How I Treated my Acne. Several Times.

I have had several episodes of acne at various stages of my life. I know it's really embarrassing and frustrating when your natural beauty is affected by a skin problem. I tried many ways to treat it until I found the solution ( subject to my skin type and cause) an would like to share my experiences with you. Are you also dealing with Acne? Share your experience!

First let's know what really is acne?

What Is Acne?

There's a reason it's called "common acne" -- nearly everyone suffers from a pimple outbreak at some point in life.

It starts when greasy secretions from the skin's sebaceous glands (oil glands) plug the tiny openings for hair follicles (plugged pores). If the openings are large, the clogs take the form of blackheads: small, flat spots with dark centers. If the openings stay small, the clogs take the form of whiteheads: small, flesh-colored bumps. Both types of plugged pores can develop into swollen, tender inflammations or pimples or deeper lumps or nodules. Nodules associated with severe cases of acne (cystic acne) are firm swellings below the skin's surface that become inflamed, tender, and sometimes infected.

Although acne remains largely a curse of adolescence, about 20% of all cases occur in adults. Acne commonly starts during puberty between the ages of 10 and 13 and tends to be worse in people with oily skin. Teenage acne usually lasts for five to 10 years, normally going away during the early 20s. It occurs in both sexes, although teenage boys tend to have the most severe cases. Women are more likely than men to have mild to moderate forms into their 30s and beyond.

Acne lesions are most common on the face, but they can also occur on the neck, chest, back, shoulders, and upper arms.

Contrary to popular belief, acne isn't caused by a harmful diet, poor hygiene, or an uncontrolled sex drive. The simple truth is that heredity and hormones are behind most forms of acne. Swearing off chocolate or scrubbing your face 10 times a day won't change your predisposition to this unsightly, sometimes painful, and often embarrassing skin problem.

What Causes Acne?

The cause of acne is not fully understood. Though stress can aggravate acne, it clearly does not cause it.

Hormones. Common acne in teenagers starts with an increase in hormone production. During puberty, both boys and girls produce high levels of androgens, the male sex hormones that include testosterone. Testosterone signals the body to make more sebum, the oil produced in the skin's oil glands.

Bacteria. Excess sebum clogs the openings to hair follicles -- especially those on the face, neck, chest, and back. Bacteria grow in these clogged follicles. This makes blackheads or whiteheads, also known as ''comedones,'' form on the skin's surface. Sometimes, this clogging causes the follicle wall to break under the pressure of this buildup. When this happens, sebum leaks into nearby tissues and forms a pustule or a papule -- this is called inflammatory acne. Larger, tender pustules are called nodules.

Depending on the type of pill, oral contraceptives may trigger acne in some women but suppress it in others. Some injectable contraceptives and intrauterine birth control devices (IUD) may also cause acne. Steroids taken by some bodybuilders and other athletes can also lead to severe outbreaks.

Acne has many subtypes. Acne neonatorum and acne infantum occasionally affect newborns and infants, usually boys. A pimply rash appears on the face and usually clears within weeks with no lasting effect. However, acne infantum may last longer, be more severe, and cause scarring.

People who escaped their teen years almost pimple-free may develop persistent adult-onset acne as they get older. Despite the normal increase in androgen levels during puberty, some doctors believe that flare-ups of acne have less to do with androgen levels than with how a person's skin responds to an increase in sebum production or to the bacteria that causes acne. The bacteria Propionibacterium acnes occurs naturally in healthy hair follicles. If too many of them accumulate in plugged follicles, they may secrete enzymes that break down sebum and cause inflammation. Some people are simply more sensitive than others to this reaction. Sebum levels that might cause a pimple or two in one person may result in widespread outbreaks -- or even acute cystic acne -- in another person.

My Experience with Acne

Personally I have combination skin and I experienced my first acne episode in early teenage. I went to a dermatologist and he gave me topical applications i.e. clindamycin and adapalene gel. I didn't see much improvement so I discontinued after some time. However, it decreased with time and I had occasional breakouts till my 20s. I tried all sorts of ways to deal with it, may it be trying herbal remedies or changing my diet. Sometimes it helped, sometimes not. 

Then I had my worst nightmare which actually came true when I turned 23. I noticed some very small eruptions on my jawline. At first I ignored and just cleansed my face more often, but then people started noticing and finally I was shocked when I really observed my skin. The eruptions had turned into small pustules and were increasing in number. Soon it had spread to my cheeks and nose and forehead as well. I really felt ugly and nothing was helping. I went to the pharmacy and bought benzoyl peroxide 5 concentration. I had read on forums that it is the best topical application for acne so far. Initially it helped as it makes the skin dry but it wasn't preventing new outbreaks. I had never hated my face so much in my life! Even applying foundation did not help and I stopped taking my pictures as well which is a unnatural thing for me. 

I had realised that no matter how much I try to dress up my face will always attract attention because of the acne. A kind of attention that you don't fancy at all. Then to my relief a friend of mine who is a medical practitioner suggested me to take antibiotic along with clindamycin and adapalene application. I rushed to the store and bought Azithromycin 500mg which I was told to intake 3 days a week for 2 months. I started experiencing improvement from the third week and in a span of 2 months all my acne was gone. However I experienced occasional breakouts which I managed by following a facial care routine. 

I had a acne episode recently as well, in which I behave really reckless in order to get rid of it. There is a medicine called isotretinoin which makes your skin really dry and caused dangerous side effects to pregnant women. But since I was having cystic acne this time, I had to do something about it. I wasn't ready to feel like before again. However the drug helped me to get ride of blackheads and whiteheads in 2 weeks but I discontinued after 3 weeks as I couldn't follow the routine of intaking that medicine daily. I had bought the lowest concentration i.e. 20 mg and I did not experience side effects apart from chapped lips. I would recommend you to approach a dermatologist before taking any prescription medication. 

2 weeks back I resorted back to the same method which helped me t get rid of acne that is Azithromycin 500mg and a topical application of Benzoyl Peroxide. As per my experience I think that my skin is more susceptible to infections and hence I get acne frequently.

My Advice

I know it's hard to love yourself when you get a problem like this, but in the end it's you who have to fight for yourself. So seek the right help and guidance from a professional, find the cause behind your problem and work towards it's solution with faith. Also work on your diet and intake lots of water.

And for my post acne spots I am using this 100 percent organic cream