acne and pimples on face

What Causes Acne?

That 4 letter word!

Yes! Acne is a 4-letter word. We hate it, it scars our skin, it’s tough to conceal with makeup, and it makes us feel unattractive.

It is estimated that about 85% of you will have a breakout at some point in your life.

We’ll discuss now the primary causes and types of acne.  The causes of acne are several, but you probably already know this. Let’s recap the main causes of acne, but from a more scientific perspective.

The main contributors to acne are:

acne on skin
  1. Sebum overproduction as a result of priming of the sebaceous glands by male androgen hormone stimulation.
  2. Changes in sebum oil quality by alterations of the sebaceous fatty acids, making the lipids more inflammatory.
  3. Retention of keratinized cells within the pore follicle leading to clogging of the pores.
  4. Inflammation resulting from P. acnes bacteria thriving within a lipid-rich, low-oxygen environment within the follicle.

Acne is worse in individuals with a genetic predisposition, and aggravating factors can include stress, hormones, diet, oily skin, and exposure to environmental toxins.

Grading of acne severity:

The severity of acne can be classified as:

types and grades of acne
  • Grade 1: Mild with comedones, occasional papules.
  • Grade 2: Moderate with papules, comedones, few pustules.
  • Grade 3: Severe with predominant pustules, nodules, abscesses.
  • Grade 4: Cystic acne with mainly cysts, abscesses, widespread scarring.

Treatment of acne:

Treatment of acne centers on:

  • Controlling the sebaceous oil glands
  • Decreasing bacterial count with antibacterial agents such as benzoyl peroxide
  • Flooding the pores with oxygen to destroy the bacteria
  • Unclogging the pores
  • Controlling inflammation with anti-inflammatory injections and oral medications like Accutane in severe and cystic acne.
  • Improving scars from severe and cystic acne.

Now that you know more about acne, the next step is knowing how to clear the discolorations. 

Your Melanopeel® Clinic is expertly trained to manage all grades of acne, including severe cystic acne.

To get more details on your skin care routine steps to clear acne, click here.

Click here to contact a clinic.

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