The best ways to treat acne on the face

Acne or acne is a skin disease that affects about 85% of people aged 12-24 years¹. Many people suffer from acne even in adulthood.

The disease combines different problems: comedones, better known as black dots, red inflammations, purulent acne and painful subcutaneous nodules.

In addition to irritation and pain, acne is the cause of emotional discomfort: people are embarrassed to communicate, go out, skin imperfections often interfere with building relationships. Fortunately, this problem is well treated.

Decorative cosmetics designed to mask acne are best used in rare cases: when you need to go to an important event or meeting. And to get rid of acne, you need a complex intervention – and you can’t do without a specialist.

The CP will tell you what effective ways to treat acne exist, and in what cases they will help.

1. Care cosmetics

The first thing to start with is to conduct an audit on the shelf with cosmetics. Skin care products are an important tool in the process of getting rid of acne on the face.

With skin imperfections, it is necessary to use cleansers and moisturizers that have an anti-inflammatory effect and help restore the skin’s protective barrier.

As a rule, cosmetics that can help treat acne and eliminate side effects contain²:

• substances with a sebostatic (drying) effect: local antioxidants and niacinamide;
• exfoliating agents (such as salicylic acid, lipohydroxy acid, linoleic acid, retinol);
• bactericidal agents (eg lauric acid);
• anti-inflammatory agents (nicotinamide, zinc, alpha-linoleic acid).

But! It’s important not to overdo it. Cleansing should be effective, but not aggressive, so avoid in cosmetics:

• alcohol and alkaline soap,
• keratolytics in high concentration (salicylic acid, urea, lactic acid, etc.),
• comedogenic substances (such as: wheat germ oil, lanolin, glyceryl stearate, etc.).

2. Local therapy: creams, gels

For the treatment of mild acne, the use of therapeutic external agents is recommended.

Grade 1 acne usually consists of mostly blackheads and a small number of papules (reddish inflammations). In this case, treatment is limited to drugs based on retinoids, azelaic acid, benzoyl peroxide.³. Most often, these are gels, creams, lotions, and ointments are used less often due to their greasy consistency. Any drug should be applied in a thin layer on the skin (not pointwise), it is not worth rubbing.

And, of course, do not forget about the regular use of dermatological cosmetics for gentle cleansing and moisturizing. 

3. Medications

Systemic therapy is allowed for the treatment of more severe forms of the disease, if there is no effect from previous treatment, or in the case when acne scars remain on the skin.

In such cases, the doctor may prescribe pills based on synthetic retinoids, most often isotretinoin. The substance regulates the production of sebum, prevents the formation of comedones, has an anti-inflammatory effect and inhibits the activity of bacteria.⁴.

But during treatment with isotretinoin, side effects may occur: dry mucous membranes, redness, irritation, skin rash, and others. Therefore, without a doctor’s prescription, it is not worth using this substance, like any other drugs, inside.

In some cases, glucocorticosteroids and antibiotics (for example, based on doxycycline or clindamycin) are used. But – only for the treatment of severe forms of acne or hormonal disorders and only as prescribed by the doctor.

To get rid of black dots, systemic drugs are not recommended for use.

4. Hormonal contraceptives

Many girls and women who use COCs in everyday life are aware of their positive effect. Most hormonal contraceptives have a beneficial effect on appearance, maintaining normal skin condition. Therefore, today doctors often prescribe oral contraceptives for the treatment of acne. Optimal, according to experts, are birth control pills with components such as desogestrel, norgestimate, gestodene⁵.

It is important to know about the disadvantages of oral contraceptives. Firstly, to obtain a result, as a rule, long-term treatment is required: often the first effect appears after a few months. And secondly, with the abolition of pills, the symptoms of acne usually return.⁶.

5. Diet

For several years, scientists have been studying the relationship between acne and the human diet, but research data do not allow us to assert that certain foods affect the development and aggravation of acne.

True, patients themselves often note: if you limit the consumption of dairy products and “fast” carbohydrates, the skin becomes cleaner.⁵. Probably, the individual characteristics of the organism play a role.

6. Oxygen-ozone therapy

Another method of treating acne is injections of an oxygen-ozone mixture. They are used as monotherapy or in combination with other drugs.

Such a therapeutic “cocktail” helps fight bacteria, has anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory effects, and promotes tissue repair. In addition, the elasticity and firmness of the skin improves, the overall appearance⁷.

7. Laser treatments

Laser beams affect the deep layers of the skin without damaging it. As a result, harmful bacteria are destroyed, the process of skin renewal starts, and gland ducts clogged with sebum are released.

Modern devices allow you to achieve the effect for a small course. Moreover, the procedures themselves are short and almost painless.

However, there are several nuances here. Firstly, an impressive list of contraindications, and secondly, you still need to look for a competent specialist who will be able to choose the treatment that is right for you. If you have a proven cosmetologist in mind, whom you trust, then you can try.

Physician advice

– Unfortunately, many believe that the more you dry the skin, the faster everything will pass. But this is a delusion, says dermatologist, cosmetologist Olga Balaban. – If a person uses alcohol-containing products to dry the rashes, as a result, he gets an even more pronounced oily sheen on his face.

Why is this happening? Our skin begins to “defend itself” from the aggressive effects of alcohol and, in order to restore the hydrolipidic mantle, begins to produce sebum with a vengeance. As a result, the skin becomes even more oily, but dehydrated. To avoid this, it is necessary to choose the right cosmetics for the type and condition of the skin of the face.

Many people cannot correctly determine their type and condition of the skin. Therefore, I recommend going to a dermatologist, cosmetologist to find cosmetics that suit your skin at the moment. If you do not have the opportunity to visit a doctor, then when choosing cosmetics, pay attention to its composition. Products for oily or combination skin should not contain alcohol. Welcome:

• salicylic acid (keratolytic, exfoliating, bactericidal);
• zinc (dries, absorbs excess sebum, antioxidant);
• kaolin, that is, natural clay (dries, perfectly absorbs excess sebum);
• tea tree oil (to fight bacteria);
• niacinamide or vitamin B3 (improves skin microcirculation, effective in the fight against post-acne).

“If we compare cosmetics with folk remedies for the treatment of acne, then here I will always opt for pharmacy medicines,” continues Olga Balaban. – The fact is that during the period of active rashes, folk remedies can provoke an exacerbation of acne. And, in addition, allergic dermatitis may occur. Therefore, it is better not to take risks and give preference to medicinal preparations.

 Also, if you have acne, it is highly undesirable to sunbathe. There is an opinion among patients that the more they sunbathe, the faster their rashes will pass. This is a misconception: ultraviolet light greatly dries out the skin, which leads to a violation of the hydrolipid mantle of the skin and its dehydration. As a result, the production of sebum increases, which means an increase in the number of rashes.

– Many people independently open acne and squeeze out acne to get rid of inflammation and a cosmetic defect. But this cannot be done. So the infection enters the deep layers of the epidermis and dermis, exacerbating inflammation. In addition, traces in the form of scars may remain, notes PhD, dermatologist, cosmetologist Aigul Mirkhaidarova. – To get rid of acne, you need to see a doctor who will determine the cause and prescribe an adequate treatment.

However, if you suffer from acne, it is worth reviewing your diet and eliminating foods that can cause acne to flare up. First of all, it is sugar and sweets: carbonated drinks, sweets, cookies, etc. It is also worth giving up dairy products, excluding fast food, chips, coffee, pastries. If you find it difficult to refuse it, you need to identify the reason: why you want to eat sweets or burgers. A doctor will help you figure this out, who will make a new healthy diet that is right for you, and help reduce cravings for “harmful things”.

Popular questions and answers

Since acne is a common problem, everyone who has encountered it has many questions. Together with a dermatologist, cosmetologist Olga Balaban, we will try to answer the most common ones.

Sources of:

1. Acne vulgaris. Clinical recommendations // Russian Society of Dermatovenerologists and Cosmetologists. 2020. https://goo.su/FMzarTC
2. Araviiskaia E., Dreno B. The role of topical dermocosmetics in acne vulgaris // J Eur Acad
3. Dermatol Venereol. 2016. URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26916232/
4. I. Shirokova, I. Sidorova. Diagnosis – acne // Remedium. 2014. S. 48-52. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/diagnoz-akne/viewer
5. A.A. Khaldin, E.B. Mareeva, A.I. Skvortsova. Pathogenetic approaches to the treatment of acne vulgaris // Russian Journal of Skin and Venereal Diseases. 2012. №3. pp. 34-37. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/pathogeneticheskie-podhody-k-terapii-vulgarnyh-ugrey/viewe
6. M.Yu. Anisimov. Acne from the standpoint of evidence-based medicine // Bulletin of Reproductive Health. 2010. (3-4). pp. 14-23. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/akne-acne-vulgaris-s-pozitsii-dokazatelnoy-meditsiny/viewer
7. N.I. Tapilskaya. A patient with acne at a gynecologist’s appointment // Difficult patient. 2018. Volume 16. No. 11. pp. 58-60. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/patsientka-s-akne-na-prieme-u-ginekologa/viewer
8. Bolotnikova L.I. The effectiveness of oxygen-ozone therapy for acne // Health and education in the XXI century. 2007. Volume 9. No. 4. P.123. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/effektivnost-kislorodno-ozonovoy-terapii-pri-ugrevoy-sypi/viewer