Acne is a condition in which the skin pores are clogged with hair, sebum or oily substances, bacteria, and dead skin. The blockage produces small soft bumps, reddened or stubborn like cystic acne, often its presence interferes with self-confidence.
The appearance of acne is also influenced by various factors such as genetics, body hormones, and hygiene. Although influenced by hormones and genetics, acne can be treated and prevented before it appears. Having healthy and acne-free facial skin is everyone's dream, right? Well, to treat acne, Ladies you must know what types of acne you have. In general, there are three types of acne.
First, comedo. Divided into two types, namely blackheads and whiteheads. Blackheads are open bumps filled with excess oil and dead skin. On the other hand, whiteheads are bumps that are covered with excess oil and dead skin.
Second, papulo-pustular. It is also divided into two types, namely papules and pustules. Papules are small bumps that have a diameter of less than 5 mm, while these pustules are smaller in size with a darker-colored center.
Third, nodular or severe acne namely lumps that have a diameter of more than 5 mm. The severity of acne is measured by the number of lesions or tissue abnormalities on the skin. (Liao, 2003) in his paper entitled Management of Acne divides the severity of acne into three, namely mild, moderate, and severe acne.
Mild acne is defined by the number of comedones less than 20 or less than 15 lesions. Moderate acne, with a number of comedones 20 to 100 blackheads or 15-50 lesions, and severe acne with more than 5 nodular or a number of lesions of more than 50. The severity level serves as a treatment guide.
Ladies, you can try to treat acne independently at home, either by using chemical or natural home remedies such as yam masks, aloe vera, water, and others. But when acne does not improve or gets worse, it is better to consult a dermatologist. To avoid the appearance of acne, do the following options:
Change bed linen regularly
When you sleep on your side, of course, your face is stuck to the bed sheet. Dirty bed linen and bacteria can trigger the growth of acne.
Eat less fried food
The oil content in fried foods can increase sebum production on the face and oily faces are more prone to acne. For food, it is not limited to fried foods because acne can also appear due to food allergies. Also, make sure whether you have food allergies that trigger acne or not.
Don't touch your face with dirty hands
Things we hold with our bare hands are not necessarily clean. Therefore, just don't touch your face before washing your hands to avoid transferring the bacteria to your hands.
Be careful when using skincare
The use of various skincare at the same time needs to be considered because there are skincare ingredients that should not be used together and make sure to find out the benefits of each skincare ingredient from a credible source.
Clean your face after doing activities
After doing activities especially outdoors, clean your face with milk cleanser or other cleansers (such as cleansing balm, cleansing oil, etc.) then wash your face with soap. Don't wash your face too often, just twice a day, and don't forget to apply moisturizer and sunscreen or sunblock to moisturize and protect your skin from sun exposure.
By: Fitie's Pen pal, Anna Retno Indrawati
Source :
acne. (2020). My.Clevelandclinic.Org. https://my.levelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12233-acne
Liao, D. C. (2003). Management of Acne. The Journal of Family Practice, 52(1), 43–51.