Acne Treatment and Help

Skin issues like acne don't just occur in puberty. Adults can also suffer from stubborn spots, inflammations and blackheads. We will show you how to treat skin impurities properly and guide you to the best products for acne prone skin.

What types of acne are there?

To ensure that you receive the correct acne treatment, you should know which type of acne you suffer from. There are also various characteristics: mild cases of acne cause blackheads and spots. In severe cases, painful inflammations and pustules like abscesses can occur.

Acne vulgaris

Approximately 70-95% of young people suffer from acne vulgaris during puberty. The skin produces too much sebum, which, when combined with a hornification disorder, cannot drain away. As a result, the pores become blocked. Whiteheads and blackheads form, as do pus-like spots. In this type of acne there are basically three characteristics to differentiate between them:

Acne comedonica is the mildest form and is distinguished by its un-inflamed blackheads.
The medium-severe form, acne papulopustulosa, penetrates the deeper layers of the skin with its irritated spots and, in some cases, inflammations.
Acne conglobata is the severest form of acne vulgaris – this presents lumps, abscesses and pustules that can result in noticeable scarring.

Acne vulgaris usually disappears once puberty is over. If acne occurs after you’ve turned 25, it is known as late onset acne or “acne tarda”

Acne inversa

This chronic type of acne occurs in phases. The symptoms are more severe and can be seen in more areas of the body such as the shoulders or groin. In this type, small lumps form under the skin that can develop into abscesses or pustules.

Mallorca acne

Small spots can form on the skin a few days after having been exposed to intense sun radiation. Such skin reactions occur due to UV rays interacting with oily sun protection products. It results in an inflammation in the hair follicles caused by free radicals.

Why does acne occur?

Acne can occur for a few reasons, such as genetic predisposition, environmental influences, such as UV radiation, food and nutrition habits or hormonal fluctuations.

Acne – what can you do?

Acne develops for various reasons: Genetic predisposition, stress or hormonal fluctuations can also be triggers of this skin problem. Caring for your skin correctly is particularly important with this type of skin.

Less is sometimes more

Avoid washing excessively, as skin that suffers from impurities is very sensitive. Excessive washing or even scrubbing makes the inflammation worse, use skin products for acne sparingly.

What helps acne? How to look after blemished skin

Your daily care ritual should include intensive facial cleansing with an anti-bacterial washing gel. Use a mild scrub once a week and a facial mask to calm the skin. You can find more about caring for greasy and impure skin here.

Ask your dermatologist for advice!

In addition to your daily skin care, severe forms of acne should also be medically treated. There are many options for therapy and treatment depending on the degree of severity of the case and skin type. Together with your dermatologist, develop a treatment that is best suited to your needs.

Types of therapy for acne

Local therapy: treat the affected areas of skin with balms, tinctures, gels or lotions.
Drug treatment: if local therapy is not successful, you should consider oral drug treatment.
Alternative medicine: Ayurveda, kinesiology, Bach flowers, traditional Chinese medicine and bio-resonance can also help combat acne.

Clear skin – be active!

Treating acne is often a lengthy process and spots can cause psychological stress. But you are in control: examine your lifestyle habits. These can also be a cause of blemished skin.

Drink plenty of water or unsweetened tea. This will keep the body supplied with important minerals and flush out toxic substances. Avoid lemonades. To reduce the blood-sugar level after a rich meal, try adding two teaspoons of vinegar to a glass of water.

Vitamin A reduces sebum production. To ensure a clear complexion, regularly include spinach, carrots, kale, papaya, honeydew melon or sweet potatoes in your meals.

Cocoa contains many active ingredients such as antioxidants, which can bind free radicals in your body. Dark chocolate can protect your skin from damaging substances. This is one time when snacking is allowed!

Vitamin C helps the skin to produce collagen. This results in a fresh complexion. Plenty of vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, broccoli and bean sprouts in particular. These foods also have a low glycemic load.

The unsaturated fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6 are very healthy and keep your skin supple. There is a particularly large amount of unsaturated fatty acids in salmon, nuts and olive oil.

Food that is good for your skin

The right diet for acne

In addition to consistent and tailored skin care, your diet also has an important effect on your skin. Vitamins and antioxidants from fruit and vegetables are great for your skin. Your blood sugar level also has an impact on the development of acne. Studies have shown that a diet with a low glycemic load keeps your blood sugar level under control and helps to alleviate acne. In terms of nutrition, “Glycemic load” means the amount of carbohydrates that can be easily absorbed by the blood. People who suffer from acne should pay attention to their daily diet to make sure that this is kept as low as possible.

Don’t stress!

Stress or negative emotions have an effect on our physical health. Headaches and skin problems are often caused by stress. To prevent spots, make a targeted effort to avoid anxiety and tension. Take some time for yourself! Just by going jogging three times a week, you’ll suffer much less from the daily symptoms of stress.

Relaxing baths not only release psychological and physical tensions; they are also great for your skin. Meditation and autogenic training can also have a positive influence on your state of mind. Find out more about how to create inner balance with various options here.