8 out of 10 young people suffer from acne. Discover how to approach it medically and with home remedies in the following lines.
Acne, medically referred to asAcne vulgaris, can be defined as an inflammation of the pilosebaceous unit, which is chronically developing and primarily self-limiting. Its trigger is the clogging of facial pores with dead cells and own oils produced by the epidermal glands. The condition is aggravated by the bacteriumCutibacterium acnes, which degrades some components of the dermis and epidermis, causing local inflammatory responses.
It is estimated that acne affects about 40 million people worldwide, especially in the prepubertal stage and during adolescence, since 80-85% of young people present it at some point. Interestingly, genetic inheritance seems to play a very important factor in its development, since the genome encodes the amount of branched fatty acids in the facial sebum produced by the patient. The percentage of heritability of this trait is calculated in a range of 50 to 90%.
Approximately 20% of people with this clinical picture end up developing severe acne, which results in permanent scarring. If you want to know how to avoid reaching this situation and be able to address the pathology effectively, read on.
- We recommend you read: “10 false myths about acne (debunked by science)”
What are the remedies for acne?
As on other occasions, we will take a multidisciplinary approach, in order to address a clinical entity that must be treated on a day-to-day basis. We will take a tour of both behavioral and medical remedies, so do not miss it.
1. Avoid high-glycemic foods
The glycemic index (GI) is a measure that quantifies how quickly a food increases blood sugar levels in the patient. It is necessary to know that not all carbohydrates (among which are monosaccharides) act the same, as some work more slowly than others and are digested gradually in several steps. The maximum GI is carried by pure glucose, with a value of 100.
Foods with a high glycemic index cause the body to make more insulin, which correlates with an increase in circulating androgens. These, in turn, occur with an increase in the production of cutaneous sebum, which translates into the worsening of acne. Therefore, acne patients are recommended to follow a diet based on foods with a low GI, that is, avoid very sweet foods and overly processed foods.
- We recommend you read: “Acne on the back: why does it appear and how to remove it?”
2. Antibiotics
Antibiotics are necessary in many cases to eliminate bacterial overgrowth in inflamed areas. The initial drug of choice is usually topical erythromycin, which prevents protein synthesis in bacteria such as C. acnes, resulting in their death and preventing proliferation. Typically, treatment with two different antibiotics (such as erythromycin with benzoyl peroxide and clindamycin) is used to prevent the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains, as up to 55% of C. acnes cultures can become resistant to erythromycin if exposed to this antibiotic alone.
3. Retinoids
These drugs are chemically related to vitamin A and the growth of the patient’s epithelial cells, so they are considered theonly ones capable of acting directly on the hair follicle. These act on the plug produced in the structure, recovering normal epidermal desquamation, promoting drainage of the compromised structures and preventing future lesions from appearing.
In addition to treating acne, retinoids are used in some skin cancers, psoriasis, and photoaging. As far as acne is concerned, they are the way to go in mild and moderate long-term pictures, since their effect begins to be noticed 3-4 months after the start of treatment.
4. Salicylic acid
Topical salicylic acid relieves acne byreducing swelling and redness by opening the pores of the skin. It can be applied several times a day or a week, depending on the patient’s requirements and the particularity of the condition. In any case, its excessive use can cause an annoying epidermal dryness, so dermatologists recommend starting with a low dose, to increase it over time.
5. Laser treatment
When acne becomes inflammatory, home remedies do very little. In this clinical picture, C. acnescolonizes the hair follicles, degrades sebum, irritates the epithelium and encourages the appearance of an immune response that damages the layers of the skin. We emphasize, again, that in this case there is no remedy with homemade oils, teas, homemade ointments and other methods that are worthwhile. It’s time to go to a dermatologist and do it quickly.
In addition to the antibiotics previously mentioned, in these cases you can go to a laser treatment. In it, a pulsed laser technology is used to selectively cauterize the superficial blood vessels associated with inflammation and redness. When this irrigation is cut off at the microscopic level, some control over the inflamed structure is acquired.
6. Chemical peels
The chemical peel in a medical environment, as its name suggests, has the purpose of blistering and exfoliating the skinso that new epidermal cells appear in the place of the dead and / or most affected. There are three different variants: alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) or glycolic acid peels, trichloroacetic acid (TCA) peels, and phenol peels.
Each type of treatment has a different intensity and duration, so it is only possible to perform them with the advice and monitoring of a professional dermatologist. It is a very indicated approach in patients with superficial acne or who have developed scars.
7. Steroid infiltration
Nodules and cysts that are too obvious in cases of severe inflammatory acne can be treated by steroid infiltration. Triamcinolone acetonide is used topically to treat superficial skin conditions, at a rate of 2.5 to 10 mg/mL in lesions cystic and 10 to 40 mg/mL in keloid scars, every two to three weeks.
However, it should be noted that the benefits and side effects of steroid infiltration have been discussed on multiple occasions, as theygenerate side effects that can range from mild to severe in the worst cases. If you want to undergo such treatment, discuss it extensively with your trusted doctor.
8. Avoid and manage anxiety and stress
Various professional sources propose that stress and anxiety favor the appearance of acne. When the patient suffers from prolonged stress and anxiety, it synthesizes hormones (such as cortisol) at the physiological level, which act systemically, increasing the heart rate, mobilizing nutrients to the tissues and selectively suppressing the immune system.
In addition, the formation of inflammatory cytokines is also promoted, which can act at the epidermal level and worsen acne. The immunosuppression typical of chronic anxiety can slow down the healing period ofC. acnes, which causes a retroactive effect. In general, prolonged stress is never good, but it can be noticed a lot at the skin level.
Summary
It is controversial to observe how, in many informative portals, the first remedies to treat acne are always homemade and the relevant scientific data to support them are not provided. It is argued that tea tree oil, green tea, seeds and other natural products can eliminate excess fat production in epidermal follicles, but we can do nothing but doubt these sources.
It is necessary to bear in mind that, in many cases, it is not worth taking care of the skin and keeping it clean. As we have seen, acne has a clear genetic component and in many pictures bacterial components, so treatment with antibiotics and other specialized drugs is essential in the most severe cases. No homemade ointment will eliminate the overgrowth of C. acnes on the surface of the skin, for example.
With these data we do not intend to discourage readers, but we do encourage anyone who has acne to visit a professional dermatologist to discuss the possible approaches and treatments in each specific case. In terms of health, prevention is better than cure.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.