Further Factors to Encourage Results
Of course, the appropriate recommended at-home treatment depends greatly upon the severity of acne
Acne is a chronic problem, and so controlling it requires patience. For many, this process takes months or even years. In the case of acne, it's recommended the first step in treatment be a consultation with a licensed skincare expert, including a dermatologist or esthetician. As noted earlier, they can examine your acne symptoms to determine the type of acne from which you're suffering. This will result in a much more targeted treatment protocol
Beyond the use of a targeted acne treatment product or prescription, other points to keep in mind to accelerate healing include:
While diet is not a direct cause of acne, poor nutrition can exacerbate acne conditions.
It's beneficial to fill the bulk of your diet with fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and beans as these foods are a good source of antioxidants. Additionally, it may be helpful to avoid foods wich high glycemic levels, such as white bread and potatoes, as they cause a rapid surge in blood sugar, which may lead to the development of acne.
Avoid the use of all other acne treatments beyond those that have been recommended by your skincare professional.
Most acne sufferers have a surplus of over-the-counter acne treatment products at home. It's important, to ensure you discontinue the use of anything outside the regimen that has been recommended or prescribed to you. This allows your skincare professional to know if the current treatment is effective or if modifications should be made. Additionally, many drugstore acne treatments contain abrasive ingredients that could cause inflammation, thereby exacerbating acne conditions.
Utilize only non-comedogenic makeup.
Again, makeup isn't a direct cause of acne, but certain products may exacerbate the conditions that do cause acne. Use of non-comedogenic makeup is a precautionary step.
Do not try to "Pop" acne lesions
Extractions must be left to a skincare professional to avoid further inflammation and the spread of acne symptoms.
Acne Scars
When the skin experiences an injury, such as an acne lesion, the body sends white blood cells and a host of inflammatory mediator molecules to the site to begin repairing the tissue and fighting infection. However, following the repair of damaged tissue, these white blood cells and inflammatory mediators may stay at the site for a long period of time, ressulting in the formation of fibrous scar tissue. Remember the analogy about the fire department leaving a mess on your property after putting out the flames.
Not all individuals who suffer from acne are left with scars, however. The reasons why some are more scar-prone than others are not well understood. Those who do experience them, however, have them in one of two forms -- either depressed marks on the skin's surface or raised, thickened areas. While some will see these scars remain for a lifetime, others may notice the scars diminish in appearance with the passing of time. Again, the reasons for this difference between individuals is not well understood.
Depressed Scars occur because of a loss of tissue. There are several subcategories of depressed scars, including:
Depressed Fibrotic Scars which are usually large and characterized by sharp edges with steep sides and a firm base.
Soft Scars which are soft to the touch and can be either deep or located at the skin's surface. These types of scars are usually small and are characterized by soft edges. They may be either circular or elongated.
Ice-Pick Scars which most often occur on the cheek. They are most often small with a somewhat jagged edge and steep sides.
Atrophic Macules are soft and often feature a wrinkled base. They may be bluish in appearance due to the blood vessels lying beneath them. Generally small when they appear on the face, these scars may be larger on other areas of the body. Over time they may chance from a bluish color to ivory in light-skinned individuals.
Hypertrophic Scars are raised scars that occur due to an excess of collagen, which is produced in response to the acne lesion. This excess collagen is heaped into fibrous piles, resulting in a firm, smooth, and irregularly shaped scar that typically is one to two millimeters in width. These types of scars often diminish over time.
Hypertrophic scars are often confused with Keloids, a less common type of raised scar. Unlike those of the hypertrophic variety, keloid scars tend to grow beyond the original site of injury and do not diminish over time. They are more common in individuals with darker skin.
Another type of hypertrophic scar is Follicular Macular Astrophy or Perifollicular Elasstosis. This type of scar is more often to occur on the chest or back and features small, white, soft lesions that are just barely raised above the skin's surface. In fact, this type of scar may resemble a whitehead. They tend to last for months to years but eventually do diminish.
The final category of acne scars is that of Macules or Pseudoscars. Generally flat, reddish spots that are caused by inflammatory acne lesions, macules "mark the spot" where a lesion once was and remain for six months or more. They do eventually disappear, leaving no trace.
Treatment of Acne Scars
For those suffering from milk acne, most scarring is temporary, and all traces of acne lesions are undetectable within months to years of getting the condition under control. For those with more severe acne or acne that has been uncontrolled for a significant amount of time, however scarring can be permanent unless cosmetic or surgical intervention is pursued. The good news is that numerous treatment options exist for most types of scarring. Some of the more popular options recommended by skincare professionals and plastic surgeons are outlined below.
Fillers may be injected under a raised scar to alleviate it, thus minimizing its presence. Among the fillers that may be used are fat, collagen, or hyaluonic acid.
Microdermabrasion removes only the surface cells of the skin so no additional wound is created. Multiple procedures are often necessary, but scars especially those of the hypertrophic variety will be significantly improved after a single session.
Dermabrasion is among the most effective treatments for acne scars. Not only is the surface skin removed, but the contour of scars is also altered. Those scars located at the skin's surface may be completely eliminated, while the depth of other scars may be reduced. It does not work for all types of scars. It may make ice-pick scars more noticeable if they are wider under the skin than at the surface.
Laser Treatment may be used to modify the appearance of scars, while redness surrounding healed acne lesions may be reduced.
Skin Surgery may be effective on more troublesome sccars. Ice-pick scars ay be removed by "punch" excision. In this procedure, each scar is completely cut out of the skin and a suture is used to repair the remaining hole. Depressed scars may be treated via subcision, a technique in which a surgical probe is used to lift the scar tissue away from the skin.
Skin Grafting may be necessary under certain conditions, such as when microdermabrasion has exposed "tunnels" (called sinus tracts) below the skin, which are created due to inflammation Skin grafting is used to close the defect.
Acne Treatment and Pregnancy
Because elevated hormone levels during pregnancy bring about a number of skin changes, acne among them, it is worthwhile to address this special circumstance. While non-pregnant women may benefit from prescription medications to treat acne, including tretinoin and isotretinoin or antibiotics such as tetracycline, erythromycin, and doxycycline, most of these medications are inappropriate for use by those who are pregnant or trying to conceive. Additionally, some over-the-counter acne treatment ingredients should be avoided during pregnancy, such as salicylic acid.
If you are within this group and are seeking treatment for acne, be sure to advise your physician so an alternative acne treatment protocol may be utilized.
Special NOTE: Many people turn to what they consider "natural" such as Essential Oils to treat all types of conditions including acne. Please note, there are several essential oils that are NOT SAFE to be used during pregnancy, or lactation, and should be avoided if trying to conceive as well. A book I highly recommend is "Integrated Guide to Essential Oils and Aromatherapy" which is written with Dr Daniel Penoel, MD (40 yrs medical Dr who's also included clinical essential oils in his practice). In this book, behind each individual essential oil listed, will be a "Cautions" that will contain cautions for pregnancy, children, and many other medical conditions where that particular essential oil (including in a blend) should be avoided.
Information has been taken from the book "Simple Skincare, Beautiful Skin" by Dr Ahmed Abdullah MD, FACS, FICS Board certified plastic surgeon, dermatologist. The book can be found on Amazon.com Dr Abdullah is an internationally recognized aloe researcher, and for over 20 yrs of his practice, promoting the truth and best results through his clinics.
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