Acne, its causes, and solutions

A common skin condition that occurs in everyone, irrespective of gender, is acne. Commonly, acne is believed to occur in adolescence, but that might not be the case. However, it happens during puberty years for the first time but is more common among adults. It is sometimes severe with teenage boys compared to girls. Only 10-12% of teens face pesky pimples, and all blame is put on the hormones. But hormones alone are not responsible for their breakout. We will discuss many other causes later in this blog.

Acne also does not appear on the face only; their location tends to vary from person to person. They can appear on the neck, shoulder, and upper back. Interestingly, teen acne is mainly on the upper half of the face, while adult acne is on the lower half of the face. They often use anti-acne skincare products to control and treat it.

Causes of Acne

As discussed earlier, hormones are not to be blamed alone for acne. Other causes include blockage of skin pores (the reason why skincare for oily and acne-prone skin is essential). Facial hair removal products, hair styling products, makeup remover, sunscreen, diet, dry and oily skin, stress, even your cell phone can transfer bacteria that can cause acne to your face. Do you want to save yourself from developing acne? Then avoid the mentioned causes, and you will leave less room for acne.

An interesting fact is observed among the people who religiously follow their skincare routine and usually keep changing and trying new products such as face wash, astringent cream, spot cream, etc. Dermatologists report that these people also develop acne, as such products tear their skin apart as no adjustment time is given when a product is switched and blemishes appear.

Types of Acne and Treatment

People often refer to acne as pimples and blemishes, but there are other kinds of acne, such as blackheads, pustules, nodules, cysts, etc. All these different types of acne are treated differently. All you need to do is refer to a good dermatologist who can examine your skin and prescribe the treatment based on the level of severity of acne. There are four grades of severity of acne defined, identified, and treated accordingly.

But the problem here is that often people use acne prescriptions of others and try to treat theirs on their own, which in most cases makes it worse. Dermatologists suggest the treatment based on skin type, skin condition, and age group. The medication mainly includes hormonal therapy such as estrogen and progesterone based on the causes of acne. Topical medication includes creams and lotions, which contain benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, azelaic acid, retinoids, dapzone, and antibiotics. In some less severe cases, the anti-acne face mask is suggested. Oral medications are also given to treat severe acne, and it often includes oral contraceptives; this can help with the acne associated with the menstrual cycle.

To treat acne, you can visit your health care provider or, in severe cases, the dermatologist.