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ACNE

Acne is a common chronic disorder that affects the hair follicle and sebaceous gland of the skin. In acne-prone skin, there is a blockage of the follicles that results in inflammation. There are several variants of acne. Acne is medically known as Acne Vulgaris.

Acne props up most commonly in adolescence and often continues into adulthood. In teenage acne is usually caused by an increase in testosterone, which build-up during puberty, regardless of sex. 

Causes of Acne disease:

Acne is caused by a bacterium known as Propionibacterium Acnes (P. Acnes) that releases an enzyme that breakdowns the sebum into fatty acids and cause inflammatory lesions. There are many factors that aid the formation of Acne:

• Some medications like steroids, androgen and lithium, can cause acne
• Genetic Susceptibility of a person increases to develop acne during a lifetime if he or she has
a family history of this condition 
• Hormonal changes in an adolescent lead to the increase in the release of hormones.
Androgen is a hormone that affects the oil glands in the skin, face, neck and back. They 
stimulate the gland to produce more oil. Excessive sebum can break down the cellular walls in 
your pores, causing bacteria to grow and cause lesions.
• Other factors such as an eruption of acne may take place two or three days before the start
of the menstrual period. Stress and pressure from helmets or tight collars can also cause acne

Signs and Symptoms:

• Open and closed uninflamed pimples (blackheads and whiteheads)
• Formation of nodules and pseudocysts
• Inflamed papules and pustules
• Post-inflammatory erythematous 
• Pigmented macules and scars
• Adverse social and psychological effects 

Adverse effects of the problem:

Acne has various emotional problems associated with it as sometimes acne can leave scars on the face that can downside the confidence of a person.

The person who is suffering from acne for a long time can face several problems like:

• Low self-esteem 
• Relationship building problems
• Dilemma at work or school

Similarly, some patient may go into depression or may hint some behavioral changes due to depression like:

• Wakefulness 
• Loss of hunger
• Weariness 
• Feelings of shamefulness
• Mood disorder 
• Impulsive crying 
• Behavioral troubles 

Acne is a very difficult phase for the teenagers as they relate the physical appearance of their confidence and acne makes them feel terrible about their appearance. One should not get disheartened like this and remember that acne is very much treatable with the OTC medicines and various prescription drugs that are now available online also. Now, you can buy acne products online through various trusted web sites.

Preventive measures:

As a preventive measure you should try to establish a daily skin-care regimen, which includes:

• Cleansing and toning your face regularly
• Using skin and hair friendly protective products
• Do not scrub the skin when cleansing
• Always wash your face and skin after sweating
• Minimize the dryness by properly moisturizing the skin 
• Use limited amount of makeup

Common Acne medicines:

Following drugs to treat acne are available online at our site you can order the medicines and avail the periodic offers, if lucky:

• Tazret gel
• Finacea gel 
• Aziderm cream
• Retino A cream
• Supatret gel etc. 

Myths and facts:

• MYTH: Diet has nothing to do with acne

Fact: diet plays a very important role in acne outbursts. People who ate more sugary foods, dairy stuff, and unhealthy fats, as well as less fish, were more likely to have moderate to ruthless acne.

• MYTH: blackheads are dirt in the pores: 

Fact: Actually blackheads have nothing to do with dirt. These are the pores that are blocked due to the oil, skin debris and proteins. Dirt is not the part of the things that clog the skin pores made to push out the excess of oil and debris out of the skin.

Diagnosis of Acne:

A dermatologist carries out the acne diagnosis who first examines the skin to make sure that you have acne because several other conditions are there which look like acne. Several techniques used by dermatologist use to identify the presence of the bacteria causing acne are: 

• Pillsbury scale 
• Cook's acne grading scale
• Leeds acne grading technique

Treatment for Acne:

Drugs for mild conditions:

Over the counter, (OTC) drugs are available in the market that can be brought without the prescription. They help in cleaning and drying up of oily skin. They are present in many forms such as gels, creams and lotions. For the oily skin, an alcoholic base gels help in drying. Some of the OTC drugs are as follows:

• Resorcinol that removes blackheads and whiteheads. 
• Benzyl peroxide is antibacterial in action and slows the production of excess sebum. It sheds off the dead skin and clean the skin pores and don’t allow the bacteria to accumulate
• Azelaic Acid reduces inflammation by wiping away the free radicals and reduces bacteria growth. It is indicated in melasma and acne spots 
• Tretinoin acts as peeling agent and increases the skin turn over

Drugs for severe conditions

They are employed by the dermatologists after doing deep analysis of your skin condition. Drugs that are given in critical conditions are oral and topical antibiotics, corticosteroid injections and isotretinoin.

• Oral and topical antibiotics like Erythromycin, Doxycycline and Clindamycin act by inhibiting
the skin pore blocking the activity of P.acne bacteria and reduce inflammation. Oral antibiotics are administered for six months
• Oral contraceptives like Norgestimate and Ethinyl Estradiol decreases the raised androgen level in the body and combats the excessive production of sebum
• Retinoids like Isotretinoin helps in unblocking of pores and prevents the further acne formation. It is given in deep cystic acne or acne that doesn’t respond to the treatment. This drug causes some adverse effects, so there is a need of close monitoring by the skin specialist. Adapalene is a third generation retinoid is the approved USDA medicine for the treatment of mild to moderate acne
• Corticosteroid injection is given when there is bursting of acne that may result in scarring. It will lower the inflammation and speeds up healing process

Other treatment options:

Scar treatment is done by the dermatologist to eliminate the unwanted scars on the face left by Acne. Common procedures are chemical peeling, dermabrasion, laser light treatment and skin surgeries. Along with this, one can avoid and control acne by doing following self-care strategies.

Steps to improve the health:

Along with this, one can avoid and control acne by doing following self-care strategies:

• Wash your face routinely twice a day using a gentle cleanser 
• Avoid touching your face again & again and wash your hands frequently
• Stress can release hormones that can increase the release of more oil into the skin. 
• Don't squeeze, pick, scratch, or rub your skin as it can lead to scarring
• Avoid wearing tight clothes or hats and keep yourself dirt free
• Avoid oil and greasy creams that can increase the oil secretion. Use water based or non-comedogenic products
• Regular follow up with your dermatologist and keep the record of all the past and present medications.

Important things to know:

Acne is a manageable condition, and the aim of the treatment is to reduce inflammation and keeping pores oil and dirt free. One can buy several OTC (over the counter) drugs and Prescription pills online from various reputed sites.