Dr. Sruthi Gondi, Founder and Managing Director, Science of Skin, Hyderabad.

TEENS AND ACNE

Myths about acne are as common as the skin problems. One among them is that you have to let acne run its course but dermatologists know this isn’t the best advice for anyone as many effective treatments are available. Some people suffer from acne through their teenage which continue even in adulthood while others get adult-onset acne around mid-twenties.It is speculated that the culprit may be an underlying hormonal condition, poly-cystic ovarian syndrome. If you have adult-onset acne and one or more of the symptoms like weight gain, excessive and thick facial hair, thinning of scalp hair and irregular periods, then quickly get yourself evaluated by a dermatologist.

Acne generally occurs on the face, neck, shoulders, chest, shoulders and upper arms. One of the reasons of acne today is the buildup of bad bacteria. Acne shows up on the skin as whiteheads, blackheads and pus-filled pustules. Hormonal influences like androgen’s and genetic factors play a major role in the evolution of acne. Eating chocolates and fatty foods do not cause acne, however greasy cosmetics, facials, massages and stress can flare it up. Make sure you remove your makeup completely and use non-comedogenic products only. Do not prick, squeeze or pop pimples. Prompt treatments are necessary as they leave disfiguring scars.

Causes of Acne:

There is not a single factor that leads to acne. There are some reasons behind it. It usually appears on the areas of skin which have the most oil glands like face, chest, forehead, shoulders and upper back. Hair follicles are connected to the oil glands.

The four main factors that cause acne:

Hair follicles clogged by oil and dead skin cells·

Excess oil production·

Excess activity of a type of hormone (androgen·’s)

Bacteria·

Sometimes the follicle wall can bulge and form a whitehead or the plug opens to the surface causing resulting as blackheads. Blackheads look like dirt that is stuck in pores but actually it is bacteria and oil which eventually turns brown when exposed to air. All the other pores in the skin are generally the openings of sweat glands and are not usually involved in it. Some other factors that can trigger acne:

 Hormones –· There are hormones called androgen’s that generally increase during puberty in both girls and boys and enlarge the sebaceous glands which generate more serum. Some hormonal changes which are related to the use of oral contraceptives and pregnancy can also affect the sebum

production.

 Diet –· It’s also said that some food like carbohydrate-rich foods — such as bread, bagels and chips, chocolate and skim milk can increase acne, though this is not proven.

 Medications –· Certain drugs which contain corticosteroids, lithium and testosterone can also increase acne.

 Stress –· Stress is the major factor that can worsen the acne.

Remedies:

According to Dr. Sruthi Gondi, Founder and Managing Director- Science of Skin -Treatment is customized for each individual by our dermatologists at Science of Skin Clinics depending on the age, cause and severity of acne. Acne is treated in two phases-

Induction phase (To get rid of acne)·

Maintenance phase (To suppress them and prevent relapse)·

Timely treatment of acne in teens prevents disfiguring scars which may scar the psyche for life. At SOS, acne control peels are administered by certified skin therapists under the supervision of experienced dermatologists. Salicylic peels are used which unclog the blocked pores. It restores the clarity of the skin and makes it glow while reducing existing acne and preventing new ones. For those who are suffering from mild acne and post-acne pigmentation, a combination of glycolic and salicylic peels are done. These peels are done at fortnightly intervals; the number of sessions required would depend on the extent of acne and

pigmentation. For severe acne, oral antibiotics are co-prescribed. If hormonal imbalance is detected, oral contraceptive pills and anti- androgens are co-prescribed and holistic solution is delivered.