What Is Acne And How Do You Get Rid Of It?
There are a lot of different types of acne, acne mechanica, acne fulminans, pyoderma faciale, acne conglobata, consort acne, pomade acne, acne rosacea… but the most common form of acne is the one that we generally refer to when we simply say acne, is acne vulgaris.
These are the blackheads and the whiteheads and the bright red pimples that torment us in our teenage years that sometimes turn into papules, pustules, nodules, and cysts.
That may sound like a lot of fancy doctors talk, but what's actually happening inside your skin is really quite simple, all you really need to know is that your skin is constantly shedding dead cells, it's the natural way that our skin breathes and rejuvenates itself.
Some of those dead skin cells get out through your body through tiny little holes called pores. These pores are connected to the oil glands through a canal called a follicle, these oil glands produce a greasy substance called sebum which is your body's own natural moisturizer that lubricates your skin.
Trouble begins when the process slows down and the oil and the skin cells clump together and clog the pore blocking the pathway out. Think of it like hair in your shower drain.
Clogged or not, your body doesn't just stop creating more oil or skin. So what happens is that instead of going out, all that oil builds up underneath which pushes out skin creating the bump or pimple that we all dread. It goes into full bloom when the “P acnes bacteria” jumps onto the scene.
To fight this mob, your immune system rushes bacteria-fighting white blood cells to the scene, and the unfortunate side effect of all of this is a reddening of the skin in the infected areas so it looks like a volcanic explosion!
Just imagine when you have acne what's really actually going on is an epic power struggle between your immune system, bacteria, cells, and clogged pores, nothing can get free!
That's the simplest way to understand it.
Acne tips:
Number 1: use an acne skin routine twice a day, every day for as long as you have acne.
Number 2: ideally your skin routine should contain some combination of benzoyl peroxide salicylic acid and alpha hydroxy acids such as glycolic acid
Number 3: use a moisturizer. all acne treatments are drying to the skin and you will have a reflux oiliness unless you use a lightweight moisturizer
Number 4: try some do-it-yourself acne remedies such as plain Greek yogurt mixed with a spoonful of honey and apply it to your face.
Number 5: if your acne is severe and is not going away don't waste any time go see your dermatologist.