Acne Pimples
- Acne is a skin condition where the oil glands that are present at the base of your hair follicles get blocked due to excess oil and dead skin.
- Acne is very common and normally called pimples or ‘zits’ . The most commonly occurring acne is called ‘acne vulgaris’.
- Mainly found on face, neck and back.
- These may be whiteheads, blackheads and also inflamed pus-filled spots.
- There are many acne treatment options from oral medication to laser acne treatments to peels.
- Many people affected by acne feel distressed, embarrassed and deeply hassled about it. Over-the-counter topical products may help for treating acne. If not, you must consult with your physician about acne treatments.
Who can be affected by acne & pimples?
- Acne is commonly seen in the teenagers but older people can also get it.
- Men and women, who may not have been affected by acne in their teens, are affected by it during their late twenties-thirties. This is called ‘ adult onset acne’.
- Even children and babies seem to be affected by it. Heredity contributes greatly to acne.
How acne occurs?
- Skins types can be dry, oily, combination type or sensitive.
- Generally, with the onset of puberty, hormonal changes increase oil (sebum) secretion. When excess oil and dead cells clog the pores in the skin, acne occurs.
- Blackheads, whiteheads, papules, pustules or cysts form which can scar the skin. Many a time pus-filled pimples and inflamed cysts can be very painful, hot and very tender. They may leave scars and need acne treatment.
What causes acne?
- Acne happens because of the excessive reaction of sebaceous glands to increased levels of hormones – especially testosterone. The extra sebum blocks the pores around hair follicles.
- The dead skin cells which otherwise come to the surface of the pores routinely for shedding, get trapped inside the pores. A mixture of excess sebum and dead cell tissues block the pores and spots are formed in the form of whiteheads and blackheads.
Role of hormones
The number of instances where hormonal imbalance can cause this –
- During puberty, the hormone levels – especially testosterone levels are higher and excess sebum causes acne.
- Many women suffer from an acne attack just prior to their menstrual periods.
- Some women get this during early pregnancy.
- Stress causes excessive production of hormone called cortisol causing more sebum.
Blocked pores & bacteria
The Propionibacterium acnes – known as acne bacteria exist in everyone’s skin – with or without acne. But when blocked/clogged pores have excess sebum build-up along with dead cells, this becomes an ideal bed for the multiplication of the bacteria causing pus-filled spots, inflammation, swelling and pimples.
-Blocked pores can be easily unblocked with a wide variety of acne treatments like exfoliation, extraction, skin care routine etc.
Other related causes
Hereditary
– Acne runs in families but can be random and due to a number of other reasons too.
Age related
– During teenage years, in late twenties and early thirties as adult acne and even new-born babies suffer from this condition.
Medicinal side effects
– Medications like lithium, estrogen, phenytoin and corticosteroids can cause acne.
Medical conditions
–Acne can be caused by endocrine-related conditions like Cushing’s syndrome or Polycystic ovary syndrome.
Weather
– High humidity levels in coastal cities and excessive sweating can lead to breakouts.
Food Intake
– Chocolates, nuts and oily food intake are not clearly proven to cause acne, but food with high glycaemic index, refined sugars and dairy products may cause an acne attack.
What triggers acne?
The following triggers can precipitate an attack of acne.
- Hormonal changes connected with menstrual periods, birth-control tablets, pregnancy & stress
- Greasy/oily hair-care and cosmetic products
- Sweating
- Hot, humid climate
- Air pollution in large cities
- Some medications
Types of acne
There are commonly six types of lesions as below
- Blackheads– Caused by small-size black or yellowish pimples.
- Whiteheads– Acne spots which are firmer with a white center.
- Cysts– Large size pus filled lesions resembling boils – almost always cause scars and quite painful.
- Papules– Tiny pimples looking red and feel sore/tender.
- Pustules– Bumps with pus filled center with a white head like tip.
- Nodules– Painful and bigger, lumpy spots developing under the skin and hard to feel.
What are the side effects of acne?
-Though acne is not a life threatening condition, it has far reaching impact because of the very physical manifestations. The pimples and cysts even after healing leave scars not just on the skin but deep down psychologically also.
-This skin condition can cause
- Low self-confidence and little self-esteem.
- Depression leading to social isolation and suicidal tendency.
- Pigmentation, dark spots, coarse skin.
- Scars, pitting and craters.
Treatment options for Acne
Depending on the severity and history, your dermatologist will determine what treatment will work best for you. They may be
Systemic and topical acne treatments
- Hormonal acne treatment therapies– These help control testosterone which triggers excess sebum
- Retinoids– This is anti-inflammatory, reduces sebum production, fights acne bacteria, clears epidermis and helps you get rid of acne.
- Antibiotics
- Benzoyl peroxide etc.
Cosmetic treatments for acne removal
- Chemical peeling– The skin’s appearance can be enhanced with the help of chemical peels. For active lesions we use in our Reborn clinic a salicyclic peel or an azelaic acid peel treatment which helps the active acne to settle and prevent from giving marks and scars.
- Microdermabrasion– Our dermatologist in Reborn, will use a unique device to lightly scrub your facial skin to create a path for fresh, smoother layer of skin to restore the skin that’s been treated. In Microdermabrasion, fine exfoliating crystals are spattered on the skin. Its basically an exfoliation treatment which rejuvenates the facial skin and works best on conditions such as brown spots, dull skin and age spots.
- Intense pulsed light therapy– Laser or Light therapy treatment is a non-invasive procedure that uses light energy to repair and regenerate damaged skin. This procedure has various benefits like getting rid of acne, improved immune response, reduced inflammation, improved circulation and many more.
- Intralesional injection into nodulocustic acne.
For a comprehensive acne plan, book an appointment with the best skin specialist in Zirakpur Dr. Monika Kucheria. Our dermatologist will do a detailed examination of your condition and understand the root causes for your acne.
We might recommend you to do some blood tests to further investigate the condition. Based on this we will give a comprehensive prescription including medications, products and treatments will be given to get rid of acne.
Acne Skin care tips
Keep the skin clean:
- Wash your face twice daily and after exercise, with a glycolic acid and salicylic acid containing facewash.
- Use cold/ lukewarm and not very hot water.
Be gentle on the skin
- Avoid scrubbing the skin specifically the over the pimples.
- Avoid irritating the skin.
- Avoid touching your face, or pimples.
- Use fingertips while cleansing.
- Stay away from direct sun.
Use appropriate cosmetics for treating acne
- Use gentle, non-drying non-abrasive cleansers.
- Use non-comedogenic water-based creams.
- Use alcohol-free cosmetics specifically on your pimples.
- Avoid oil-rich cosmetics/creams and hair products.
- Avoid exfoliants, toners and astringents that irritate the skin.
Keep hair clean:
- Shampoo regularly if you have oily hair.
- Keep hair free of dandruff.
- Keep hair away from your face.
Acne can psychologically impair with physical scarring and social isolation, but with correct and methodical acne treatment, it can be controlled and cleared successfully.
Hence when your acne makes you feel unhappy, shy and self-conscious, it is time to seek medical attention.
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Once the follicular units are harvested, the subsequent steps are essentially the same in both FUT and FUE. Hundreds to thousands of sites (needle-sized holes) are made in the recipient area to plant the grafts. After the sites are made, the tiny follicular unit grafts are placed into them – a step that can take several hours or longer.
Improvements in technology and technique have made follicular unit extraction (FUE) a procedure more popular than strip harvesting(FUT) for obtaining donor hair. FUE is stitchless procedure in which there is no linear scarring as compare to FUT.
Answer: Hair transplantation is really about relocating (transplanting) the bald resistant hair follicles from the back of the head to the balding areas on the top of the head. This process works for a lifetime because the hair follicles taken from the back of the head are genetically resistant to baldness, regardless of where they are relocated to.
Answer: Hair transplantation, when done right, can be so natural that even your hair stylist will not know that you’ve had it done. But the skill and techniques of hair transplant surgeons does vary widely, as do their results. It’s important to choose the right procedure and clinic to assure that you will get completely natural results.
Answer: A typical session of between 1,500 to 3,000 grafts normally involves a 4-8hrs of surgery on an out patient basis. Most patients will arrive in the morning and will have their procedure completed by late afternoon or by evening depending on the number of grafts.
Answer: Patients are given local anesthesia in the donor and the recipient areas. Most patients find that once the anesthesia is given that they feel no pain or discomfort during the surgery. Following surgery patients may feel some amount of soreness and numbness, with some mild discomfort. Most patients are pleasantly surprised by how minimal the discomfort from the surgical procedure is.
Answer: The amount of grafts you will need ultimately depends on your degree of hair loss, now and in the future, and on how full you desire your hair to be.
Answer: With today’s very refined micro hair transplantation procedure the punches are very small and less invasive than past procedures. This results in more rapid healing. Most patients feel fine within a day or two following surgery. The donor area heals in 48 hours. Because of the scabs for although some numbness and mild soreness can be expected for several days following surgery.
Answer: Normally it takes between three to five months following surgery before the transplanted hair follicles begin to grow new hair. The transplanted hair grows in very thin initially and gradually grows thicker and fuller over time. Most of the patients are happy at the end of five months but improvement occurs till one year.
Answer: Since the hair follicles that are transplanted to the balding areas are genetically resistant to going bald, they will continue to grow for a life – just as if they had been left in the bald resistant donor area.