Acne on the face is a fairly common occurrence, especially among boys and girls. Such a skin lesion is a consequence of the interaction of certain pathological factors, as a result of which the production of sebaceous secretion increases, the stratum corneum of the ducts of the sebaceous glands thickens, dead cells begin to exfoliate irregularly, and the follicle duct is blocked by horny scales. As a result, conditionally pathogenic organisms actively multiply in the follicle, an inflammatory process develops and, accordingly, acne appears. We will consider the reasons for such processes a little later, but now we will talk about how the elements of the rash are formed.
Acne formation
As you probably know, each hair follicle is surrounded by a sebaceous gland, and they are connected by a corresponding duct. The secretion produced by the gland coats the hair and skin and thus does notonly protects them from any environmental influences, but also, of course, moisturizes. If the amount of fat is excessive, the keratinized cells will begin to stick together, as a result, a greasy-hair plug is formed at the mouth of the follicle. Most often, it just provokes swelling of the walls of the follicle. In this way, in most cases, acne is formed on the face. Photos of people suffering from this disease are sometimes just scary. Pimples can cover the entire face. Yes, really scary! But such an extensive defeat occurs even in the most neglected cases.
At the very first stages of the inflammatory process, the elements of the rash look like white hemispherical nodules no larger than the head of a pin. These are closed comedones, or the so-called milia. When the sebaceous-hair plug oxidizes, black dots form - open comedones. And already as a result of active reproduction in the follicle of bacteria, papules are formed - inflammatory cone-shaped elements of red color, having an abscess at the top, and around - a corolla of hyperemia.
Causes of acne
The main provoking factor is hormonal changes in the body. That is why acne most often appears in pregnant women, teenagers, women in the last days of the menstrual cycle, as well as in people who take hormonal drugs. Excessive irritation of the skin with all kinds of care products also leads to such an unpleasant phenomenon as acne. The reasons for this reaction are as follows: firstly, a variety of scrubs, gels, soaps lower the barrier function of the skin,as a result of which access of pathogens to the follicles opens; secondly, such drugs can simply cause allergies, which leads to the launch of the inflammatory process.
There are several varieties of acne:
- steroid - appear with inadequate intake of hormonal medications;
- necrotic - occur in the scalp;
- lightning fast (fulminant) - a rare form that occurs mainly in boys thirteen to seventeen years old and is accompanied by weakness, fever, malaise, joint pain, increased fatigue;
- neurotic - are formed as a result of stripping or squeezing out existing acne and appear in the form of erosions and scars;
- professional - Formed by skin exposure to oils, tar, lubricants, chemicals, herbicides, and the like.
Acne Treatment
Reviews of various methods of dealing with acne can be found very different. Some people are helped by one thing, others by another. Unfortunately, there is no universal remedy that, as if at the behest of a magic wand, would instantly make your skin clean, even and radiant. The treatment of teenage acne, as well as any other, requires considerable effort and financial investment. But first things first.
Identification of microbial flora
This is the first thing to do. Sowing the contents of the pustules will determine their susceptibility to antibiotics. In addition, it is necessary to determine the levelandrogens. With the results of the tests, you can go for a consultation with an endocrinologist, and for the fair sex, also with a gynecologist. You also need to do a complete blood count, and if abnormalities are found, continue to conduct control studies every ten days. Such monitoring (determination of the level of cholesterol, triglycerides, total bilirubin and fraction, AST, ALT) is necessary when therapy with systemic retinoids is carried out, but we will talk about this a little later.
Cosmetics
The main approach in the treatment of acne is aimed at careful and proper care of the affected skin. If you use alcohol-containing cosmetics, then acne on the face will remain for a long time. Aggressive lotions and creams will further disrupt the barrier functions and exacerbate the inflammation process. Therefore, you need to wash and cleanse the skin only with gentle means, which will contribute to recovery. To get rid of acne, use cosmetic products of the dermatological lines "Aven", "Uriage", "Bioderma", "Cleanans" for the face.
Antibacterial
You should start treating inflammatory elements with the use of external antibacterial drugs, such as Zinerit, Imex, Dalacin T. You can also use a variety of drugs that are made in pharmacies according to the prescriptions of dermatologists. Often, Metrogyl gel is prescribed against acne, it really helps a lot, but you should remember and know that this medication hasphototoxic property.
When the acute process of inflammation begins to subside, it is necessary to add to the therapy process agents that act on dead skin cells of the epidermis and thus reduce the formation of comedones. Similar properties are fully possessed by azelaic acid, which is the active ingredient in Skinoren. The medicine is available in the form of a gel and cream. Decide for yourself which option to use, but it should be noted that the cream additionally produces a depigmenting effect. If you want to get rid of such an unpleasant phenomenon as acne as quickly as possible, treatment with topical antibiotics and Skinoren is recommended to be combined with sessions of selective phototherapy (fifteen to twenty procedures are required).
Other effective drugs
Recently, more and more often, doctors prescribe medication "Baziron AS" to patients with acne. It is characterized not only by antimicrobial action, but also by keratolytic, that is, it helps to soften the outer layer of the skin and its rejection. However, remember that you can not use the drug while under the sun. Acne on the face can also be reduced by using Differin. It is retinode, an analogue of vitamin A, producing anti-inflammatory and comedolytic effects. It stabilizes the processes of rejection of dead cells. Similar medicines are "Retin-A" and "Lokacid". It should be noted that all of them exhibit a phototoxic effect andcontraindicated for lactating and pregnant women.
Oral medications
As a rule, a combination of the above drugs is enough to cure a mild form of the disease. And what to do if acne has an advanced stage? Treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics is what can help. Such medicines not only fight acne at the external level, but also reduce the production of fat. The best choices are drugs "Doxycycline" (take 100-200 milligrams per day) and "Tetracycline" (use twice a day, 500 milligrams). The course of antibiotic treatment is two to four weeks. These drugs are also characterized by a phototoxic effect, so they should not be used during the period of active sun. In addition, medicines are contraindicated for children under the age of thirteen, lactating and pregnant women.
Facial acne can also be treated with the staphylococcal vaccine. To weaken the effect of androgens on the sebaceous glands, women are often prescribed oral contraceptives, such as Diane-35, Jess. They should be drunk for a long time, for six months or longer.
Systemic retinoids and hepatoprotectors
If the above methods of treatment do not bring results, you can resort to the use of the drug "Roaccutane". Remember, we talked about the need for regular monitoring of the level of blood components? It is produced just at the appointment of this tool. The daily dose of the drug, based on the characteristicsstate, selected individually. In combination with "Roaccutane" or in isolation, the drug "Prednisolone" may be prescribed.
To support the work of the liver, the use of hepatoprotectors is indicated. The most popular of them are Essentiale Forte (drink three capsules three times a day) and Karsil (take one tablet three times a day). The course of treatment is one month.
Modern treatments
If external remedies and acne pills do not relieve, you should think about more radical ways to deal with hated acne. For deep and large acne, intralesional corticosteroids are indicated every two to three weeks. This procedure has its drawbacks: it thins and discolors the skin. You can clean your face with ultraviolet irradiation, cryotherapy, laser therapy, vacuum and mechanical cleaning. Let's take a closer look at these procedures.
Cryotherapy
This is a painless and accessible to almost everyone way to eliminate acne, which consists in exposing the skin to liquid nitrogen at low temperature. Local freezing allows you to first narrow and then expand the capillaries, thereby increasing blood flow. Some people who have undergone this procedure write in reviews that scars remain on the face after cryotherapy.
UV irradiation
Ultrasound deeply cleanses the skin of impurities that cause acne. Such a cleansing of the face with acne will remove dead skin cells and sebum. In the same timethe procedure is safe and does not leave local swelling or redness, which happens after mechanical cleaning. Also, ultraviolet irradiation improves drainage, massages tissues at the cellular level, rejuvenates the skin due to muscle toning and the flow of oxygen and nutrients. This treatment is ideal for people with sensitive skin because the epidermis is not actually damaged by ultrasound.
Laser Acne Treatment
This is a relatively new, but very effective technology, which is confirmed by massive positive reviews. The laser affects the skin cells gently, slightly warming up the treatment site and creating an acoustic wave. Due to this, the inflammation zone is disinfected, soft tissues are nourished, the protective properties of the epidermis and its ability to recover sharply increase, as a result, the process of sebum production is optimized. Laser treatment of acne, perhaps, gives the best results regarding the impact on the infiltrative focus. Improvements are usually noticeable after the first session, but the doctor should tell you how many treatments you need.
You can also use a pulsed laser to kill bacteria and reduce the secretion of the sebaceous glands. As a result of thermal exposure to the skin, the intensity of production of sebum by glandular cells decreases, which means that it becomes problematic for bacteria to receive nutrients. This procedure normalizes metabolism in problem areas, activates local immunity and starts the processskin regeneration.
Diode laser is often used in the treatment of acne. Therapy with them completely stops the functioning of the sebaceous glands, as a result of which sebum is no longer secreted at all.
Vacuum cleaning
This is a fairly effective method of removing acne, but it is worth saying that it is very specific. A special vacuum suction is applied to the affected areas, as a result of which shallow blackheads and sebaceous plugs are pulled out of the pores. The irritating effect on the skin during the procedure is minimal, but there is one significant drawback - deep acne remains intact.
Mechanical cleaning
This is the most aggressive, yet the most common way to treat acne. Such a procedure after itself often leaves damage to the epidermis and considerable chances for the formation of scars, especially if the execution technique has been violated. In the classic version, the method is as follows: the face is steamed, and then intensively treated with a scrub to free the skin from sebaceous plugs and keratinized particles.
