesions located beneath the skin called nodules; and cysts, which can prove to be the most troublesome form of acne due to being painful lesions filled with pus that can cause scarring.
Causes
The majority of facial acne appears during the teenage years due to the fact that puberty in both males and females causes an increase in the androgen hormone--a male sex hormone--that enlarges the sebaceous glands, leading them to produce more sebum. Women can also develop acne due to hormonal shifts caused by beginning or ending the use of birth control pills or pregnancy. For this reason, women tend to have acne as adults more often than men. Genetics, certain drugs such as lithium, and oily cosmetics can be additional culprits.
Treatments
Over-the-counter (OTC) topical medicines in the form of creams, gels, lotions, pads and soaps can prove effective against whiteheads, blackheads and acne that is slightly inflamed. Some of the most common are sulfur, resorcinol and salicylic acid, which break down whiteheads and blackheads, and benzoyl peroxide, which kills the bacteria living on the skin and may reduce the production of sebum. If you have a more severe form of inflammatory acne that does not respond to OTC medicines, see a dermatologist to get a prescription for topical or oral medication. Topical medicines include antibiotics that inhibit bacteria growth and decrease inflammation, and vitamin-A products, which unplug comedones, thereby allowing topical treatments to penetrate the follicle. These medicines are available in various forms. Your doctor may also prescribe oral antibiotics, such as tetracycline or doxycycline, which reduce inflammation and restrain bacteria growth. If you have severe inflammatory acne that does not respond to other treatments, your doctor may recommend using an oral medicine called isotretinoin, which markedly reduces the oil production and bacterial growth, with the added benefit of preventing scarring. However, isotretinoin can cause side effects such as birth defects in a fetus, as well as mood changes, so make sure you discuss all possibilities with your doctor before choosing this course of treatment. Keep in mind that sometimes your acne will not improve right away, and that it may take a month or two for the benefits of any medication to show.
Prevention
If your face is prone to acne, wash it from beneath your jaw to your hairline with a mild cleanser at morning and night, as well as after a bout of sweating. Your doctor will recommend the best cleanser for your skin. If you have oily hair, make sure to wash it regularly. If you use cosmetics, buy those which state they are noncomedogenic, meaning they don't cause pores to close. Lastly, don't touch or rub the pimples or lesions. Picking and squeezing them can cause even more noticeable blemishes and possibly create scars.
Member Comments