• Males tend to have more severe acne due to high levels of testosterone.
• Males tend to breakout between the onset of puberty to around 24 years of age. Females tend to get acne a little later than males and can get their first breakout as late as their 20s, all the way until menopause.
• Acne is sometimes confused with staph or a fungal infection. One way to tell the difference is that the staph will not have symmetrical borders compared to pimples.
• Treatment starts with proper cleansing. Avoid over-drying the skin and mechanical scrubs. A cleanser with gentle fruit acids is a good option as the pH will be acidic, supporting the acid mantle and barrier defense system.
• Benzoyl peroxide only helps short-term. Thereafter, higher concentrations are needed to get the same effect, with numerous side effects, including dryness, redness, and sun-sensitivity.
• Salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid, works deep in the sebaceous gland to kill bacteria and exfoliate. High concentrations can lead to dryness and irritation.
• Low concentrations of alpha hydroxy or fruit acids can gently exfoliate the skin and reduce the bacterial count without causing redness and irritation. As molecules are bigger, they are more superficial in their actions.
• Topical vitamin A or the retinoid group help with exfoliation, cellular renewal, sebum control, and prevention of acne scarring and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
• Retinoids effective in treating acne are retinol, retinyl propionate, retinyl aldehyde, and retinyl acetate.
• Vitamin C helps with acne scarring, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and decreasing inflammation due to its antioxidant activity.