What to do about acne
Acne – the word dreaded by teenagers everywhere. Unsightly and often painful, it is the most common skin disorder in the world. While it is most prevalent in teenagers and young adults, it can affect people of all ages, including adults in their 40s and 50s. According to the American National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, an estimated 80 percent of all people between the ages of 11 and 30 will have an acne breakout at some point in their lives.
What is Acne
Acne is a skin condition characterized by red pimples on the skin, particularly on the face, but also sometimes appearing on the neck, back, chest, shoulders and upper arms. While it is not a serious health condition, it can cause scarring. It affects the skin’s oil glands – your pores connect to oil glands under the skin, which produce an oily substance called sebum, by a follicle. Inside of this follicle, a thin hair grows and the oil carries dead skin cells to the surface. This follicle clogging up causes a pimple.
There are varying grades of acne, from grade I – the mildest, usually consisting of blackheads or a few small red breakouts, occurring minimally and only occasionally; grade II – moderate acne, with blackheads, whiteheads, inflammation, redness, papules (small pimples), and pustules (a small blister or pimple containing pus); grade III – similar to grade II but with more swelling and a greater number of papules and pustules, and which are found over the face and neck, and chest, back or even upper arms; and grade IV – the most severe form, and also the rarest, with an extreme number of papules and pustules and more swelling.
What causes AcneWhile the root cause as to why acne affects some people more than others is not definitely known, certain factors are recognised to potentially cause acne: hormone changes in teenage years or during pregnancy, heredity, and even certain types of medicine. And there are certain influences that can make it worse: pollution and high humidity, squeezing or picking at the pimples, and very hard scrubbing of the skin.
At all times it is important to remember a few key truths – hard scrubbing, or washing too often, does not make acne go away and the irritation may in fact make it worse. So clean your skin gently a couple of times a day and pat dry afterwards. Keep your hands and hair clean – it is best not to touch your skin at all but of course we often touch our faces hundreds of times a day without thinking about it. So make sure your hands are clean and your hair is washed regularly. Oily hair brushing your face may worsen the symptoms. If you wear makeup, choose it carefully – oil-free makeup is best. While tanning may temporarily mask the acne, too much exposure to the sun can cause dryness and irritation, making breakouts more severe. And popping and squeezing does not help! It may cause a pimple to be less noticeable temporarily, but ultimately will make it stay around longer by pushing bacteria and oil further into the skin.
 Acne can be treated!
But rest assured acne can be treated, and is treated all the time, successfully – through healing existing pimples, stopping new pimples from forming and preventing scarring, the effects can be lessened, and this is what a dermatologist or skin specialist will try to do.
People suffering from acne do have a wide range of choices. There are a number of existing treatments as well as ongoing scientific research in the area. Today, people may be recommended over the counter or prescription medicines, both oral or topical treatments, pills, topical antibiotics, and creams. Before treating anything however, it is important to consult a dermatologist or skin specialist who can recommend the best course of action for you.
 Innovative at home, non-invasive treatments just for you!
Recognising the need in the market for an effective, at home, non-invasive treatment, pHformula has developed a number of innovative acne solutions and treatments. The pHformula A.C.N.E 1,2 and 3 solutions is a unique combination of actives that penetrate the pores to target the main triggering factors of acne, dissolve impactions, and control proliferation and inflammation. It penetrates slowly, working effectively particularly against whiteheads, acne scars, and oily skin.
The A.C. recovery treatment is specifically formulated to work with pHformula’s innovative skin resurfacing treatments – a dynamic and unique combination of ingredients working in synergy to speed up skin recovery, maintain overall health, and prevent any future damage.
 Gentle cleansing is important
While hard exfoliation is a no-no for those with acne, gentle cleansing is important. The pHformula E.X.F.O Cleanse is a gentle, cleansing exfoliant which removes both makeup and impurities.
 Results-oriented treatments
pHformula believes in results-oriented treatment. We understand that acne sufferers just want to make it go away, quickly and without scarring – so we have put our years of scientific knowledge and passion into ensuring our acne treatments do exactly this.
To discuss the treatment and prevention of acne and acne scarring, talk to pHformula.
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