Mild or moderate acne can be treated with specific supplements or creams, gels, and lotions applied to the skin. Acne is a condition that mainly affects the youngest segment of the population ( adolescents 70-87% of cases ), but not only that: infants and adults too, in fact, can suffer from the formation of pimples caused by different conditions.
Acne is mainly concentrated in the T-zone of the face and, therefore, can also have repercussions in the psychological and social sphere of the subject. For this reason, it is possible to prevent its onset with specific supplements for acne or to treat mild or moderate acne pictures through health products to be applied directly on acneic skin. Let us try to answer the most frequently asked questions regarding acne.
What Is Acne?
The skin is the largest organ of the human body, and to keep it at its best, it needs nourishment and hydration. But what happens if, due to external (nutrition or wrong products) or internal (hormonal) factors, the balance involving the skin is altered?
The skin is hydrated and lubricated by the sebum that comes out of the pores of the skin, but in case the body starts producing too much, it leads to oily and acneic skin types. Acne is an inflammation due to an excessive functioning of the sebaceous glands that surround the base of the hair (follicles) and produce sebum.
If the sebum is produced in excess, it deposits, blocking the follicle and forming plugs, the so-called comedones which, when they oxidize and get dirty due to pollution and smog, then become blackheads. This condition promotes the growth of ordinarily harmless bacteria on the skin, which can cause inflammation and infection within the clogged follicle, resulting in papules and pustules.
What Is Acne Due To?
Many factors influence the health of the skin and, therefore, the creation of acne pictures. Just think of one of the most frequent causes, for example, in the months following the summer. During the hot season, the sun’s rays that reach the skin cause dryness and thickening, temporarily improving inflammatory acne patterns, but this is not the case.
Immediately after the warmer months, the skin begins to produce more significant quantities of sebum to counteract the skin dryness that has been generated. The sebum, however, meets thickened skin and is less able to make it flow on the skin itself. Therefore, accumulations are generated in the pores, leading to bacterial infections and worsening inflammation due to acne.
Consequently, it is essential to take care of the skin with a correct beauty routine in the months following the summer. But other factors may be at the basis of the genesis of this actual pathology. Juvenile acne, for example, is almost always hormonal, linked to these physiological molecules responsible for the physical changes in the body during maturity.
The manifestations are many, and we find examples such as neonatal acne, typical of younger children, even if not linked to the formation of comedones and blackheads. But in recent years, after the covid-19 pandemic, mask acne has also spread, concentrated in the portions of the skin that have been found for more hours, covered by these personal protective devices.
How To Tell If It’s Acne Or Just A Pimple?
There isn’t a fundamental difference between the genesis of a pimple and an acneic picture in terms of formation mechanism. Acne is a situation that lasts for long periods, forming numerous spots, which often become papules, pustules, and cysts. Severe or papulopustular acne is the most exacerbated manifestation, which can also leave marks on the skin that remain over time.
Although acne is a prevalent skin disease in the population, the mechanisms that cause it are not yet apparent, and many clichés are related to acne: First of all, it is not true that acne is linked to diet. There is no strict correlation between specific food intake and the appearance of single skin lesions (single pimples). Still, it has been seen that consuming foods with a high glycemic index leads to worsening acne inflammation.
The belief that lack of cleanliness can cause pimples or blackheads is also false. On the other hand, washing your face more than twice a day could aggravate the skin condition. Even the use of too-aggressive products can be problematic for acneic skin. Squeezing blackheads and pimples is also not an excellent way to get rid of them, as it can make them worse and may even leave scars on your skin.
How Do You Get Rid Of Acne?
The choice of therapy to use to combat acne depends on its severity. The treatments aim to heal existing lesions, prevent new ones from developing, and prevent the formation of unsightly scars. Pharmacological treatment also aims to limit as much as possible those factors that contribute to acne, such as excessive sebum production, abnormal accumulation of cells inside the follicle, bacteria, and inflammation.
Generally, however, acne tends to disappear around 20-30 years of age in a reasonably physiological way. Still, treatments must be carried out to avoid the formation of scars and treat the more complex pictures that continue even after this age. Therefore, using health products against acne, over-the-counter medicines, or those prescribed by your doctor or dermatologist depends on the acne you suffer from.
We find solutions to be applied locally (topically), such as creams, gels, and lotions to be applied to the skin or taken orally (systemically). In this article, we will focus on the valuable remedies for mild acne, as in moderate-severe cases, the dermatologist’s intervention and the prescription of specific drugs such as antibiotics or isotretinoin-based products are necessary.
How To Treat Mild Acne?
For single pimples and mild acne pictures, topical products are usually used to apply on the spots themselves. These are benzoyl peroxide-based products such as Galderma Benzac gel, which acts as a bactericidal active ingredient that keeps the bacterial load responsible for forming inflammatory lesions under control.
The other active ingredient widely used to free the pores from dead cells but above all to reduce the production of sebum is salicylic acid, present in products such as Cerave Acne Control Gel with AHA BHA.These products can cause side effects such as irritation, burning, and redness of the skin which, in general, tend to lessen and disappear permanently in a short time.
They are often mixed in formulations that allow you to effectively fight and prevent the formation of pimples during mild acne. Not to be underestimated is the cleaning and hygiene of the face, which must not be carried out with superficiality or with inappropriate or too aggressive detergents for one’s skin.
Also, in this case, the consultation of a doctor or pharmacist could make a difference in recommending the most suitable specific product. Formulations such as Rilastil Acnestil Cleansing Gel or Cerave Acne Purifying Foam Cleansing Gelthese are some of the most used solutions for the daily hygiene of acne skin. Still, the choice depends on your skin type and your skin sensitivity.
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