Identifying, Preventing And Treating Acne Vulgaris?

Answer 1

Acne vulgaris, otherwise known as acne, blackheads, pimples, whiteheads or zits, appears in the form of red bumps that are usually isolated to the patient's face. Another name for blackheads and whiteheads is comedones. Blackhead comedones have black hue and wide opening while whiteheads have no hue and a small opening.

Identifying Acne Vulgaris

The condition of acne vulgaris is relatively easy to identify. Most patients will typically notice small, elevated bumps on their skin that are red, tender or filled with pus. However, some patients may see large, painful bumps too. Pus-filled bumps located beneath the skin's surface are known as cysts, which may cause scarring and infections.

In order to determine the severity of acne vulgaris, the patient should visit a dermatologist. Patients with mild acne vulgaris cases will have no more than 20 comedones or 30 lesions. Moderate acne vulgaris patients have 20-100 comedones or 30-125 lesions and severe acne vulgaris patients have at least 101 comedones or 126 lesions.

Preventing Acne Vulgaris

When hair follicles on the skin become clogged with dead skin sells or sebum, a naturally produced oil made by the skin, acne vulgaris may form on the affected areas of the body. Some people are more susceptible to acne vulgaris than others, such as teenagers and pregnant women who may be more sensitive to hormonal changes, which tend to cause an overproduction of sebum. People who regularly use cosmetics also experience more flare-ups.

Treating Acne Vulgaris

Patients can usually prevent mild acne vulgaris breakouts by using basic Skin Care techniques. It is recommended that sufferers wash their skin with mild cleansers instead of facial scrubs and harsh astringents. Those who have oily skin may benefit from benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid solutions that can be purchased over the counter.

For more severe breakouts, the patient can obtain prescription medications from their dermatologist. The most common prescription topical applications include adapalene, tazarotene and tretinoin. In other cases, a patient's acne vulgaris can be treated with isotretinoin or oral antibiotics.

There are some patients who have experienced positive results from laser therapy. Acne vulgaris patients who undergo laser therapy can not only decrease their skin's sebum production but also reduce the associated inflammation. Dermatologists may also give their patient a chemical peel or microdermabrasion in order to resurface the patient's skin.