A common misconception about acne is that it’s caused by dirt. Guess what? It’s not! Well, maybe not always, but dirt does have an impact on acne. Like many things, at the end of the day acne is caused by a combination of factors. Some you can control, and some you can’; like your hormone balance and the natural pace of your skin’s renewal system. Fortunately, when it comes to acne prevention, there are a number of things we can control that may help us keep our acne in check.
Here are some hygiene and medication suggestions you can follow that may help keep your skin looking healthy and free of most acne problems.
Acne Hygiene Prevention
Tip #1 – Don’t Squeeze or Pick Your Zits: Squeezing and picking your acnes — either with fingernails, pins or anything else —forces bacteria deeper into the skin, causing greater inflammation and infection. Additionally, this will increase the damage to the surrounding skin and the blemishes are more likely to leave a permanent acne scar.
Tip #2 – Hands Off! Propionibacterium acne (bacteria that causes breakouts) is a normal resident of the skin and doesn’t cause acne breakouts until it gets trapped inside the hair follicle. Excessive rubbing or touching of the skin will drive these bacteria deep into pores where it begins the process of creating an acne breakout.
Tip #3 – Don’t Over-Wash: Excessive scrubbing and washing won’t make your acne go away. When possible limit yourself to two washings per day —more than that may turn healthy skin into dry dry, and may further irritate already acne-prone areas. Additionally, over-washing can stimulate increased oil production, which may result in increased acne breakouts.
Tip #4 – Work Out, Wash Off: Exercise movements generate heat, while clothing and equipment cause friction. Heat and moisture are thereby trapped against the skin, creating an ideal breeding ground for the creation and spreading of bacteria. Showering immediately after exercising will help prevent these “overly athletic” bacteria from getting trapped in pores and reduce the chance of an acne attack.
Tip #5 – Skip Harsh Scrubs: Exfoliate is okay, as long as, you use a gentle formula with small, smooth grains. Always try to avoid products with almond or apricot shell fragments, since these can irritate or even tear the skin and further aggravate acne.
Tip #6 – Say NO To Alcohol: Should you choose to use a toner, avoid products with high concentrations of isopropyl alcohol, or common rubbing alcohol. Alcohol is a strong astringent that strips the top layer of the skin and causes the sebaceous glands to produce more oil, which results in dry, red skin and possibly more acne blemishes.
Acne Medication
Most cases of mild acne can be improved with “over-the-counter” products, or products that don’t require a prescription from a doctor. There is a wide range of treatments available, and there’s a good chance one will work for you. Starting treatment before acne gets severe may help avoid physical and emotional problems down the road, but when acne gets worse or lasts longer than a couple of weeks it’s time to see a dermatologist.
Here’s a listing of some of the most common products used to treat acne:
• Benzoyl Peroxide: kills the bacteria that cause acne.
• Proactiv® Solution: a dermatologist formulated Combination Therapy® acne management system.
• Salicylic Acid: unclogs pores and encourages skin renewal.
• Tretinoin (Retin-A®): promotes healthy sloughing.
• Antibiotics: kills bacteria and reduces inflammation.
• Oral Contraceptives: helps regulate hormone levels.
• Anti-Androgens: inhibits the body’s production of acne-causing hormones.
• Isotretinoin (Accutane®): treatment for severe cystic or nodular acne.
Alphabet Soup of Medication and Acne Side Effects
Unfortunately a number of prescription medications are known to cause acne. Consult your physician to discuss alternative treatments, if you routinely take any of the following drugs (or drugs like them) and have problems with acne breakouts. Your physician should be able to recommend something that results in fewer side affects.
Anticonvulsants (like Dilantin) are prescribed for the treatment of epilepsy and other types of seizures. Most medications in this group list acne as a common side effect.
Disulfuram (or Antabuse) is prescribed to help chronic alcoholic patients who want to remain in a state of enforced sobriety. When mixed with alcohol, this drug causes a range of unpleasant symptoms intended to discourage further mixing. Unfortunately, regular use of Disulfuram (even when not drinking) can cause acne in some patients.
Immuran. Like other immunosuppressants, Immuran is used to suppress the immune system in patients awaiting an organ transplant. It can help prevent organ rejection; it can also suppress your body’s natural ability to fight the bacteria that cause acne.
Isoniazid (or INH) is typically used to treat tuberculosis, or TB. Thought to be largely eradicated, TB experienced resurgence in the late 1980s among the homeless population and in patients suffering from AIDS. It continues to be a problem today.
Quinine is prescribed as a precaution against — or treatment for — malaria. If you’re traveling to a part of the world where malaria is a risk, be sure to ask your doctor about alternative solutions.
Thiourea and Thiouracil are thyroid preparations used to stimulate the thyroid gland in patients with low thyroid function, and are known to trigger acne breakouts. In addition, large amounts of iodine, which also helps to regulate thyroid function, can cause acne breakouts as well.
Acne No More
Regardless of age, unsightly acne breakouts are always a source of embarrassment. In most cases acne improves and goes away over time on its own with a little tender loving care. And don’t stress out about it when simple acne hygiene prevention doesn’t’ do it for you and you have to resort to acne medication.
Everyone seems to suffer a bout of the acne blues at some point in their life, including those super models you see in magazines; only they have a team of make-up artist and Photoshop experts to cover up and prevent their acne from being seen by their millions of fans.
Rarely does acne cause any life long problems and if you’re worried about your acne, then talk to your doctor sooner rather than later. Attack your acne issues now and live a healthier, happier life in your years to come.
