iRA Clinic

Acne

Skin Care

Acne

Acne is a medical condition which is curable; the condition needs to be addressed with medications both oral and topical to prevent scarring. Its personal and social impact also needs to be discussed with the patient .it is a chronic disorder of the sebaceous (oil) glands leading to increased sebum (oil) production.

Causes of acne include :Increased Seborrhoea (oil production by glands),High bacterial load on skin,Clogging of oil glands by dirt /pollution,Hereditary and Hormonal influence (increased male hormone levels).Commonly found inTeenagers and Some adults Common sites of acne include Face, back and chest (all areas rich in oil glands) Acne manifests in the form of lesions like Comedones (blackheads and whiteheads),Papules,Pustules (pus-filled lesions),Nodules and Cysts. Damages acne causes Pigmentation, Scars and Affects psychologically or hampers the self esteem. Triggers that worsen acne include Oil based make-up,In girls, menstruation,Hard Scrubbing,Fatty or fried food,Stress (which results in hormonal changes and hence acne),Hormonal pills in women and Protein supplements   How to treat acne?

  • Acne treatments work by reducing oil production, speeding up skin cell turnover, fighting bacterial infection and reducing the inflammation or by doing all four. The treatment of acne starts with routine skin care. Cleansing - Using a good cleanser is the first step in the treatment of acne.
 
  • A cleanser containing alpha-hydroxy acids or beta-hydroxy acids helps remove the oil and dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, preventing the physical blockage of pores and thus acne.
 
  • Benzoyl peroxide is a good product for reducing active acne lesions and also has anti-inflammatory properties.
 
  • Topical medications - Topical medications in the forms of cream, gel, lotion, or solution are often prescribed to treat acne. Some of them are Benzoyl peroxide- Kills the bacteria (P. Acnes)
  • Tretinoin - Stops the development of new acne lesions (Comedones) and encourages cell turnover, unplugging pimples.
  • Adapalene- Decreases Comedones formation
  • Systemic medications to treat acne – Depending on the type of acne various systemic drugs can be prescribed.
  • Antibiotics
  • Systemic Retinoid like – Isotretinoin
  • (Note – All the drugs are to be taken only after the advice of a registered medical practitioner)
  Acne scar treatments at iRA Clinic
  • Chemical Peel -This involves application of a medicated gel solution that decreases new acne formation, oil gland activity and acne blemishes. It also helps in resurfacing acne scars. Chemical Peel requires neither actual peeling nor downtime, and is painless.
 
  • Dermaroller –This is a micro-medical needling procedure that stimulates the skin to regenerate and repair itself naturally; eventually creating a smoother, brighter skin and reduced post – acne blemishes and scarring.
 
  • Skin Polishing (Microdermabrasion) –It is a procedure that uses ultraclean crystals to remove the superficial dead layer of skin, causing a decrease in blemishes and helping in scar resurfacing.

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