Acne is the most common skin condition in the United States, affecting nearly everyone at some point in life. While most people have acne as teenagers or young adults, acne can occur at any age. Effective treatments are available, but acne can be persistent. Early treatment and maintaining a good skin care routine can help avoid scarring and help manage acne.
The pores in our skin connect to oil glands under the skin. These glands make an oil called sebum. The pores connect to the glands by a canal called a follicle. Inside the follicles, a thin hair grows, and oil carries dead skin cells to the surface of the skin where the body sheds the cells. Sometimes, the hair, sebum and skin cells clump together to form a plug. Bacteria that live on our skin, p acnes, can also get inside the clogged pore causing redness and swelling. If the inflammation goes deep into the skin, an acne cyst or nodule can form.
Acne typically appears on the face, forehead, chest, upper back and shoulders because these areas have the most oil (sebaceous) glands.
Breakout Symptoms
Acne signs and symptoms can vary depending on the severity of your condition.
Perspiration, especially when wearing a hat or helmet, can make acne worse, so wash your skin as soon as possible after sweating.
Using a washcloth, mesh sponge or anything else can irritate the skin.
Use gentle products, such as those that are alcohol-free. Do not use products that irritate your skin, which may include astringents, toners and exfoliants. Dry, red skin makes acne appear worse.
Avoid the temptation to scrub your skin.
If you have oily hair, shampoo daily.
If you pick, pop or squeeze your acne, your skin will take longer to clear, and you increase the risk of getting acne scars.
Touching your skin throughout the day can cause flare-ups.
Tanning damages your skin. In addition, some acne medications make the skin very sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light, which you get from both the sun and indoor tanning devices.
Using tanning beds increases your risk for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by 75 percent.
The good news is today, virtually all acne can be cleared. If you’re not seeing results on your own, consult your dermatologist. There are lots of effective acne treatments, but not every acne treatment works for everyone who has acne. Some help kill the bacteria. Others work on reducing the oil. The key is to be patient. At-home treatments may take 4-8 weeks to see improvement and once the acne clears, it’s important to continue to treat the skin to prevent future breakouts.
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