Everybody deals with Acne and breakouts at some point in their lives. It can happen when we are teenagers, adults or during periods of hormonal shifts throughout different stages of life. But for some, it can be a life-long battle which consists mainly of trying to achieve and maintain clear, healthy-looking skin. Acne and breakouts can affect people in different ways, not just leaving you with unhealthy and uneven looking skin but can have a significant and negative effect on your self-esteem, your self-confidence and even your social life.
Acne is defined as a disorder of the skin caused by inflammation of the glands located within the skin and hair follicles. It can occur when hair follicles become clogged with dead cells, oil and bacteria or due to excessive hormone production. Congestion in your skin leads to annoying and ugly blemishes, such as:
- BLACKHEADS – APPEAR ON THE FACE/BODY IN THE FOLLICLE AS A DARK OR BLACK SPOT
- WHITEHEADS – A CLOGGED PORE WITH PUS (CLOSED BY A THIN LAYER OF SKIN)
- PAPULES – SMALL, RED, TENDER BUMBS
- NODULES – LARGE, SOLID, PAINFUL LUMPS BENEATH THE SKIN SURFACE WITH NO IDENTIFIABLE HEAD
- CYSTIC LESIONS – PAINFUL, PUS-FILLED LUMPS BENEATH THE SKIN SURFACE
So… what are the options for treating this annoying and stressful skin condition? For severe cases, your doctor may prescribe medications, usually antibiotics, to help with your acneic skin and frequent breakouts, like a strong retinol. However, retinols do cause to the skin to get dry and also peel, so staying away from direct sunlight and using sunscreen is a must!
