I am going to discuss how to reduce inflammation in acne. In this post, we will cover what inflamed acne is, its causes, the importance of reducing inflammation, and techniques to do so. If you are struggling with inflamed acne, then this post is for you.
Inflamed acne occurs deeper in the skin and can result in pain and scarring. Individuals with inflamed acne may experience swelling, pus-filled pimples, or larger, deep cysts and nodules.
How does a pimple form?
We have hair follicles on our skin, and each hair follicle is connected to a sebaceous gland. The sebaceous gland produces sebum (oil) to nourish the hair follicle and moisturize the skin to keep it supple.
There are bacteria called p.acnes living in the hair follicle, which occur naturally on our skin and are part of our skin microbiome. The bacteria feeds off the sebaceous oil to survive.
When a person struggles with acne, they produce excess oil. This excess oil makes the dead skin cells in the top layer of our skin sticky, causing them to close off the pores and preventing oxygen from entering. This creates an ideal anaerobic environment for the bacteria to grow, multiply, and produce waste products that irritate the lining of the pores.
The irritation signals the immune system to send white blood cells to the area to fight the bacterial infection, triggering inflammation, and the white/yellow pus seen in pimples is the result of the white blood cells fighting the infection.
The severity of the infection will determine the intensity of the inflammation, often accompanied by tenderness, itching, and pain. In adults, there may not be an overproduction of oil, but hormones could cause the produced oil to become thicker and stickier, leading to clogged pores. Inflammation can compromise the skin's barrier and result in sensitivity, so when treating this type of skin, we need to address the sensitivity first. A compromised barrier also leads to transepidermal water loss, causing dehydration. Dehydration can lead to increased oil production, creating a vicious cycle.
Treatment
When dealing with this type of skin, it's important to treat it as if it is sensitive. The ingredients used to treat acne are highly potent and can cause a lot of irritation to sensitive skin.
First, we need to reduce the inflammation and pain, and then repair the skin's barrier. This will help to prevent the skin from losing water and becoming dehydrated. As a result, it will also reduce the amount of oil produced by the skin.
Failing to do this can result in the active acne-treating ingredients penetrating the skin too quickly, which can cause tingling, burning, and discomfort due to the impaired skin barrier.
When introducing active ingredients to treat acne, it's important to introduce them one at a time slowly, as there may be underlying inflammation in the skin.
It's important to remember that stress and diet can contribute to inflammation in the body, and our skin reflects our overall well-being. Ensure that you have a healthy, balanced diet and manage your stress levels to reduce inflammation in your body and improve the health of your skin.