Acne is the most unpleasant guest. It appears uninvited, at the most inopportune moment, lingers longer than necessary, and leaves a mess behind.
Dr. Rucsandra Hurezeanu tells you everything you need to know about acne, from causes to symptoms, prevention, types of acne and the right treatment.
What is acne?
Acne is a skin condition that manifests itself through blackheads (comedones), whiteheads and, in severe cases, through inflammatory lesions such as: nodules, cysts, papules or pustules. Studies show that 85% of people have had this pathology at some point. Acne appears at any age, it does not only affect teenagers, it also manifests itself during pregnancy or in adulthood, mainly on the face, sometimes also the back of the head, neck, chest, shoulders or back.
Acne symptoms
Acne symptoms vary depending on the severity of the condition, being divided into non-inflammatory and inflammatory.
Non-inflammatory lesions
Whiteheads – closed comedones, precursors of inflammatory lesions
Blackheads – open, painless comedones, known as the first stage of acne
Inflammatory lesions
Inflammatory lesions are colonized by bacteria and take the form of painful papules, pustules, cysts, or nodules:
Papules or pimples – occur when bacteria invade closed comedones and degrade sebum, triggering inflammation
Pustules – appear when inflammation is intense and fluid accumulates in lesions, pus on the surface of the skin
Nodules – large, deep, painful bumps that can involve more than one follicle
Cysts – large, united nodules that ooze; the most extensive form of acne, painful, the result of severe infection
Severe acne lesions or those that are treated excessively, mechanically or chemically, can lead to the formation of scars.
Causes of acne
These skin inflammations, which we often call pimples, become visible when pores become clogged with dead cells, hair follicles become clogged with sebum due to excess production, and the number of bacteria, such as Cutibacterium acnes , increases.
The main causes of acne are:
Genetic predisposition – It is very possible that you will have this problem if your parents have had it.
Hormonal fluctuations – During adolescence, acne occurs more often in boys than in girls; in adulthood, it manifests itself more often in women.
Excess sebum – Combination and oily skin favors acne, being the optimal environment for it to set in. In Romania, the percentage of people with combination or oily skin is very high.
Abnormal keratinization – If the natural exfoliation process is not carried out properly, dead cells block pores and give bacteria the "opportunity" to invade.
Bacterial proliferation – The sebum in the pores is colonized by bacteria, producing inflammation. If the inflammation is present deep in the skin, severe forms appear: cysts or nodules.
Types of acne
Infantile acne (under 1 year)
At birth and up to one year of age, hormonal changes occur that can lead to the condition. However, it goes away on its own and should not be a cause for concern.
Juvenile acne (12-25 years old)
It can manifest itself starting from 12-14 years of age, with severe episodes at 18-20 years of age, sometimes being visible up to 25 years of age. During puberty, the production of androgen hormones increases, the adolescent's skin begins to secrete sebum in large quantities, and the context is created for the appearance of acne.
In girls, the appearance of the epidermis can suffer even more in an attempt to cover up pimples with foundation. Vigorous makeup removal worsens the condition of the skin.
Acne in pregnancy
It occurs due to hormonal changes. The recommendation is to let it go away on its own and use a cleansing gel, not a treatment.
Mature acne (30-35+ years)
It also begins due to hormonal changes around the age of 30-35. It is much more present on the lower part of the face in women, on the jaw and chin, in the form of white or black dots, but also on the neck and back.
A person with combination or oily skin can develop acne at any time. Skin that has healed from nodular-cystic acne is more prone to developing acne in adulthood.
Acne severity
The severity of acne is assessed by the number and type of lesions:
Mild acne – an occasional pimple appears
Moderate acne – comedones are numerous and some of them are inflamed
Severe acne – papules, cysts, pustules, nodules, inflammatory forms that require medical treatment. In this case, most often, the genetic factor is responsible.
Risk factors
What are the risk factors that contribute to the development of acne?
Genetic predisposition
Hormonal disorders or changes
Hygiene and care ritual
Women's makeup, especially foundation and blush
Unhealthy diet can be an aggravating factor
Prevention
There is no surefire way to avoid acne, but there are a few tricks that can help prevent it:
Use dermatocosmetics recommended by dermatologists
Cleanse your skin morning and evening with micellar lotion or purifying gel.
Make sure your skin doesn't accumulate dead cells on the surface by using a gentle exfoliant once a week.
Use products designed to reduce skin inflammation
Avoid stress – when you are stressed, the body produces more cortisol, which stimulates the sebaceous glands
Avoid constantly touching your face to avoid spreading bacteria.
Avoid overloading your skin with makeup
Don't try to pop blackheads or pimples – you'll stimulate inflammation and risk scarring.
Acne treatment
Severe acne is treated with medication, but mild, moderate acne, and especially prevention, is done with dermatocosmetic products.
Our approach is to offer a range of products for a long-term care ritual.
Ivapur range for acne-prone skin
What steps should you follow to maintain acne-prone skin?
Removing makeup from the face is an important step in the daily care ritual, especially if the skin is acne-prone. Benefits: balancing sebum secretion, reducing bacterial proliferation, avoiding the accumulation of dead cells.
Ivapur micellar lotion – gently removes makeup and impurities, regulates sebum secretion, without drying the skin, with antibacterial action
Ivapur purifying cleansing gel – gentle cleansing with water, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and sebum-regulating action
Ivapur delicate purifying exfoliant – scrub gel that removes impurities and gently exfoliates, once a week
2. Daily care
Ivapur Mat mattifying cream – perfect for combination or oily skin, regulates excess sebum, anti-shine and moisturizing effect
Ivapur K – daily care cream with antibacterial, sebum-reducing and moisturizing activity
Ivapur No Imperfection – localized anti-imperfections corrector, speeds up pimple healing, antibacterial effect
3. Dermatocosmetic treatment
Ivapur AI Akne-Syt – for the treatment of moderate acne, with comparable effectiveness to retinoids but without side effects. The key ingredient Sytenol reduces inflammation and the risk of post-acne scars
Ivapur Hidra – recommended for the treatment of severe acne, in combination with drug treatment. Intensely hydrates skin attacked by anti-acne treatments and restores the hydrolipidic barrier
Echipa Ivatherm
Conținutul IvaStories este creat de echipa Ivatherm, brand romanesc de dermatocosmetice fondat de Dr. Rucsandra Hurezeanu. Produsele Ivatherm sunt formulate cu Apă Termală Herculane și sunt testate dermatologic, recomandate de medici specialiști.
What you need to know about acne
content
Treatment, symptoms, causes
Acne is the most unpleasant guest. It appears uninvited, at the most inopportune moment, lingers longer than necessary, and leaves a mess behind.
Dr. Rucsandra Hurezeanu tells you everything you need to know about acne, from causes to symptoms, prevention, types of acne and the right treatment.
What is acne?
Acne is a skin condition that manifests itself through blackheads (comedones), whiteheads and, in severe cases, through inflammatory lesions such as: nodules, cysts, papules or pustules. Studies show that 85% of people have had this pathology at some point. Acne appears at any age, it does not only affect teenagers, it also manifests itself during pregnancy or in adulthood, mainly on the face, sometimes also the back of the head, neck, chest, shoulders or back.
Acne symptoms
Acne symptoms vary depending on the severity of the condition, being divided into non-inflammatory and inflammatory.
Non-inflammatory lesions
Inflammatory lesions
Inflammatory lesions are colonized by bacteria and take the form of painful papules, pustules, cysts, or nodules:
Severe acne lesions or those that are treated excessively, mechanically or chemically, can lead to the formation of scars.
Causes of acne
These skin inflammations, which we often call pimples, become visible when pores become clogged with dead cells, hair follicles become clogged with sebum due to excess production, and the number of bacteria, such as Cutibacterium acnes , increases.
The main causes of acne are:
Types of acne
Infantile acne (under 1 year)
At birth and up to one year of age, hormonal changes occur that can lead to the condition. However, it goes away on its own and should not be a cause for concern.
Juvenile acne (12-25 years old)
It can manifest itself starting from 12-14 years of age, with severe episodes at 18-20 years of age, sometimes being visible up to 25 years of age. During puberty, the production of androgen hormones increases, the adolescent's skin begins to secrete sebum in large quantities, and the context is created for the appearance of acne.
In girls, the appearance of the epidermis can suffer even more in an attempt to cover up pimples with foundation. Vigorous makeup removal worsens the condition of the skin.
Acne in pregnancy
It occurs due to hormonal changes. The recommendation is to let it go away on its own and use a cleansing gel, not a treatment.
Mature acne (30-35+ years)
It also begins due to hormonal changes around the age of 30-35. It is much more present on the lower part of the face in women, on the jaw and chin, in the form of white or black dots, but also on the neck and back.
A person with combination or oily skin can develop acne at any time. Skin that has healed from nodular-cystic acne is more prone to developing acne in adulthood.
Acne severity
The severity of acne is assessed by the number and type of lesions:
Risk factors
What are the risk factors that contribute to the development of acne?
Prevention
There is no surefire way to avoid acne, but there are a few tricks that can help prevent it:
Acne treatment
Severe acne is treated with medication, but mild, moderate acne, and especially prevention, is done with dermatocosmetic products.
Our approach is to offer a range of products for a long-term care ritual.
Ivapur range for acne-prone skin
What steps should you follow to maintain acne-prone skin?
1. Cleansing the face
Removing makeup from the face is an important step in the daily care ritual, especially if the skin is acne-prone. Benefits: balancing sebum secretion, reducing bacterial proliferation, avoiding the accumulation of dead cells.
2. Daily care
3. Dermatocosmetic treatment
Echipa Ivatherm
Conținutul IvaStories este creat de echipa Ivatherm, brand romanesc de dermatocosmetice fondat de Dr. Rucsandra Hurezeanu. Produsele Ivatherm sunt formulate cu Apă Termală Herculane și sunt testate dermatologic, recomandate de medici specialiști.