Acne

If you're suffering from acne you don’t have to be embarrassed, it’s actually quite common. But don't believe you have to live with it.

About 90% of all teenagers and 1 in 5 adults experience acne at some point in their lives. Let’s get this out of the way first. Acne is not caused by eating chocolate, greasy foods or bad hygiene! While the physical appearance of acne is quite obvious, the emotional pain can be devastating – and long lasting.

The causes of acne can differ from person to person, so it is necessary to manage the acne condition based on how severe your acne is.

Experts now believe that the increased stress in our lives can be one of the main causes behind increased breakouts of acne in adults.
Though there is no cure for acne, the condition can be quite effectively managed.

The important thing is to seek out treatment - the acne spots will eventually go, but untreated acne can lead to permanent scarring. It’s a known fact that if active acne is treated during your teen years, there is a high likelihood that you will not suffer any long-term scarring.
The adult acne sufferer needs to establish if there’s a hormonal component to their acne.
Whatever the cause, you need to seek out a sympathetic doctor to talk to.

What is Acne?

1. Acne begins when a build-up of oil occurs in the hair follicle, creating a plug that traps oil and dead cells under the surface of the skin.

2. The clogged follicle becomes a fertile breeding ground for P.acnes bacteria – the main cause of acne. The P.acnes bacteria thrive when there is a lack of oxygen.

Inflammatory acne usually requires a course of oral antibiotics. Depending on your condition, some doctors may prescribe Roaccutane (Isotretinoin)

Other Treatments

As the P. acnes bacteria thrives in an environment lacking in oxygen, some of the most effective treatments are those that introduce oxygen into the skin.

Benzoyl peroxide oxygenates skin. Acne bacteria cannot live in oxygenated environments.
As well as being an anti bacterial agent, benzoyl peroxide is also a mild drying and peeling agent which will help to keep your pores from clogging.
Benzoyl peroxide is available in prescription and over-the-counter medications, in cream, gel, and wash form.

There's about a 3% allergy rate with 2.5% benzoyl peroxide, this allergy rate gets higher the stronger the percentage of benzoyl peroxide. A strength of 2.5% is strong enough for acne treatment, any stronger and you'll increase the irritation of your skin, which causes a rebound effect of aggravating your acne. It should be noted that even at a low percentage of 2.5%, the benzoyl peroxide can cause redness, dryness and irritation.

Laser Light

A far gentler approach to introducing oxygen into the skin to kill off the P. Acnes bacteria is the use of laser light. Laser treatment can improve not only the inflamed acne, but also leads to improvement in acne scars. Specific lasers designed to treat acne are quite often used in combination with other treatments such as medical microdermabrasion to get your skin back to the best condition possible.

Don’t suffer in silence - your first step is to get help!

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