Acne is commonly known as “acne”. Although it heals itself with age, it affects many people because of its aesthetic appeal and even leaves permanent scars. I hope that the “battle against acne” friends will help!
1, “acne” many people have had, is it only during puberty acne?
Because about 85% of teenagers have acne, acne is commonly known as “acne”, although most acne begins to ease before the age of 25, but it is not the patent of young people. Late onset acne, also known as “post-pubertal acne,” refers to acne that occurs after the age of 25, and is not uncommon.
2. Is acne also known as pimples?
Because mild acne is mainly manifested as acne, many people take acne as a synonym for acne. In fact, acne is only one manifestation of acne. In addition to whiteheads and blackheads of skin color, acne can also manifest as inflammatory papules, nodules, cysts, and in severe cases, abscesses are formed and even break out and flow pus.
3. Is acne a folliculitis?
Acne is the most common inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands of the hair follicles, but it is different from ordinary folliculitis. Ordinary folliculitis does not appear as acne, and the bacteria that cause acne are different, so the treatment is of course different. Therefore, the first step is to make a clear diagnosis in order to target treatment.
4. Is acne caused by endocrine disorders? Should I have an endocrine examination?
The occurrence of acne is closely related to androgens, but if the sex hormones in the blood of most people are normal, it is only because the local hair follicle sebaceous glands are more sensitive to androgens or the local androgen synthesis and conversion increase, so most acne is not caused by endocrine disorders and does not require routine endocrine examination.
5.When is an endocrine examination necessary?
Although most acne patients have normal sex hormone levels and do not need endocrine tests, a few people do have acne related to endocrine disorders, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, androgenosis, cortisolism and precocious puberty. Therefore, if a woman experiences low menstrual flow, prolonged menstrual cycle, hirsutism, hair loss, etc., she needs to have sex hormone tests and other tests to rule out hyperandrogenemia.
Note: You should stop using oral contraceptives for at least 4 to 6 weeks before testing for hyperandrogenemia.
6. Is acne caused by bacteria? Is it caused by touching your face again without washing your hands after coming in contact with bacteria?
The onset of acne is closely related to Propionibacterium acnes. In addition to Propionibacterium acnes, Malassezia furfur and other microorganisms are also involved in the onset of acne. Most of these microorganisms are normally present in the hair follicles and only cause acne under the right conditions. There is no basis for the so-called hand-carried bacteria to cause acne.
7. Do cosmetics cause acne?
Acne caused by cosmetics or hair products is called “cosmetic acne” and “hair oil acne” respectively. It is caused by the ingredients in these products blocking the pores or stimulating the keratinization of the sebaceous glands of the hair follicles. Therefore, some cosmetics may cause or aggravate acne.
8.Can I use cosmetics? After all, for some professions or on special occasions, it is sometimes unavoidable to wear makeup.
It is recommended to use skin care products (such as moisturizers, cleansers, cosmetics, etc.) that are labeled as “non-comedogenic”. Although foundations and BB creams are not used, if you have to use them in special circumstances, it is recommended to choose “oil-free” liquid silicone matte foundations instead of oil-based foundations to reduce the clogging of hair follicles. Sunscreen can be used.
9.Does smoking aggravate acne?
Some studies have shown that smoking can cause or aggravate acne, possibly because nicotine promotes sebum production and keratinization of follicular sebaceous glands, but there are different views.
10. Can regular washing of the face prevent and treat acne?
Mechanical irritation can aggravate acne, with excessive washing being the most common. Some patients feel that washing can help them get rid of blackheads and pimples and greasiness, and frequent excessive washing can aggravate acne by destroying the skin barrier on the opposite side.
11. Having said that, what are the main factors that trigger acne?
Acne is the most common chronic inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands of the hair follicles. Its etiology is complex and a variety of factors are involved in its development. The main factors include excessive sebum production, abnormal keratinization of the follicular sebaceous glands, Propionibacterium acnes and inflammation. Understanding the factors that contribute to the onset of acne is a guide to the prevention and treatment of acne, and all prevention and treatment is directed at these onset factors.
12.Can’t we work on it from our usual diet? Start with your surroundings. We often see that some people have spicy and irritating food the first day, and then get acne the next day.
Not only diet, some people stay up late the day before the next day will also grow acne, so pay attention to diet and lifestyle habits is very important, especially to eat more vegetables and fruits, less spicy, greasy and sweet food, do not drink alcohol, pay attention to the regularity of life, sleep enough, mental relaxation.
13.Will acne heal itself after paying attention to life and diet?
Not necessarily, because the causes of acne are very complex, and lifestyle and dietary habits are only one of the triggering factors. Minor acne may heal on its own after paying attention to it, but severe cases need to be treated with topical medication, oral medication, red and blue light, photodynamic therapy, etc.
14.Can I eat fish, shrimp and seafood for acne?
Although acne patients should pay attention to eating less spicy, oily and sweet food, there is no need to overly avoid eating, and balanced nutrition is beneficial to the prevention and treatment of acne. Fish, shrimp, seafood, and other so-called “hairy foods” have no effect on acne and do not need to be avoided.
15, acne should be divided into mild and severe, what should be done in the treatment of different conditions?
Mild acne: Topical medications can be used mainly, along with oral medications if necessary. Moderate acne: If there are more red papules or a few pustules, you can take retinoids and antibiotics internally; apply retinoids, benzoyl peroxide or nonanedioic acid topically to the rash. Severe acne: with more papules, pustules and hard nodules or cysts, etc., it is treated with several types of drugs at the same time, such as internal retinoids, antibiotics, etc.
16.I am preparing for pregnancy or during pregnancy, how can I treat acne?
Very careful medication is needed during pregnancy. Tretinoin and tetracycline are the most commonly used medications for acne, but are prohibited for pregnant women. Oral isotretinoin softgels should be discontinued for at least 3 months before pregnancy (the FDA requires a 1-month discontinuation for this), and oral retinoids need to be discontinued for at least 6 months. Topical medications should be used mainly during pregnancy preparation and pregnancy, but topical retinoids should be avoided. Topical clindamycin or erythromycin can be used topically, and topical azelaic acid is also relatively safe.
17.Can I use hormones for acne?
Estrogen, progestin or anti-androgen drugs can be used to treat female acne, but the indications should be selected and a full course of treatment needs to be adhered to while paying attention to adverse reactions, as most require more than 3 months to have significant effects. Small doses of glucocorticoids can be used for the treatment of hyperandrogenemic acne caused by hyperadrenalism, as well as for the short-term treatment of coalescent acne and acne vulgaris.
18.Can I “pick” or “squeeze” pimples?
Avoid “squeezing” or “picking” acne by yourself as much as possible, as this may cause secondary damage due to squeezing, aggravating inflammation and leaving scarring. Acne can be treated with special acne needles and acne squeezers at the dermatology department of a hospital or a professional medical aesthetic institution, and attention should be paid to cleanliness and sun protection after acne treatment.
19.Why is my acne treatment not effective?
Patients often complain about ineffective treatment. It may be due to inappropriate treatment methods, drug insensitivity, hyperandrogenemia, etc. However, the most common reason is that they do not adhere to a sufficient course of treatment, and have stopped taking the medication before it takes effect. Patients often ask, “Why hasn’t it worked after 2 days or 1 week of medication?” In fact, many acne medications need to be used continuously for at least 1 to 2 months to determine their effectiveness, and some even need more than 3 months to have significant effects.
20.Will acne get better after pregnancy? Some women often say that “acne will get better after you have a baby”, is this reliable?
In fact, it is not necessarily true. During pregnancy, acne can improve, stay the same or worsen. The same is true after childbirth, but in general, most acne decreases with age. Nevertheless, there are still women who develop it until after the age of 40.
21. How should acne patients properly care for their skin?
Try to avoid scratching and squeezing the lesions, clean the skin gently, and you can use cleansers; daily use of moisturizers can reduce transcutaneous water loss and lower skin inflammation, and many acne oral and topical medications are irritating to the skin and can damage the skin barrier. Many brands of medical skincare products currently available also have an auxiliary effect on acne prevention and treatment.
22. There are many acne marks on my face, what should I do? Will eating soy sauce deepen acne marks?
If it is just pigmentation, most of them will fade or disappear with time, but the uneven acne scars usually cannot be completely faded. For long-term pigmentation and acne scars that do not fade, laser, grinding and fruit acid treatment are available, and topical application of some salicylic acid, azelaic acid or retinoic acid drugs can also help. Eating soy sauce will not cause acne marks to become darker because the pigments in soy sauce, that is, do not participate in the synthesis of skin pigments and are not deposited in the skin.
In conclusion, acne patients should cleanse their skin gently and avoid stimulating squeezing as much as possible. We recommend using the oil control and moisturizing series of products in medical skin care products for acne. In terms of diet, eat less spicy, greasy and sweet foods, and pay attention to regularity and mental relaxation. Choose a treatment plan according to the severity of the condition and adhere to the treatment.