Have you ever experienced a stubborn pimple? Do you want to know how to treat acne and prevent it? Well, we are here for you! Get to know about different types of acne, why they appear, how to treat them, and how to prevent them from happening in the first place.

Acne is a skin condition that is mostly associated with oily skin. It affects the hair follicle and the oil glands that secrete sebum, which protects our face from external stress factors. It affects people of all ages and skin types.

Acne types and symptoms:

Did you know that black and whiteheads are, in fact, different forms of acne! Acne is the umbrella word for blackheads, whiteheads, pustules -also known as pimples-, papules, and cysts.

Comedogens, AKA comedos: form when dead skin cells combine with sebum, clogging your pores. Comedos are classified into:

• Blackheads: open comedo that is exposed to air and not covered by skin, usually appear as black dots, mostly on your nose and cheeks. They result from the oxidation of sebum and dead skin cells. They don’t cause inflammation and are easy to maintain.
• Whiteheads: Closed comedos covered with skin, thus not subjected to oxidation and keep their white color.
• Papules: Painful, slightly inflamed bumps that appear on top of the skin as a result of a comedo infection.
• Pustules: A more painful form of inflammatory acne, in which bacteria, infected your skin, creates pus that resides in the top layers of your skin. It causes redness and inflammation in the infected area.
• Cysts: Painful, inflamed pus-containing-bumps that exist under your skin surface. Consider visiting a dermatologist if you have cysts.

What causes acne?

Acne occurs due to several reasons:

• Hormonal changes: Hormone levels hit their peak during puberty, menstruation, and pregnancy. This explains why most of us experienced acne during our teenage years and before the beginning of each menstruation cycle.
• Diet & Allergy: Dairy products, junk food, snacks, and gluten may play a role in triggering acne, especially if you are allergic to them.
• Cosmetics: Don’t get me wrong. Cosmetics by themselves don’t cause acne if they don’t contain comedogenic oils, however, misusing them can do! Applying heavy makeup for several hours can clog your pores and lead to acne. Don’t get me started on sleeping with makeup!
• Bacteria: From touching your face to using cellphones, we introduce new bacteria to our face every second. They enter your pores and clog them, forming pus.
• Friction: Friction can seriously damage your skin barrier that protects your skin from bacteria.
• Medication: Some types of drugs can induce pimple formation like corticosteroids and thyroid hormones, to name a few.
• Over and under cleansing your skin.

Treatment

A lot of over-the-counter products, AKA OTC, offer a great solution to mild to moderate acne. These products include topical retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, zinc, AHAs, etc.… However, if you experience severe acne, please consider visiting a dermatologist.

Cleanse your face with gentle oil-free cleansers and moisturize with non-comedogenic creams. Try to keep your pH level balanced using balancing toners, and don’t forget to exfoliate your skin to get rid of dead skin cells.

Prevention

It’s a no brainer that you need to eliminate the causes to avoid the problem!

• Beware of what you eat. Consider staying away from junk food, and know what causes you allergy to keep it away from your daily diet.
• Choose what you apply on your face wisely. Stay away from comedogenic products and drying ingredients, and cleanse your face properly after makeup application.
• Cleanse your makeup brushes frequently.
• Avoid touching your face and keep your cellphones as clean as possible.
• Cleanse your face twice a day with a gentle cleanser.
• Moisturize using products containing humectants such as hyaluronic acid and glycerin.
• Exfoliate once a week.
• Don’t pop or pick at your pimples. It may feel great at first, but it will spread the bacteria under your skin to the area surrounding this pimple, resulting in more pimple formation, or, even worse, scaring your face.