Understanding Acne: Causes & Treatments

While we are standing on the threshold of the summer days there seems to be a galore of health and skin problems. These will mostly take a serious toll on our skin causing irritation mostly. According to medical reports problems of acne and scarring have taken a massive toll on almost half of Asia’s population. What makes the situation worse is that for most of the people the situation does not even improve, even after receiving several treatments. So, the best way to treat these acne and skin breakouts is by visiting a qualified dermatologist for the treatment process such as laser resurfacing, salicylic acid peels and other chemical peel treatments.

These treatments are directed towards not only removing the scars and the acne prone areas temporarily but getting rid of these on a permanent basis. This will make the skin much more clearer, smoother and calmer.

Knowing the problem

In summer season, the problem of skin acne tends to rise. This tends to affect the areas such as face, back and chest. Although bacteria plays an important part in the development of this problem, but it is not the only reason for acne problems. Acne can also occur in and around hair follicles areas and their oil producing glands known as sebaceous glands. The oil produced from these glands is known as sebum and it usually emerges just soon after the puberty. There is no well defined age for acne problem but it usually takes place when one is in the 20s or 30s. Also, there are instances where the increased oil production clogs the follicular openings which might later lead to a bump. With the bump getting bigger in size the wall tends to get ruptured and providing easy access to substances and normal skin bacteria into the deeper layers of the skin.  This leads to instances of skin inflammation. In this regard, one should remember that deeper inflammation causes a pimple and also when the oil breaks through to the surface, this results in a whitehead. And in the situations when the colour of the oil changes from white to black what is formed is blackhead. One should remember that blackheads are not simple instances of dirt and they are simply not caused by mere poor hygiene.

Other cause

Other than increased amount of oil secretion there are other factors that can cause acne on your skin. They are in the following order:

Hormones: There are certain hormones such as androgens that cause the sebaceous glands to increase in size and thereby generate more sebum. Also, sometimes there are changes in the hormone level due to pregnancy and the consumption of oral contraceptives. This can also bring sebum production. Further, the decreased amount of androgens circulating in women blood can cause acne.
Certain medications: Intake of certain medicines that contain corticosteroids, testosterone or lithium tend to cause acne.
Diet: There are certain food such as skim milk and carbohydrate-rich foods which can bring about acne.
Stress: There are also certain causes such as immense stress factor that can make acne worse

Diagnosis & Treatment

The diagnosis of the treatment of acne starts with a consultation. Qualified dermatologists tend to check your skin thoroughly and they try to understand the type of the acne or the acne scar that one one has Acne scarring will not look good on your skin and often people want to get rid of it. As far as acne are concerned there are different types of treatments available for the same.

Generally, dermatologists consider two important factors before starting the treatment – the type of the scar and the area it appears. Since there are two main categories of the acne scar – depressed and raised, different treatment process will be prescribed by doctors.

Laser treatment: Laser treatment is done in order to take care of the acne on your skin. Further, laser resurfacing is done on the affected skin in order to smooth out and shallow the acne scars. Also, there are instances when laser resurfacing is done as these are less intrusive and can also bring about better and faster healing.

Chemical Peels: Chemical peels are considered to be appropriate methods for acne treatment. So, be it in the form of superficial peels or in-depth ones, these are considered to be the best treatment procedures for acne.

So, even with the slightest signs of acne it is extremely important to contact a qualified dermatologist before the situation aggravates and goes out of hand!