What Is Acne Care?
Acne is caused by clogged hair follicles. Oil, dirt, and dead skin cells on the surface of the skin can clog pores and trigger acne. Acne treatments work actively by helping to clear bacteria and reduce excess oil production that causes acne.
Acne care or acne treatment can be in the form of using natural ingredients, topical, oral medications, and medical procedures. Acne treatment depends on the condition of the facial skin. If the severity of acne is mild to moderate, treatment can be easier.
However, if you have cystic or inflammatory acne, treatments for those conditions can vary. Your doctor or dermatologist can help you figure out what type of acne you have.
The Purpose of Acne Care
Acne treatment or acne care is done with the aim of helping to eliminate acne completely. In addition, this treatment helps acne to be treated with the right treatment, according to the type of acne and the patient’s condition (such as children and pregnant women), reducing the risk of inflammation, and avoiding the bad habit of squeezing acne.
Benefits of Acne Care
There are several benefits that you can get by doing proper acne care, namely:
1. Get faster results
Acne treatment does take time, regardless of whether it is intended to treat mild or severe acne. However, doing acne treatment at a beauty clinic will provide faster results, compared to doing treatment independently at home.
2. Reduces the risk of scars appearing
Treating acne early can prevent acne scars from appearing on the face. The more severe the acne, the greater the likelihood of scars appearing. Severe acne has a greater risk of leaving scars, while mild acne can leave scars when you squeeze it. Treating acne properly also prevents the habit of squeezing acne, so the risk of experiencing acne scars can be avoided.
3. Prevent acne from getting worse
Early treatment can prevent acne from developing into blackheads, whiteheads, and more painful, inflamed pimples.
4. Avoid the risk of acne appearing in the future
Acne can occur at a young age, between 7-12 years old. Treating acne early and controlling it can prevent acne from coming back in the future. In fact, in some adults, acne can persist into their 30s, 40s, and even 50s or 60s.
Take note, here are 7 simple and effective ways to get rid of acne that keeps growing.
5. Reduce the use of stronger acne medications.
When acne becomes severe, you may need stronger medications to help clear it up. Unfortunately, many of these medications have more potential side effects and require close monitoring by a dermatologist. Treating acne early can help reduce this risk.
When Should You Do Acne Care?
If self-treatment at home does not succeed in eliminating acne or makes acne worse (such as inflammation or irritation), immediately seek treatment from a dermatologist or beauty doctor.
For most women, acne can persist for some time, usually getting worse the week before menstruation. This type of acne tends to clear up without treatment in women who use birth control.
Meanwhile, in older adults, the sudden onset of severe acne may signal an underlying disease that requires medical attention.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that over-the-counter use of some popular acne lotions, cleansers and other skin products can trigger serious reactions for sensitive skin, including redness, irritation, itching and swelling.
Acne Care Procedure
The acne treatment procedure you need to do depends on the severity of the acne that appears. Some of them are:
1. Mild acne
Mild acne can be treated by using creams, facial cleansers or skin care products that are specially formulated for acne. In addition, you can use over-the-counter acne medication. The common ingredients that are usually found in facial care products for acne are:
- Benzoyl peroxide. This ingredient helps dry out existing pimples, prevents new ones from forming, and kills acne-causing bacteria.
- Salicylic acid. This ingredient helps exfoliate the skin to prevent pores from becoming clogged by acne-causing bacteria.
2. Moderate acne
If your acne hasn’t cleared up after using over-the-counter acne medications for a few weeks, you may want to consider seeking treatment from a beauty expert or dermatologist.
Your doctor will prescribe medications that can help reduce symptoms and prevent scarring. If you have moderate acne, your dermatologist may recommend:
- Benzoyl peroxide by prescription.
- Antibiotics, such as erythromycin or clindamycin.
- Retinoids, such as retinol.
In some cases, your doctor may also recommend taking oral antibiotics or hormonal contraceptives to help treat acne.
Typically, you should only use antibiotics for a short time, so that your body doesn’t build up resistance and become more susceptible to infection.
3. Severe acne
Meanwhile, for severe cases of acne, a dermatologist may recommend one or a combination of the following treatment options:
- Oral and topical antibiotics.
- Benzoyl peroxide.
- Topical retinoids
Your doctor may also suggest oral isotretinoin or accutane. These are types of vitamin A that are used to treat certain cases of severe nodular acne. However, they can cause serious side effects, and doctors usually only prescribe them when other treatments haven’t worked.
4. Medical treatment
Dermatologists may also recommend medical procedures to treat severe forms of acne and prevent scarring. These procedures work by removing damaged skin and reducing oil production, including:
- Photodynamic therapy. This procedure uses medication and special light or lasers to reduce oil production and bacteria. Other laser treatments can also help improve acne and scarring.
- Dermabrasion. This type of exfoliation removes the top layer of skin using a rotating brush. This procedure works best for treating acne scarring, not acne itself. Microdermabrasion, on the other hand, is a gentle treatment that helps remove dead skin cells.
- Chemical peels. This treatment removes the top layer of skin to reveal less damaged skin underneath. The procedure is done with the aim of improving mild acne scarring.
- Cortisone injections. These injections can help reduce inflammation and speed healing. Cortisone is usually used in conjunction with other acne treatments, especially for acne involving large cysts.
5. Home care
Some natural ingredients are believed to have properties to eliminate acne. However, these treatments do not always work, some can even cause acne to become inflamed and irritated. These ingredients include:
- Tea tree oil.
- Aloe vera.
- Honey mask.
- Green tea.
Also, avoid touching your face with dirty hands and squeezing pimples. This will make scarring more likely and can spread bacteria and excess oil.
6. Acne treatment during pregnancy
Pregnant women also often experience acne skin conditions. Unfortunately, acne treatment options during pregnancy are very limited. Because some drugs, such as topical retinoids, isotretinoin, and tetracycline are category C drugs, which are dangerous for the fetus. Keep in mind that pregnant women should avoid these three ingredients.
Acne products that are safe to use during pregnancy are products that contain benzoyl peroxide. In addition, pregnant women can also do facial skin care at a beauty clinic. Ask your doctor what beauty treatments are allowed during pregnancy. Some beauty clinics also have safe treatment options for pregnant women.
Places to Do Acne Treatment
You can get acne treatment at a beauty clinic. Make sure the treatment is only done by a dermatologist who has experience in the field, to avoid serious side effects after treatment.