One of the most common chronic health issues that people across all age groups struggle with is - Acne. Whilst a fair percentage of the population deals with acne as a teenage woe, there is an increasing trend in people getting acne on the other side of 30s -- especially among women. Sometimes it can seem like a unending battle, but with the right regime, you can learn to calm your breakouts and reduce the scarring significantly. Disciple and knowledge are power when it comes to acne, so understanding what causes acne and what triggers acne is essential.
What Causes It:
To put it simply, pimples appear when the oil glands (pores) in the skin get blocked.
Hormones make the oil glands produce more oil (sebum) and if a pore becomes blocked, the oil builds up and causes irritation. Bacteria multiply quickly in these blocked pores, which can make the redness, swelling and tenderness of pimples worse. It’s really important to be able to identify the type of pimple you’re experiencing because different treatment is necessary for each.
Types of Acne:
Whiteheads
They are exactly what they sound like: Little packs of buildup that sit on top of your skin. Sebum and dead skin cells in one tiny, white package. Medically, a whitehead can be called a closed comedo. (All types of pimples start as comedones.) Yes, whiteheads count as pimples, and they frequently show up on oilier skin types. They can pretty easily be combated with chemical exfoliation and thorough cleansing of the skin.
Blackheads
Blackheads are plugs of sebum, skin cell buildup, and bacteria. Kind of like whiteheads. Only, in the case of a blackhead, the comedo is open and the oil has oxidized, making it a darker color. You'll treat these similarly to whiteheads, though—regular, thorough cleansing and chemical exfoliation. Other products like clay masks can help, and if you're extra prone to blackheads, try making sure all the products you use are non-comedogenic.
Papules
A papule is technically any small, raised bump on the skin. It's often part of a grouping of other papules that form a rash (i.e. dermatatis, allergic reactions, eczema). In terms of acne, it's a bump that's red in color and swollen with inflammation. Papules are more painful than whiteheads or blackheads, but not as bad as nodules or cysts. You can treat them with drying lotions or spot treatments; they respond pretty well to ingredients like BPO.
Pustules
A pustule is what you're most likely to think of when you picture a pimple. It's a zit that has come to a head, forming a white, pus-filled bubble on top. Quite gross frankly. These are the kinds of pimples even your facialist will say you can pop. They should come easily, meaning popping them is unlikely to leave you with a scar. But try to resist that urge still.
Cysts
Let us start by saying, cysts are much worse than regular pimples! They lie deep within the skin, are often caused by hormones, and occur when the pores become blocked and lead to infection. This is what makes them so painful and slow to heal. There is no quick fix to this kind of acne. All you can do is keep the area clean, chemically exfoliate, and improve your diet (get the right hormonal balance). If you get regularly occurring cystic acne, retin-A and other more serious treatments can help.
Nodules
Like cysts, nodular pimples are one of the most severe forms of acne. They're slightly different in that they are not filled with pus like cystic pimples are. Instead, they form a hard bump deep within the skin and feel painful at the surface. Nodules don't always become red—they can match your skin tone—but can take weeks to go away. Nodular acne usually needs pretty intensive treatments like antibiotics and other oral medications, so visiting the dermatologist is probably your best bet to finding a solution.
Skincare Regimen:
Step 1: Cleanse
The first step to a good regime is gentle cleansing, both in the morning and evening, as it’ll relieve oiliness. This will also help unclog your pores and lower the chances of flare-ups. Using the right cleanser is extra important; a gel or foam cleanser is ideal for oily and acne-prone skin as they’ll clean deep into pores without leaving any residue.
Morning: Use a foam or gel cleanser and look for products with antibacterial ingredients like tea tree or honey as they’ll help reduce acne bacteria in the skin.
Evening: Always double cleanse to ensure you’ve removed all traces of makeup as well as any dirt, bacteria or pollution from your skin. As a first step, cleansing oils are a good option, as the oil will mix with any excess sebum sitting on the surface of your skin and will be washed away with the cleanser.
Step 2: Tone
A good toner is essential for acne-prone skin as it’ll help minimize the appearance of pores, balance oil production and brighten and even out skin tone. Look for a toner that contains chemical exfoliants to help shed any dead skin and decongest your pores, lessening the chance of breakouts. Ingredients like salicylic acid and glycolic acid are your skincare holy grail, so keep an eye out for these.
Morning: Start your day with a soothing toner, that contains hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, aloe vera or ginseng.
Evening: At night it’s time to amp up your formula; look for potent ingredients that will wipe away any last traces of makeup and tighten your pores. Use a toner that contains AHA and is infused with glycolic acid to fight acne bacteria and reduce inflammation and swelling.
Step 3: Serum
Morning: Opt for a hydrating serum or a vitamin C formula to protect your skin, ideally one that contains Vitamin C, AHAs, hydrating hyaluronic acid to brighten and even tone.
Evening: Choose a more intense serum to clean deep into pores. Go for one that's packed with salicylic acid, purifying rose water, and antioxidants extract and antiseptic properties.
Step 4: Moisturize
One of the most common skincare myths is that if you have oily or acne-prone skin, you don’t need to moisturize, but this is SO not true! It’s possible to have dehydrated yet oily skin. In fact, the more dehydrated your skin is, the more oil it’ll produce to lubricate your skin cells. So, make sure you’re moisturizing morning and night with a lightweight formula that’s ‘non-comedogenic,’ it won’t block pores, and ‘non-acnegenic,’ which means it has been specifically tested for acne-prone skin and doesn’t contain any aggravating ingredients. Other amazing ingredients to look out for include hydrating hyaluronic acid, and salicylic acid, which will help de-clog your pores and curb breakouts.
Step 5: SPF
Another widely believed skincare myth is that sun exposure helps combat breakouts, but this is NOT true! While it can feel like the sun dries out pimples, it’s actually seriously damaging for your skin. Especially for acne-prone skin, if you’re using products containing AHAs, which make your skin more sensitive to UV rays. The sun can also make scars appear darker, so if you have acne-scarring, by wearing an SPF it’ll help your scars heal and fade more quickly than if they were exposed to the sun.