The period of adulthood is a real test for the human body. Hormonal processes occurring at this moment are accompanied by rapid growth and changes in appearance. The skin is also susceptible to such changes and not always they pass without a trace.
Post-acne. What it is
Teenage acne, which was subjected to mechanical stress and inept treatment, usually develops into a severe or chronic form, the so-called acne. The lack of qualified treatment for a rash of this form leads to serious consequences, which cosmetologists call post-acne. What it is? First of all, this is deformation of the skin and a decrease in its ability to recover. And this, in turn, does not allow the skin to regenerate on its own. As a result, it has an unattractive appearance, which causes physiological and psychological discomfort.
Signs
Typical manifestations of post-acne on the face are:
- Dilation of skin pores resulting from improper functioning of the sebaceous glands. The mouths of the latter cease to contract, which leads to compaction of the pore walls.
- Erythema - redness of the skin tissue and the expansion of capillaries in places that were affected by acne. Caused by circulatory failure under them.
- Excessive keratinization of the skin is due to blockage of the mouths of the sebaceous glands and the formation of an excessively rough protective layer of the skin.
- Pigmentation is caused by stagnant processes in the affected areas of the skin.
- Scarring. The most complex form of deformity of the skin is caused by inflammatory and purulent processes that accompany a severe form of acne, as well as untimely treatment of the sebaceous glands, inept independent actions when opening gums, cosmetic procedures and peeling carried out without taking into account the characteristics of the disease. Cicatricial formations are hypertrophic atrophic and colloidal, hypertrophic (stand out above the surface of the skin and are formed as a result of excess regenerative tissue). Atrophic, on the contrary, have the form of recesses due to a lack of connective skin tissue. Colloidal are a dense growth of tissue that goes beyond the boundaries of the former purulent inflammation.
Tips
To understand how post-acne manifests itself, what it is, we already understood that we should know what is the degree of change and deformation. The severity of skin acne, as well as the duration of the disease and treatment methods, depend on this. The sooner patients turn to a qualified specialist, the better the result. So, as at a young age, the skin has a tendency to quickly recover. Self-medication without proper examination or ignoring the problem will lead to complication and serious damage to the skin.
Preparations
How to treat post-acne? For example, with enlarged pores, the use of chemicals that reduce the active work of the sebaceous glands will help. The use of retinol and retinolic acid helps to reduce the formation of excess keratinized skin layer, to get rid of old cells and to reduce the secretions produced by the sebaceous glands, their blockages disappear, and the ducts are cleaned. This is a fairly effective way. But it requires a duration of use and the results can be seen no earlier than a few months. Superficial peeling with the help of preparations containing acid is able to achieve higher and faster results. But this is a somewhat painful and traumatic method. The skin needs a rest for a couple of weeks between treatments. The result will be visible in a month and a half.
Vasodilator drugs
What else is the treatment for post-acne? The use of vasodilator drugs helps get rid of persistent redness of the skin. Means containing camphor, nicotinic acid or menthol, improve the blood circulation of the upper layers of the skin, and contribute to the narrowing of the capillaries, nullify inflammation. Such procedures when combined with surface chemical peeling and preparations that strengthen the walls of blood vessels, give a high result, the skin condition improves markedly.
Grinding
How to remove post-acne scars? There are several treatments available. Their use depends on the type and depth of cicatricial changes. Hypertrophic ones are removed by grinding, removing excessive growths of regenerative tissue from the skin surface, and the atrophic ones are lifted by injection with a filler.
Chemical peeling in the fight against post-acne. Treatment reviews
If there are no contraindications, a chemical peeling procedure is carried out using drugs based on various types of acid. Their content and percentage are selected based on the complexity of the task. In the presence of minor skin defects, the chemical cleaner has a small percentage of fruit acid. More extensive lesions are corrected using a composition with a high chemical content. It can be carbolic or trichloroacetic acid.
The action of such drugs leads to regenerative and anti-aging processes. Chemical peeling is used to remove scar acne. Reviews about this method are usually positive. Patients note that after applying this procedure, the scars became less noticeable, and the skin evened out.
Dermabrasion
This procedure is carried out using fine dust of aluminum oxide. The composition containing it is applied to the skin. Using a vacuum device, micro-grinding of the affected area is performed. After the session, a break of seven to ten days is required. As a rule, a course treatment consisting of several sessions gives a good result.
Laser method in the fight against post-acne. Treatment reviews
Laser treatment occurs due to the removal of fibrous growths with a beam. During this procedure, irregularities in the skin surface are scanned and ground. Laser treatment of acne has a lot of advantages. The advantages of this method in its point impact, healthy tissues undergo minimal processing. In the process of laser resurfacing, excess tissue is removed and collagen synthesis is stimulated, which leads to the growth of new healthy layers of the skin. This method is very popular for its effectiveness, especially with the use of a CO2 laser in getting rid of cicatricial acne. Even after one session, a significant positive result is visible.
Collagen will help
To treat skin defects caused by atrophic scars, injections with a filler from collagen or adipose tissue of the patient are used. Filler is introduced under the deformed section. As a result, the bottom of the fossa rises one level with the general skin. The disadvantage of this method is its short duration. After six months, the filler resolves and the procedure has to be repeated.
Surgical methods
It is necessary to resort to the help of surgeons if the above methods did not help, cleaved or inverted scars are cut to subcutaneous fat tissue. Then, depending on the area of the lesion, choose a method of eliminating it, up to a skin graft. Scars with a depressed character are cut, and due to the formation of a new regenerative growth, the skin rises under them to a general level. Wounds heal within a few weeks.
Dyschromia
We know a disease such as post-acne, what it is, we figured it out. One cannot help but recall another problem caused by this disease, which is dyschromia.
What is she like? This is a violation of skin pigmentation. Spots can be hyperpegmented or depigmented. The first occur with excessive formation of melanin. For treatment, drugs that inhibit the formation of melanin are used. They include copper, iron, zinc, kojic acid, retinoic acid, arbutin. A good whitening effect is provided by a comprehensive treatment combining the use of the above funds and peeling procedures with fruit acid. The same methods will be required for depigmentation. Only healthy areas of skin are whitened, in order to even out the overall tone.
Home treatment
Treatment of post-acne at home is possible only if it has an unsuccessful and severe form, and after completely getting rid of acne. Treatment is carried out with daily care and skin cleansing. Different methods are used: from washing with various herbal infusions, vinegar and tar soap to peeling with a substance based on fruit acid.
Conclusion
Now you know such a thing as post-acne, what it is, we figured it out. It can be concluded that the consequences are much easier to cope with if you have a timely and qualified approach to the treatment of acne.