Acne, which is generally defined as acne among the people, is a common type of skin disease. This disease, which is more common in young and adults, can cause permanent scars on the surface of the skin, although it is not an important health problem. interest. The inflammatory reaction of the subcutaneous fat layers, called the pilosebaceous unit, is one of the important cosmetic problems especially in adolescence.
Acne, which is often found on the skin, on the face, shoulders, back and chest area, mostly begins to form in adolescence and can be seen in some people until the age of 40. In other words, acne occurs in 80% of the adolescent population. The acne problem, which is encountered at the rate of 10% in women aged 25 and over, is at the level of 3% in men. This condition mostly stays at this level until the age of 40s.
The formation of acne, which is more common in women during adulthood, is mostly caused by hormonal changes. There are many types of acne that can negatively affect a person's physical appearance as well as their psychology. Before moving on to the treatment of acne, it is necessary to know the types of acne.
What are the types of acne?
Acne is classified separately according to the skin lesion and the form of the acne lesion. Skin lesions in the presence of acne can be listed as follows:
- Comedones: 1 to 3 mm. Comedones in size are also known as blackheads. Comedones, which are caused by the oxidation of sebum, which can also be defined as oily skin fluid, do not cause inflammation and can disappear spontaneously if not touched. The papules, which are usually painful to the touch, are warm. Papules, which can disappear on their own, can also turn into pistules from time to time.
- Pistulas: They are pus, yellow pimples larger than 5 mm in size. It may disappear after being drained, or it may reappear at the same spot.
- Nodules: Nodules of large size are round in shape and inflamed. It can be on the surface of the skin or under it. This type of acne, which occasionally causes abscess formation,
- Acne Conglobata: This type, which causes severe cyst formation, is more common on the back and chest. Acne conglobata, which causes deep scars on the skin surface, is more common in women with menstrual irregularity or PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). It is a type of acne with a cystic structure. This type of acne can suddenly become pus and lead to scar formation. From time to time, it can cause symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, fever and changes in blood values.
- Acne Vulgaris: It is a simple type of acne that is frequently seen in adolescence. Pimples, which are mostly seen in the face area, are in the form of closed papules. It does not cause cyst formation, nodules and scarring.
Why Acne Occurs?
Genetic predisposition generally plays a role in acne formation. Even having acne problems in the family is the cause of acne on its own. However, hormonal changes, different health problems, stress and the use of wrong cosmetic products can also cause acne. Contrary to popular belief, acne formation is not associated with the consumption of chocolate or fatty foods. However, there are limited studies showing a link between milk and dairy products and acne formation.
In addition, products containing sugar, sweeteners, bakery products made with white flour, sugary drinks can also cause acne development. Smoking, which damages all tissues and organs in the body, can cause many different skin problems as well as acne. According to the researches, the incidence of acne among smokers is 41%, while this rate is 9% among non-smokers.
The rapidly changing hormonal order during adolescence often leads to acne. Androgens, which cause the sebaceous glands to grow and produce more sebum in the hair follicles, can be explained as the cause of acne, especially in adolescence. Testosterone, another hormone that increases during puberty, provides the development of organs such as the penis and testicles in men and sperm production, while it plays a role in maintaining muscle and bone strength in women.
In the studies carried out It has been observed that the formation of acne is triggered by the increase of testosterone hormone in the blood level. In addition, autumn and winter seasons can also trigger acne formation.
How Pimples Goes?
It is not correct to squeezing and popping pimples. This action, which damages the skin, facilitates the spread of infection, causing more acne to appear and delaying the healing of existing acne. Trying to remove or cover the bad appearance caused by acne on the skin with cosmetic products can also increase the formation of acne.
Although most of the pimples disappear on their own, the healing process can be accelerated with different treatment methods. However, the response to this treatment may take a long time. Therefore, it is extremely important to use the drugs given for the treatment of acne at the recommended dose and for the specified period of time.
What are the Foods That Are Good for Acne?
There are some foods that accelerate the healing of acne. Foods containing probiotics such as yogurt, buttermilk and kefir are skin friendly. In addition, Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A, D and E, which accelerate cell regeneration, can contribute to the elimination of acne. Green tea reduces sebum production. Therefore, it can prevent the formation of acne by delaying the lubrication of the skin.
How to Clean the Skin with Pimples?
Squeezing acnes is definitely not recommended for cleaning the skin with acne. This can cause permanent damage to the skin and scarring on the face. Facial cleaning can be done by washing twice a day, in the morning and evening, with soap and facial cleansing solutions specially developed for the face. During the washing process, the skin should be rubbed with circular movements, but care should be taken not to burst the pimples. Oil-free moisturizing creams can be used to moisturize the face. It is also extremely important that the sunscreen used when going out in the sun is oil-free.
How to Diagnose Acne?
Pimples can negatively affect people's psychology as well as their physical appearance. In some cases, acne, which causes the person to be unable to even use their facial expressions, can also cause pain from time to time. Acne, which can also occur due to different health problems, is not always a cosmetic problem. . In such cases, a doctor should be consulted for acne treatment.
The physician first examines acne. The person's face, back, and chest; The presence of acne is evaluated in terms of the type of acne, whether the acne is painful or inflamed. It is checked for menstrual irregularity and/or excessive hair growth, especially in women. In some cases, health problems such as ovarian cysts, type-2 diabetes and hormonal disorders may also cause acne, so the physician may request different tests. Acne is diagnosed in the light of the findings.
How to Treat Acne?
In the presence of a different disease that causes acne formation, the focal disease is primarily treated. In other cases, the treatment can be arranged in different ways depending on the type and severity of the person's acne. The physician may prescribe different types of medications for acne treatment, such as topical retinoids, antibiotics, azelaic acid, isotretinoin tablets, and systemic retinoids.
Can recommend cleansing products suitable for the skin type and skin pH of the person for skin cleansing as well as the use of drugs. Improvement in acne treatment is seen a few months after treatment is started. Therefore, the given drugs should be used in the dose and duration recommended by the physician. For acne treatment, it can be applied in different minor surgical procedures such as steroid injection into the lesion.
What Can Be Done for Acne Spots?
After the acne treatment, the depth of the acne's settlement in the skin and the skin Depending on the color of the skin, spots of varying intensity may remain. Skin spots are more prominent especially in people with white skin. These spots heal in about 6 months on dark skin. It is recommended to use sun oil with a high protection factor (50+) and to protect the skin from the sun, regardless of the season, so that the spots can disappear more easily.
Do Pimple Scars Go away? What's Good for Acne Scars?
Deep-seated or popped pimples leave scars as they heal. Different laser methods can be used to get rid of these scars. The type of laser treatment should be decided according to the skin color and lesions of the person and should be applied under the supervision of a specialist.
The most effective treatment for the removal of acne scars is with fractional laser. In this method ci Under the lt, the damaged connective tissue (collagen) is destroyed and fresh collagen is formed. After this procedure, the stem cells in the skin are activated and the epithelial cover is renewed with the help of new epithelial cells.
Chemical peeling method can be used in the treatment of more superficial acne scars. The aim here is to peel the top layer of the skin with chemicals of different strengths and to flatten the pit caused by the acne scar over time. This method is also used as part of routine skin care. After chemical peeling, the underlying fresh, bright and smooth skin is revealed. However, it is necessary to protect this skin layer, which encounters the external environment for the first time, from the sun.
Slight redness, peeling and flaking may occur due to chemical application. The skin should be well moisturized and the chemicals should be decided by experts. It should always be kept in mind that chemicals can cause skin allergies.
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