Facial Breakouts

Facial Breakouts

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.
  1. What is Acne?

    Acne is a disorder of the pilosebaceous unit, which includes the hair follicle, sebaceous gland and a hair on the skin. A sebaceous gland is responsible for secreting a fluid called sebum, which naturally moisturizes hair and skin.

    What Casues Acne?

    Most acne problems arise during the puberty stage of adolescents, where the sebaceous glands enlarge and produce sebum. Acne is usually referred to most as "pimples", however there are other kinds of postules and nodules on the skin that is considered an "acne breakout". This generally subsides in the early twenties, however there are more kinds of acne that can arise at any age, and have many different sources.

    Types of Acne

    Acne Vulgaris is the most common form of acne. Acne vulgaris includes blackheads, whiteheads, papules, pustules, nodules and cysts. You can have one or more breakouts of this kind of acne at one time. Normal treatment of this type of acne is rinsing your face with a mildly dry cleanser. Super moisturizing cleansers can clog the natural pores in your skin and make acne worse, and super dry cleansers can completely rub away the natural moisturizer on your skin. Make sure to wash your face every day, and if you wear make-up, take it off before you go to bed.

    Acne Rosacea is another common, but more severe, type of acne. Rosacea can look much like Vulgaris, and can be confused with one another easily. However, rosacea breakouts occur in millions of people, usually over the age of 30. Rosacea is a red rash that can cover any part of the body, except the palms of your hands, the soles of your feet and other parts of your body where there are no sebaceous glands.

    Whereas adolescents and young adults commonly have acne vulgaris which is caused by overactive sebaceous glands (as mentioned above) adult acne, have 3 more in-depth culprits.

    Adult Causes of Acne

    1. Hormones. When a woman is pregnant, her hormones level reach the top for all glands, this may cause over active sebaceous glands and produce acne, as well as during menopause. The same can happen in men when they go through their andropause, which is a menopause condition in aging men.

    2. Follicle Fallout. Normally, dead cells in a follicle shed gradually and expel to the surface of the skin, however over active sebaceous glands shed more rapidly, causing a “falling out” of a follicle.

    3. Bacteria. There is a kind of bacteria, called Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) that is native to residing on the skins surface. However, when a follicle gets plugged, p. acnes multiply, causing acne on the clogged pore.

    4. Stress. When you worry and stress about every day life, and you stress frequently, sebaceous glands tend to secrete a higher amount of sebum, causing any one of the aforementioned causes to attack a follicle. So, don’t worry, be happy, save your face.

    Acne Conglobata

    A more serious and less common type of acne,  Acne Conglobata, is characterized by deep abscesses, much bigger than pimples, inflammation, severe damage to the skin, scarring and large blackheads, should be monitored and treated by a dermatologist, usually with a strong acne cream called Isotretitinion and antibiotics.

    When to Consult a Dermatologist

    There is no definite answer as to when to consult a dermatologist for your acne breakout. A rule of thumb for acne vulgaris is this: If you’ve tried every non-prescription medication and your acne still covers your face, you may need to see a dermatologist for a more powerful facial cream and discuss what may be causing you acne. For the more severe types of acne, always consult your dermatologist, as most over-the-counter acne solutions don’t treat more severe forms of acne. Remember, everyone’s skin is different, and you may experience one or more treatment failures, even ones prescribed by your doctor.

Leave a Reply