The lowdown on acne treatments
Without a doubt, the best way to understand any given skin condition, whether it be acne or eczema, is to delve a little deeper and discover the finer details as to what works and learn more about the recommended acne treatments.
For example, many of the best acne treatments work by reducing the production of oil, speeding up skin cell turnover, reducing inflammation, and fighting bacterial infection. The best part is that all of these work together to prevent scarring.
Delving Deeper into What Acne is and How Best to Treat It
Acne is regarded as one of the most well known skin conditions in the US. Even though this is the case, accurate information is still rare.
Why is it important to treat acne? A common take is to let acne run its course. This is not the best advice, and here is why:
Without the best acne treatments, permanent scars and dark spots will begin to make their appearance as the acne clears. Taking charge of acne will boost your self-esteem. There is a large variety of recommended acne treatments on the market.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Acne?
Let's discuss the signs first. Unlike what some of you may think, acne is not just pimples, but is represented by all sorts of blemishes like:
- Papules
- Blackheads
- Whiteheads
- Cysts
- Pustules
- Nodules
Further to this, acne can make its appearance on your shoulders, chest, neck, buttocks, upper arms, and back.
Now, the symptoms. Studies revealed that individuals who have acne will struggle with:
- Low self-esteem - Many said that having acne makes them feel self-conscious and bad about themselves. They would avoid friends, miss school and make excuses why they cannot go to work.
- Depression - In many instances, problems with acne lead to depression that is so bad that some start developing thoughts about committing suicide. Many teens are struggling with this issue.
- Dark spots - These are the spots that make their appearance once acne heals. It can take years for these dark spots to fade away.
- Scars - We are referring to permanent scarring. If your child develops acne between the ages of 8 and 12, then its time to visit your local dermatologist to help treat the condition before it leads to nodules and cysts, the scars of which can be difficult to remove without a good scar treatment.
Who Gets Acne?
The best acne treatments available nowadays are generally not suited to everyone. The reason being is that it generally depends on your age, skin type, and how severe the acne condition is.
Do not for one moment think you are the only one who faces bad cases of acne. Many people struggle with this severe skin condition. Did you know that about 50 million Americans have issues with acne at one or other time?
Acne is a condition that is more prevalent among teens and young adults. However, it can take place at any age. Believe it or not, even newborns may have acne. Some women get acne when they are already in their 40s or 50s.
What are Some of the Causes?
Usually, acne rears its head when pores within our skin get clogged. It starts with dead skin cells. These would rise to the surface of your pores and be left to the body to shed the dead skin cells. The problem is that our bodies make lots of sebum to keep the skin from drying out. The dead skin cells would stick to each other within the pore and become trapped inside.
Bacteria on our skin often makes it way into the pores of our skin and gets clogged there. Inside this area, the bacteria starts to multiply very quickly. At this point, the pores become inflamed and acne nodules or cysts makes its appearance.
Recommended Ways to Effectively Treat Acne
Some of the best ways to treat acne is through:
- Light therapy and laser treatment
- Chemical peels to effectively treat papules and blackheads
- Acne removal that is performed by a dermatologist. They would carry out drainage and extraction procedures to get rid of a large acne cyst.
Do not wait for acne to clear by itself. Not only does it prove to be frustrating, but it leads to permanent scars, depression, low self-esteem, and anxiety.
To avoid such outcomes, look into recommended acne treatments and specially developed facial washes as these will prevent breakouts from occurring in the first place.
As a final thought, it is best to use products that contain salicylic acid and witch hazel as these would loosen up the buildup of dirt, excess oil, and dead skin cell that causes acne.
Resources — Mayo Clinic, AAD, Clear Away Acne
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