Acne is one of the most common skin problems in males and females during their puberty with many having acne in their adult years. Acne does not discriminate, regardless of their ethnicity or skin tones. No matter if you have dark skin or if you are fair skinned, acne is surely a problem to deal with at some point of your life. But, why it seems like everyone has to deal with this skin condition?
Bacteria and blocked pores: the main triggers of acne
Acne needs two main triggers to be formed: blocked pores and bacteria. The blocked pores are the consequence of an increased secretion of sebum (oil) from the skin glands. Having blocked pores are like having the perfect habitat to develop inflammation in the pores and in the sebacceous (oil) glands.
However, we also mentioned the bacteria as the second trigger of acne. Well, once the blackheads and whiteheads are formed, the action of the bacteria leads to the infected form of acne, due to the abnormally increasing of bacteria within the pores.
Acne classification by grades:
- Non-Inflammatory
- Grade I: Blackheads, whiteheads and few papules
- Inflammatory
- Grade II (Mild – Moderate): Comedones, papules and a few pustules
- Grade III (Moderate – Severe): Larger inflammatory papules, pustules and a few cysts; a more severe form involving the face, neck and upper portions of the trunk
- Grade IV (Severe): Cysts becoming confluent.
Acne has different manifestations on each skin tone
Even though acne affects individuals without any distinction of ethnicity, the typical presentations of acne are very different on each one of these populations.
- Acne in African American individuals: is more frequent than in Asian and Hispanic/Latino people, having the infected form of acne as the most commonly occurring and the whiteheads and blackheads as the second highest manifestation. On the other hand, even though women have the greatest risk of developing acne vulgaris of all types, African American people in general don’t tend to have severe forms of acne, but they are more prone to develop a form of scarring known as keloids.
- Acne in Asian people: Asians are the second population that suffers the most from acne. Contrary to African Americans, Asians’ normally does not present whiteheads and blackheads. This ethnic group tend to have inflammatory acne with the presence of papules or pus-filled pustules. This form of acne is painful and the pustule contain pus and bleeds. The manifestation of this kind of acne seen mostly in those of Chinese descent. In terms of treatment, one of the ingredients Asians should avoid in their skin care products is benzoyl peroxide. It can be very irritating for the Asian population.
- Acne in Hispanic/Latino: is quite less than African and Asians in terms of incidence, having the whiteheads and blackheads as the principal presentation of acne and the cystic form of acne as the second type of manifestation. This type of acne in Hispanic/Latino population needs a special treatment that should be very aggressive during the early phases. One of the known triggers is “cheese.”
The best regime and ingredients to treat acne
Acne needs good hygiene to heal better and faster. Just implementing these four basic steps will begin to control acne.
- Cleanse skin without over cleansing and scrubbing
- Apply a toner (without alcohol), formulated for oily/acne skin
- Apply a spot treatment on evenings, to help dry up these lesions overnight
- The most important step for a good skin care regimen for acne: avoid hand contact with the skin.
Look for these active ingredients in acne products: glycolic acid, pyruvic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, and mandelic acid in cleansers, toners, serums and masks. Oil reducing herbal ingredients are recommended for toners and, hyaluronic acid or mandelic acid in serums; vitamin A, kojic acid, arbutin and mulberry are suggested for leave-on masks, and last but not least, a matte-type moisturizer in gel presentation is the best option to reduce the shine and hydrate the skin.
At Global Skin Solutions you can find an efficient treatment for acne
More than 20 years of experience have helped us to develop a clinical skin care regimen specially designed to treat acne in all skin tones. You can contact us by clicking this link, to fill out our skin assessment form right on your computer. Then, return this form by email, sending it to info@globalskin-solutions.com, and one of our advisors will generate a clinical report regarding your skin type or condition within 2-3 business days.
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