Acne is one of the most poorly understood disorders on the planet. A fallacy that has been running rampant for decades is that bacteria causes acne. Many came to honor this notion as fact, and parents with pimple prone kids often forced them to thoroughly cleanse their face with soap in belief that it would eliminate the problem. Those who suffer from acne are should know that bacteria has no initial role in blemishes. While cleansing is indeed an important part to any treatment, it is utterly ineffective on its own.
Bacteria plays an important role in acne blemishes, however, it is not until the hair follicle becomes clogged that the p. acnes bacteria make their debut. Our facial skin contains a large number of pores, which are openings to the hair follicle. The hair follicle acts as a duct through which our body can excrete sebum. The sebum rises to the surface of the skin, allowing it to keep moisture intact.
When sebum can no longer flow freely because of an obstruction, problems start to surface. The skin is typically able to replenish itself by getting rid of dead cells. When the shedding cycle is somehow altered, the dead skin remains on the skin and starts to plug pores. The hair follicle now begins to collect sebum and the acne bacteria become highly active. With plenty of food (sebum) they multiply in tremendous numbers.
The bacterial activity that begins to erupt inside the pore triggers an immune response. The lesion now becomes inflamed and takes on the characteristic look of a whitehead, or a closed lesion. Our natural instinct is to pop these pimples, which more times than not worsens the problem. The bacteria is embedded further into the pore, and the likelihood of contaminating nearby pores is also great.
Acne treatments, above all, should focus on the primary culprit which is an improper skin turnover cycle. Prescription medications tend to be very good at treating this, such as topical retinoids. Dermatologists usually prescribe topicals for the bacteria and the normalize shedding. When the acne is unresponsive, medications that control sebum production are brought in. Overall, prescription products tend to be much more effective than store bought ones. If over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide does not suffice for your case of acne, you should visit a dermatologist.
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