Acne – The Causes and Solutions

Posted on 07 Oct, 2015

Acne is a common skin condition that affects most people at some point in their life, and while many people believe it is something only experienced by teenagers as they go through puberty acne can affect adults too.

Acne causes spots to rise on the skin and while it is most common to associate acne with spots on the face, they can also appear on the back, chest arms and legs – in fact acne can pop up on just about any part of the body. These spots can appear as black heads or white heads can be more severe with inflamed cysts and pustules. This severe form of acne is what often leads to long term scarring. So what is Acne – The Causes and Solutions

What Causes Acne?

Acne is caused when the hair follicles become blocked. Hair follicles are tiny holes in the skin that individual hairs grow out of. Attached to these follicles are sebaceous glands, which are found close to the surface of the skin. Sebaceous glands keep the skin and hair moisturised and stop them drying out and they do this by producing an oily substance call sebum.

In cases of acne, the sebaceous glands produce too much sebum, which then mixes with dead skin cells and clogs up the follicles. If the blocked follicle is close to the skin it will either bulge outwards, forming a whitehead, or if the follicle is open this sebum plug will form a black head. In cases of server acne, the sebum reacts with the usually harmless bacteria on the skin causing the follicle to become infected and inflamed leading to the development of cysts or pustules.

There is a reason why acne is associated with puberty and this is because it is most commonly linked to the change in hormones experienced during this time. However, acne can occur at any time in a person’s life. The sebaceous glands are particularly sensitive to changes in hormone levels and increased levels of certain hormones will make them produce more sebum.

Acne has also been found to run in families – if your parents had acne then you are more likely to develop it too. Other factors, which can cause acne, include smoking, increased cosmetic use, regularly wearing items that will put pressure on the affected area (such as headbands or backpacks), and certain medications can cause acne as a side effect. High levels of stress have also been linked to acne breakouts.

Treatments For Acne

There are a wide variety of treatments for acne, from medication to face creams, but finding the right one for you often takes several attempts.

Severe acne on the back and chest is often treated with antibiotics from your GP as these areas can develop into a big problem if left untreated. The antibiotics will clear up the infections within the follicles and reduce the amount of spots.

A dermatologist may recommend a course of exfoliators and cleansers to clear out the pores. A gel is also often prescribed to help reduce the inflammation acne spots can cause.

There are several medications available to treat acne however most of these come with nasty side effects. These can include:

  • Thinning of the hair
  • Hair loss
  • Dry skin and lips
  • Weight gain
  • Personality changes
  • Mood swings

Laser Treatment

Marine fluid laser treatment is a new and innovative acne treatment which works with the skin to get rid of the bacteria causing acne and help improve rejuvenation and elasticity of the skin. Combining effective and kind cleansing and exfoliating skin products with a high intensity light beam, this treatment method attacks acne in two ways. The exfoliation process prepares the skin and helps to open up the follicles and the laser is then applied to the skin surface, which targets and destroys the acne-causing bacteria without harming the skin tissue. The laser treatment also encourages the active skin metabolism to help heal the acne site, improving the skin’s appearance dramatically.

This same treatment can also be applied to acne scars to help improve the appearance of unsightly blemishes. Severe acne can leave large noticeable pit-like scars, especially if the spots have been picked at. Marine Boost laser treatment can eradicate the evidence of past acne breakouts and give the skin an even and healthy appearance by encouraging skin cell renewal and skin elasticity.

Confidence Boosting Treatment

Suffering from acne can be emotionally debilitating, as sufferers often feel ashamed of how they look and therefore self-esteem and confidence levels drop dramatically. Many people who have had acne report isolating themselves as they felt too embarrassed to go out during particularly bad outbreak, so laser treatment for acne can revolutionise how individuals feel about themselves, giving a newfound confidence as they begin to see the effects after only a few treatments.