Acne and its scars get worse after the summer
During the summer there is a transient improvement of inflammatory acne lesions, also known as pimples or pimples, due to the effect of solar radiation. However, after the summer there is usually a regrowth and worsening of the lesions.
Conversely, acne scars can get worse during the summer, both due to the abnormal pigmentation that can occur and the negative effect that the sun has on some types of scars. Therefore, autumn is the right time to start treatments to eliminate any type of scar caused by acne.
What is acne and who does it affect?
The Acne is a dermatological problem that affects almost 80% of adolescents, but it's also a problem for almost 20% of women between 20 and 50 years old. Both in one and in another case it is due to an inflammation of the sebaceous gland in which an increase in the production of sebum stimulated by hormones intervenes. There is also a genetic factor that predisposes to clogging pores and increasing bacteria such as Propinebacterium Acnes. Acne and its sequels, although sometimes mild, significantly affect the quality of life of those who suffer.
"One of the characteristics of acne in adult women is that it usually appears in the area around the mouth, chin and neck.The grains are usually large, red, with suppuration, delayed healing and with a tendency to leave scars. Although the cause is not completely known we know that there is a hormonal factor that gets worse in times of stress, menstrual period, use of makeup or fat creams and with smoking, "says Dr. Miguel Sánchez Viera, director of the Institute of Dermatology Integral.
Treatment of acute acne and home care
When the holidays are over or the sun is no longer as strong as in the central months of summer, it is the right time to address the treatment of both acne and the scars left by it. The main thing is to identify the cause of acne and treat it so that inflammation, redness and suppuration disappears, if it exists. According to the director of IDEI, "for this acute phase of the disease can be used a pharmacological therapy combined with modern techniques that have significantly improved results such as laser, photodynamic therapy or microdermabrasion associated with the subsequent application of active ingredients, like retinoic acid or azelacic acid, etc. "
Both lasers and Photodynamic Therapy act by eliminating bacteria and decreasing the inflammation of the sebaceous gland, while microdermabrasion helps to remove the fat plugs that clog pores. All these procedures are quick and done on an outpatient basis, so that they have a minimal impact on the patient's daily routine and can help control the process, often avoiding oral drugs and their possible side effects.
At home, you need a Daily hygiene of the area affected by acne with non-comedogenic products. It is also advisable to perform a scrub scrub once a week at most. "And one of the things we emphatically recommend to our patients is that they do not touch the pimples or wounds, and less with unwashed hands, since they can aggravate the injury quickly and without hardly realizing it", explains Sánchez Viera.
Treatment of acne scars
The scars left by acne, both in adolescent patients and in adults, are one of the main consequences of this dermatological disease. "In some cases, more women than men, it often affects even their self-esteem and even their quality of life, ideally in the hands of a dermatologist, always in the months with less sun, autumn and winter are the most appropriate, because the vast majority of treatments require extra protection from sunlight, "says the director of the Institute of Integral Dermatology.
The scars caused by acne they are not always the same in terms of shape, depth and extension and for each of them a type of treatment or combination of treatments is recommended that must be evaluated individually by a dermatologist, the specialist trained to treat both acne and its sequelae.
There are two major groups of acne scars.
- The atrophic (typical in the form of a peck or sinking of the surface of the skin).
- Hypertrophic or keloid raised and irregular. For its treatment, different types of laser and microinjections are used with drugs.
Dr. Miguel Sánchez Viera.Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and Specialist in Medical-Surgical Dermatology in Madrid.
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