Acne: main types and treatment

Acne is a skin disease that causes the appearance of pimples and blackheads, especially on the face, neck, arms and back and that in most cases occurs due to hormonal changes, such as adolescence or pregnancy, stress or high-fat diet, for example. example.

Acne occurs because there is an obstruction in the opening of the follicle giving rise to comedones and blackheads, increasing the chances of bacteria lodging and causing pimples.

Main types of acne

There are several types of acne and the treatment varies with the degree of acne and can be done with the application of ointments, use of pills or even through surgery, especially when scars, blackheads and cysts predominate.

The treatment must be started quickly for aesthetic reasons that interfere with self-esteem but also to preserve the health of the skin and prevent scarring.

There are 5 main types of acne and their treatment varies with severity:

Grade 1 - Non-Inflammatory or Comedonic Acne

Grade 1

It is the simplest form of acne, which appears in most cases during adolescence and is characterized by blackheads on the forehead, nose and cheeks. In addition, it can appear at any time in life to anyone.

Treatment: this can be done with topical creams or lotions, such as Soap with Sulfur and Salicylic Acid or Adapalene Gel, prescribed by the dermatologist. In addition, tretinoin, isotretinoin, adapalene or azelaic acid can be used, because they are anti-inflammatory, anticomedogenic and comedolytic drugs, for example.

Grade 2 - Pustular-pustular acne

Grade 2

It is the presence of blackheads, whiteheads, papules and pustules that are elevations of the skin that contain pus.

Treatment: treatment should be done with antibiotics in tablets such as tetracycline, minocycline or sulfa and gel antimicrobials such as benzoyl peroxide, erythromycin or clindamycin, indicated by the dermatologist.

Grade 3 - Nodule-cystic acne

Grade 3

It is characterized by the presence of internal nodules under the skin, on the face, back and chest, because the spines are close to each other, are very red and cause pain.

Treatment: in general, treatment requires, in addition to what is mentioned for grade 2 acne, the use of seborrheic Roacutan, which must be prescribed by a dermatologist.

Grade 4 - Acne Conglobata

Grade 4

Type of acne characterized by a set of lesions next to each other with pus, causing the formation of abscesses and fistulas in the skin, causing deformations in the skin.

Treatment: it is usually done with medicines like Roacutan, prescribed by the dermatologist.

Grade 5 - Fulminant Acne

Grade 5

It is a rare form of acne that appears suddenly and is accompanied by fever, joint pain and malaise. This type is more common in men and usually manifests in the chest, back and face and treatment can be done with topical medications, oral remedies and surgery.

Other types of Acne

In addition, there are other types of acne related to the root cause such as:

Neonatal Acne: presence of pimples and blackheads on the newborn's face due to hormonal changes that disappear spontaneously around 3 months of age. Medicinal Acne: caused by the side effects of some medications, such as contraceptives, strong doses of vitamin B, hormonal treatments or containing cortisone. Solar Acne: type of pimples that appears after intense sun exposure and gives rise to microcysts, mainly on the forehead, and red papules on the cheek area.

However, the treatment in these cases is done according to the severity and can only be applied creams or if the doctor recommends taking medication, and in all cases the dermatologist is the specialist doctor to guide the best treatment for the elimination of acne and also of the scars that she can leave.

Acne Scars

Usually scars, which can be furrows or keloids, appear in the most advanced cases of acne, causing deformations in the place where they develop and impairing self-esteem.