What is acne, cause symptoms and treatment

Known by the medical name of Acne Vulgaris, acne is a common skin disease which occurs during the time of puberty. It is the most common cause of spots affecting more of boys than girls.  Acne develops usually on the face, but other areas such as back, chest and neck can also get affected. Not only young boys and girls, adults lying in between the age of about 20-40 also develop acne. After 40, acne starts to reduce or lessens due to lower levels of hormones. As per the studies, about 17 million of Unites States population experience acne.

 What causes acne?
There is probably no exact reason/cause for developing acne, but as experts believe that a range of factors do have a hand in acne formation. First of all, the increase in hormones known as androgens, which both the sexes male and female have. An increase in androgen makes oil glands to enlarge, which results in producing more oil. As a result, the same oil changes into sebum (thick white substance). Increased production in oil clogs the pores with oil and sebum, which may break down the cellular walls in the pores and this causes bacteria to grow and pimples develop.
Another factor which plays quite a big role in acne formation is our genes.  Whereas, the use of certain drugs that has androgens and lithium in them also have some influence in the development of acne. Sometimes, use of greasy cosmetics also results in acne as they are known to plug the cell follicles and thereby results in bacterial growth.  
Acne can be categorized into two main types which are non inflammatory and inflammatory acne.

Types of acne
Non inflammatory acne- Microcomedones are the smallest form of acne lesion and is the beginning of pore blockage which is hardly visible through naked eyes. They get unplugged or turn non-inflamed skin blemishes, known as comedones i.e. either in the form of whitehead or blackhead.

·        Whitehead- A whitehead usually forms when the trapped sebum and bacteria stay below the surface of skin. They are the white small spots which cannot be seen by naked eyes.

·        Blackhead- Blackheads occur when the pores get exposed to the skin surface and the sebum which comprises of melanin pigment. The melanin pigment gets oxidized and changes its color to brown/ black onto the affected area.

Inflammatory acne- Generally, blackheads and whitehead tend to release its contents onto the skin surface and gets heal. Sometimes follicle wall may rupture, which induces the formation of inflammatory acne. This rupture is caused when one randomly picks or touches the skin. So, it is very much important to leave the skin acne untouched.

·        Papule- Break in the follicular wall lets papule to develop, wherein the white blood cells get in and pore becomes inflamed.

·         Pustule- Pustules start to develop later, after white blood cells enter skin surface. This is commonly referred to as pimple or zit.

·         Cyst- Often severe inflammatory reactions leads to large pus filled lesions.

·        Nodule- When the follicle breaks along the bottom, it results in total collapse, causing the large and inflamed bump.  

Acne Treatment

The treatment for acne be it an adult or a teen depends on its severity. There are a variety of prescription Cream foracne, which are used by a number of people today. Topical medicines are also prescribed for acne and adults too can use it. On the other hand, systematic therapy, which works internally can also be chosen depending on the severity of acne. These acne Cream play a major role in the treatment of acne and attack several different factors which cause acne.

Oral antibiotics

Many adults experiencing moderate to severe pimples, rely on oral acne pills for years. Treatment with antibiotic pills for acne begins with comparatively a higher dose and later gets reduced as acne resolves. The pills are prescribed for about six months or less. Here are oral broad spectrum antibiotic pills, used for treating acne.

·        Erythromycin- The antibiotic is effective against some broad spectrum of bacteria, including P. Acnes.

·        Tetracycline and derivatives- Tetracycline works to reduce papules and pustules of acne. These acne pills should be kept away from the reach of children younger than 8 years because it could hamper their growth and teeth. Women who are pregnant or do breastfeeding should also avoid them.   

Topical Antimicrobials

There are topical antimicrobial which works to inhibit P. Acnes population and treat patients who experience mild to severe inflammatory acne. Given below are some prescription topical medications used for treating acne.

·        Azelaic acid- Azelaic acid is quite effective topical medication used for treating mild to moderate acne cases. It clears acne, reduce populations of P. Acnes, decrease abnormal shedding of skin cells and reduce inflammation too. The medication is also known to treat those dark spots which develop in acne patients with their skin color.

·       Benzoyl peroxide- This topical medication does not have any anti inflammatory abilities, but it works by killing P. Acnes. Available in a wide range of strengths, it comes in the form of gel, lotions, creams and cleansers.

·     Clindamycin- Being a semi-synthetic antibiotic, topical clindamycin is an effective medication used since years for treating acne. Used in topical form, clindamycin has proved safe and is quite tolerable too.

·       Erythromycin- This is another topical antibiotic which is very much active against the broad spectrum of bacteria, including P. Acnes. It is both antimicrobial and anti inflammatory, used primarily for acne treatment. 


Intralesional Corticosteroid Injection
When acne cyst gets severely inflamed, then the possibility grows that it might rupture and result in scarring. In order to prevent scarring, and treat the severely inflamed cyst what dermatologists do, is inject such cyst with the much diluted corticosteroid. With this, inflammation reduces; an intralesional corticosteroid injection works by melting cyst for about a period of 3-5 days.  

Isotretinoin
They belong to a certain group of medication known as retinoid, used effectively for treating severe cystic acne or acne proving resistant to other pills/medications.

Home remedies for acne

There are ample of acne treatments available in the market, but it is highly recommended to consult your doctor first before choosing any acne cream or medicines. Apart from choosing best acne pills, there are some natural home remedies as well which are explained below:

·        Icing- Using ice is an easy way to get rid of unwanted pimples. It improves blood circulation to the affected area and further removes dirt and oil accumulated on to the skin. Choose crushed ice or ice cubes, as per convenience. Wrap the ice in a piece of cloth and then gently put it on the affected area, holding on for some seconds. Using ice repeatedly on the acne helps to reduce its inflammation and swelling. 

·        Honey- Honey is another effective home remedy having the potency to speed up the healing process and prevents infections. Simply put a cotton swab in honey and apply it on the affected area. Keep it for about half an hour and then wash the skin with lukewarm water for better skin results. 

·        Toothpaste- Toothpaste that we use regularly every day also works to clear up acne problem. Each night before getting off to bed, apply a small amount of white toothpaste on the acne. Within a day or so, you could find a big improvement in the appearance of acne.



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