Acne is one of the commonest disorders worldwide, it is said that almost 70% of individuals face some form or degree of acne during their lifetime. Commonly affecting teenagers predominantly on the face, neck and back, but can affect other body parts too. Contrary to popular belief acne can very much occur in the adult age group and their is a variant of acne known as “adult acne” mostly occurring above 25 years of age or teenage acne persisting into adulthood. Acne is cause by 4 main factors:

1. Hypercornification – Oily skin or dead skin cells which ends up clogging the opening of the oil glands. This leads to accumulation of sebum in the sebaceous glands (oil glands).

2. P.acne – The bacteria which is implicated in the causation of acne. This bacteria is anaerobic, i.e. it enjoys an environment which is low in oxygen and is created by the heaped up dead skin cells and the sebaceous secretion.

3. Inflammation – This precedes or occurs post the action of P.acnes. This leads to the formation of whiteheads, blackheads, papules, pustules, nodules and cysts.

4. Increased oil gland secretion / sebaceous gland secretion.

Acne can lead to psychological distress and scarring which is why it is important to treat it early and in the right way.

Causes of Acne

Some of the most common causes for acne in teenagers or adults are as follows:

1. Oily skin

2. Wrong cosmetics for your skin type or cosmetics with harsh chemical components

3. Hormonal imbalance

4. Side effect of a medication

5. Stress

6. Polycystic Ovarian Disorder in women

Treatment of Acne

Our skin specialists at Dr. Kandhari’s Skin Clinic suggest specialized treatments particularly based on the type of your skin and acne so as to provide you a clear acne-free skin. The treatment chosen for a patient depends on the severity of acne for e.g. mild acne can be treated with the help of topical medication (face wash and creams) while severe acne might need further medical attention (oral medication and investigations). Making significant lifestyle changes as suggested by your dermatologist can also be helpful in reducing the appearance of acne.