Types of Acne, Causes, Treatment, and Scar Care

Provider: Imi-seok Theme Dermatology Clinic

Hello. This is Imiseok Theme Dermatology.

Regardless of the season, many people struggle with acne that appears as red bumps on the skin and have tried various efforts to get rid of it, but it does not go away easily.

Acne is an important skin condition because it has different types and causes, and it is important to remove the root cause by receiving acne treatment tailored to the cause.

Today, we will explain everything about acne, including the causes of long-standing acne, acne types, how to remove acne marks, and precautions.

What are the causes of acne?

The causes of acne are the result of various factors acting together, and the main causes can be divided into four categories.

The causes of forehead whiteheads, chin-line acne, and adult acne are excessive sebum secretion, excessive keratinization/swelling of the follicles, proliferation of acne bacteria, and the formation of inflammatory and foreign-body reactions.

Excessive sebum secretion is related to increased production or activity of sex hormones such as androgens or dihydrotestosterone, which causes excess sebum to be secreted from the sebaceous glands and leads to acne. Excessive keratinization/swelling of the follicles occurs when excessive keratinization of the follicles blocks the openings of the follicles with keratin or sebum clumps, causing the follicles to swell and acne to develop.

In the case of acne bacteria proliferation, the follicles become blocked by stagnant sebum and air circulation is cut off, allowing a type of acne bacteria that thrives in oxygen-free environments to proliferate and form. Inflammatory and foreign-body reactions occur when free fatty acids produced by the breakdown of sebum by acne bacteria cause inflammation in the follicles, and polymorphonuclear leukocytes gather and worsen the inflammation, resulting in acne-prone skin.

What types of acne are there?

Acne can occur not only on the face but also on various parts of the body such as the neck, chest, shoulders, back, and buttocks, and depending on the cause by area and the form of acne, it can be divided into whiteheads and pustular acne.

Whiteheads are also called "whiteheads" by another name.

The cause of whiteheads is a sudden increase in sebum for various reasons, and the rapidly increased sebum cannot be discharged smoothly and accumulates in the pores.

If whiteheads are left untreated, they are highly likely to develop into inflammatory acne, so it is better to manage them through periodic extraction. If whiteheads keep recurring, it is better to receive treatment from medical professionals. When extracting whiteheads, if you do it with unclean hands or use unhygienic tools, it can damage the surrounding skin tissue and leave acne marks or scars, so it is best to avoid doing so as much as possible.

The cause of pustular acne is a progressed form that begins from whiteheads.

When acne becomes inflamed, it is called pustular acne. Acne does not appear only as a single lesion; it can appear in various forms as pustular acne.

If you touch it with your hands often or forcefully extract it, the dermis layer of the skin can be damaged and acne scars may form, so caution is needed.

Is folliculitis acne?

Folliculitis, which occurs in various parts of the body such as the chin, neck, and scalp, is a skin condition caused by the excessive proliferation of bacteria that cause inflammation in the follicles, the sacs in the skin that surround and nourish hair.

Folliculitis is known to be caused by bacterial infections such as Staphylococcus, Demodex mites, weakened immunity, and stress.

Folliculitis symptoms often include yellow pustules, and unlike acne, comedones are not discharged when extracted. It may be mistaken for acne with inflammation, but since it is a completely different condition, it is better to visit a clinic for an accurate diagnosis and receive folliculitis treatment rather than extracting it indiscriminately.

In particular, folliculitis should be managed with the help of medical methods.

It can be treated with antibiotics or ointments, and because it is a skin condition with a high likelihood of recurrence, it is important to prevent and manage it carefully in everyday life. If left untreated, it can cause inflammation or spread to other areas, so it is better to visit a dermatology clinic and receive treatment suited to the patient.

Acne treatment methods

To get rid of acne, you can visit a dermatology clinic for acne treatment and receive acne scaling, or if laser treatment is used, the main cause of acne can be selectively destroyed by targeting the sebaceous glands. In addition, by selecting a laser that is suitable for the skin condition, red acne marks and pigmentation can be treated together.

Agnes laser, which is effective for acne treatment, selectively removes the sebaceous glands to treat the root cause without damaging other skin tissue. It is a laser that helps destroy the fundamental cause of skin problems and prevent acne recurrence.

It is applied to various types of acne such as adult acne, recurrent acne, nodular acne, and pustular acne, and it is also an effective laser procedure for removing whiteheads.

TheraClear, an acne laser that also treats the root cause of acne, has received FDA approval for improving acne on all skin types, and its advantages are rapid treatment effects and a small number of sessions.

It pulls the skin into the tip to remove impurities and waste, cleanses the inside of the pores, and removes the causes of acne. By directing laser energy onto the skin drawn close to the tip, it helps reduce pigmentation, redness, pore size, and sebum.

IPL laser, which helps improve various skin concerns such as freckles, blemishes, and vascular conditions, can simultaneously treat separate conditions such as capillary dilation, pigmentation, and enlarged pores by delivering multiple wavelengths at the same time.

Compared with general laser procedures, it minimizes the risk of skin damage and can effectively improve acne scars.

In addition, ART laser is a laser toning treatment that improves melasma and acne, normalizes the function of the sebaceous glands, which are the root cause of acne, and is also an effective laser procedure for melasma and pigmentation.

Pladuo, which provides excellent skin regeneration effects through dual plasma, uses two types of toning—R toning using argon and N toning using nitrogen—to improve the causes of acne that have been bothering you and treat acne. It also induces skin regeneration to improve skin texture, elasticity, fine wrinkles, pores, skin tone, melasma, and redness by using dedicated tips according to different skin concerns, creating healthy skin.

Vbeam Perfecta, known as a laser for treating facial redness, is excellent for facial redness, but it is also a laser that can comprehensively improve acne by acting on acne bacteria. It is an effective procedure not only for treating the causes of acne but also for treating the marks and red spots left after acne treatment, while minimizing stimulation to normal skin tissue and treating the problematic concerns.

Precautions before and after acne treatment

1. It is better to avoid direct exposure to ultraviolet rays on the day of the procedure.
2. During treatment, it is better to avoid using scrubs and going to saunas or jjimjilbangs.
3. For about one or two days after the procedure, the treated area may appear red.
4. If you feel severe itching or heat after the procedure, do not scratch or squeeze it; instead, visit the clinic for an examination.
5. For healthy skin, it is good to make a habit of consistently using moisturizer and sunscreen.

We have explained the causes and treatment methods for whiteheads, pustular acne, and folliculitis, which is often mistaken for acne.

Acne caused by excessive sebum secretion, excessive keratinization and swelling of the follicles, proliferation of acne bacteria, and inflammatory and foreign-body reactions can be confused with folliculitis caused by bacterial infection and Demodex mites.

For acne treatment methods, consult a medical professional.

It is important to receive customized care suited to your individual skin symptoms, and to prevent recurrence, everyday lifestyle habits are also important, so please follow the precautions carefully.

If you are curious about how to get rid of back acne, depressed acne scars, adult acne treatment, or pustular acne management, it is better to visit Imi-seok Theme Dermatology, a dermatology clinic for acne, to receive acne care and dermatology acne treatment.

Imi-seok Theme Dermatology continuously adds and replaces premium laser treatment equipment for more effective treatment results, and provides reliable treatment with extensive clinical experience of more than 600,000 cases. Treatment programs are planned according to diagnosis and prescription, and 1:1 customized treatment is carried out according to the patient's condition.

Because procedures and treatment must always begin with a diagnosis, we hope you will find the treatment method that suits you through an accurate consultation and achieve healthy skin.

Would you like to see the Agnes laser procedure video from Imi-seok Theme Dermatology?

Please check it through the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Up1XpkRcvM

At Imi-seok Theme Dermatology, located near Sinsa Station in Gangnam, we provide high-level treatment with various devices.

If you are concerned about skin problems, feel free to make a consultation appointment through the KakaoTalk channel or the website :-)