Why Do I Have Acne?
So you have acne... What do you do? Where do you go from here? Odds are, you’ve tried many different products, treatments, and remedies — and yet, the acne persists. So what is it? How did it get there? And how do you make it to go away? The right course of action could change from person to person because everyone’s skin is different and unique.
WHAT IS ACNE?
Acne is a condition of the skin that affects the oil glands and pores (or follicles). The follicle transports oil and dead skin to the surface and can become clogged, trapping excess dead skin and oil. Because acne bacteria feeds on oil, clogged follicles can lead to the flourishing of bacteria and an increase in inflammation as the immune system attacks the bacteria. Therefore, acne can be characterized by a combination of one or more major components: inflammation, bacteria, dead skin buildup, and excess oil. For your at-home treatment, it’s important to identify what type of acne you have so that you can treat it accordingly.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACNE
Hormonal breakouts are usually more inflamed and appear around the chin and jawline area. Hormonal changes such as puberty, menstruation, menopause or pregnancy increase androgen levels which causes systemic inflammation and an increase in oil production.
Whiteheads, sometimes called closed comedones or papules, are usually small bumps under the surface of the skin containing a combination of dead skin and oil. These are one of the types of acne that can be successfully extracted.
Blackheads are essentially partially clogged pores where the excess oil has oxidized and turned dark on the surface due to exposure to the air. These are very close to the surface and most commonly extracted during a facial.
Cystic breakouts, or pustules, are inflamed bumps containing pus that are usually quite painful and resistant to treatment. This kind of acne is most closely associated with genetics and hormones.
Nodular breakouts originate deeper in the skin because of a break in the wall of the follicle. These are usually very painful and inflamed, and will feel firm to the touch even if not yet visible. Nodules that are not dealt with properly often will come back.
DIFFERENT GRADES OF ACNE
It’s also important to identify the severity of your acne before trying to treat it with products because you don’t want to use something too strong or not strong enough. We use a scale (Grades 1-4) to help us determine how to move forward with the best treatment based on what we see:
Grade 1: Some whiteheads and blackheads, mostly surface level
Grade 2: Many whiteheads or closed comedones, some may be inflamed (papules)
Grade 3: A variety of papules and pustules, in addition to whiteheads and blackheads
Grade 4: Many papules, pustules, cysts and even nodules
HOW YOU CAN HELP IMPROVE YOUR ACNE
Fortunately, there are many things we can control that affect the severity and frequency of acne. Certain aspects of our lives could be triggering breakouts, so sometimes making a lifestyle change is all that’s needed to help clear up the skin. It can be a bit of a process of elimination to figure out exactly what could be contributing to breakouts, but finding that harmonious balance can be very satisfying and effective. We can also use face mapping to determine what may be causing a breakout based on the location it shows up on the face.
Diet: What we put into our bodies can have a direct effect on what shows up on our skin. Certain components of iodine and processed sugar can increase inflammation and oil production, so we recommend including whole foods as much as possible. Coffee and alcohol are considered toxins to the body so they can cause some systemic inflammation and slow down the healing process. It is recommended to drink about 8 glasses of water a day to maintain healthy internal hydration so that the lymph and all functions of the body are working properly.
Stress: Stress is one of the most prevalent triggers for acne. Stress triggers a flow of a hormone called cortisol through the bloodstream which causes the body to react with systemic inflammation and oil production, producing acne similar to menstrual hormonal breakouts. Practicing mindfulness, taking time to relax, stretching, and movement can help manage stress.
Exercise: One of the things we can do to reduce cortisol is exercise. Even just going for a walk daily will help to increase circulation and lower stress. If you are participating in more vigorous exercise, be sure to gently cleanse sweat away and moisturize to remove any bacteria from the sweat the could contribute to future breakouts.
Sleep: Sleep is the body’s time to reset and heal. During this time, the cells in our body work overtime to repair the skin. It’s important to get as much quality sleep as possible, ideally about 8 hours each night. The routine to get ready for bed could also be where you practice mindfulness to help wind down for the night.
Products: Certain products in your skincare routine could be contributing to breakout for a number of reasons. It’s more common than you’d think for us to unintentionally over, or under, exfoliate. Over-exfoliation is going to impair the skin barrier which allows bacteria and debris to enter the pores more easily, and also increases oil production as the skin works to repair its lipid barrier. Under-exfoliation may cause dead skin and oil to become trapped in the pores. Use of comedogenic products can also cause the pores to clog and is tolerated differently by different skin types. Talk with your esthetician to find out if you’re exfoliating properly or using comedogenic products in your routine, and we will try to recommend a non-comedogenic alternative.
Physical contact: Depending on your skin, sometimes simple touch that we don’t even think about can contribute to acne. To prevent breakouts, we should try to avoid touching our faces or holding dirty phones to our cheeks to prevent transferring oil and bacteria, and make sure pillowcases and masks are washed regularly so they don’t harbor bacteria. Silk pillowcases and face masks help reduce friction and bacteria which could lead to inflammation and breakouts.
Picking: We try to discourage picking because it can spread bacteria, lead to worsened inflammation, or in some cases it may drive the breakout deeper or cause a larger wound and scar. If you see or feel a breakout at home, we recommend using pimple patches to hide it from view, prevent you from touching it and hopefully absorb any fluid inside of the pore.
IN CONCLUSION
Despite the fact that there are some things we can control to improve acne, it’s important to remember that acne is not your fault and it certainly does not mean you have bad or unclean skin. The experience of dealing with acne is both an emotional battle and a science experiment. We need to have patience with ourselves as we identify location, type and grade of acne, develop a hypothesis to determine a potential cause, test that theory by treating the skin based on component(s) involved, and finally observe results or test a new hypothesis.
Since the treatment of acne can be such a process, practicing mindfulness and positive self-affirmations are essential for fighting the emotional battle that comes along with having acne while we figure out the best course of action to treat your skin in particular.
This blog post was written by the following Sacred Estheticians:
