subject: Understanding And Treating Your Acne Prone Skin [print this page] Whether your acne began in your teen years when age and hormones meet to cause awful breakouts, or during your adult years, there is a skin care solution for you. Acne is often bothersome and embarrassing, but to reduce these effects and damage to your skin, it is important to visit your dermatologist in Baton Rouge for further information on how to properly care for your acne prone skin.
What is Acne?
Acne is a skin condition that occurs when your hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. It most commonly appears on your face, neck, chest, back and shoulders. As a teenager, or even adult, acne can be extremely distressing and annoyingly persistent. Acne lesions heal slowly, and when one begins to resolve, others seem to crop up. Depending on the severity of your acne, it can cause emotional distress and lead to the scarring of your skin. What is the good news? Well, the good news is that effective treatments are currently available from your dermatologist in Baton Rouge-and the earlier treatment is started, the lower your risk of lasting physical and emotional damage.
Typically appearing on your face, neck, back and shoulders, which are the areas of your skin with the largest number of functional oil glands. Acne can take the form of non-inflammatory lesions, and inflammatory lesions. Non-inflammatory lesions are comedones (whiteheads and blackheads), which are created when the openings of hair follicles become clogged and blocked with oil secretions, dead skin cells and sometimes bacteria. When these comedones are open to the skin surface they are called blackheads because of the dark appearance of the plugs in the hair follicles. When they are closed, they are called whiteheads-slightly raised, skin-colored bumps.
On the other hand, inflammatory lesions are:
*Papules - small raised bumps that signal inflammation or infection in the hair follicles.
*Pustules (pimples) - red, tender bumps with white pus at their tips.
*Nodules - large solid, painful lumps beneath the surface of the skin.
*Cysts - painful, pus-filled lumps beneath the surface of the skin.
Washing Acne Prone Skin
Your dermatologist in Baton Rouge recommends that you limit washing to twice a day-and after perspiring. Once in the morning and once at night as well as after perspiring heavily should be the limit for washing each day. Perspiration, especially when wearing a hat or helmet, can make acne worse, so the skin should be gently cleansed as quickly as possible after perspiring.
When you do wash, be sure to use a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser. Wash your face and other acne prone areas with a gently, non-abrasive cleanser that does not contain alcohol. While applying the cleanser and wash, use your fingertips. By using your fingertips, this will help to reduce irritation. Using a washcloth, mesh sponge, or anything else can irritate the skin and lead to breakouts. Never scrub your skin because this does not clear acne. In fact, scrubbing your skin only irritates it and can even make your acne worse. After washing, rinse your face thoroughly with lukewarm-not hot-water.
Visit your Baton Rouge dermatologist for more information on how to properly care for your acne prone skin.
