Post – acne
Post—acne is a complex of skin changes that occur after the treatment of acne for a long time. Acne is one of the most common cosmetic diseases and its consequences are also not uncommon. At the same time, teenagers are at risk. This disease is characterized by inflammatory processes that damage the dermal and epidermal layers. As a result of these injuries, signs of post-acne appear, which can have a very rough and unaesthetic form.
The content of the article:
Post – acne manifestations
Methods of post-acne correction with pore expansion
Methods of correction of persistent erythema in post-acne
Prognosis in post-acne treatment
Post – acne
In most cases, acne is not accompanied by an inflammatory process, which can appear in case of improper treatment. In this regard, the only effective method of preventing the disease is its timely treatment. The most common causes of post-acne will be incorrectly selected methods of treatment or its late onset, a long course of the disease, various skin inflammations, damage to the skin layers due to unskilled removal of acne.
Post – acne manifestations
Clinical manifestations of post-acne are difficult not to notice, since the disease is accompanied by pronounced defects. Namely, the following skin changes are characteristic of post-acne:
pore expansion;
stagnant spots;
scar formation;
the appearance of severe redness;
pigmentation;
uneven skin texture.
If the patient has hyperfunction of the sebaceous glands, in this case, the excess secret gradually begins to accumulate in the ducts, where it mixes with the remnants of cosmetics. As a result of this pathological process, the walls of the outflow begin to gradually thicken, the stratum corneum develops excessively and this eventually leads to skin irregularities.
Improper treatment of pustules, cysts and foci of inflammation leads to the appearance of pronounced cyanotic spots. The cause of this process is a violation of blood circulation. Scars are usually formed due to mechanical action on inflamed areas, as well as attempts to independently open comedones. The degree of manifestation of certain defects depends primarily on the age of the patient. For example, in adolescents, the disease usually does not lead to the appearance of noticeable defects due to active skin regeneration.
Expansion of pores. The expansion of pores is an invariable attribute of post-acne. As already mentioned, the activity of the sebaceous glands invariably leads to the accumulation of secretions. Therefore, the texture of the skin changes significantly, as a result, enlarged pores become very noticeable on it.
Persistent erythema. Pronounced redness on the skin is a noticeable cosmetic defect, which is very difficult to disguise with cosmetics. There are such redness due to problems with blood microcirculation. Persistent erythema becomes especially noticeable in winter. You can get rid of redness only with the help of special treatment.
Post-acne scars. The appearance of scars on the skin can provoke various cosmetic procedures that are used to eliminate inflammation on the skin. Most often, skin injury, as a result of which noticeable scars are formed, occurs after mechanical cleansing of the face and electrocoagulation.
Methods of post-acne correction with pore expansion
If you are interested in how to remove post-acne, pay attention to the fact that different methods are used to eliminate various manifestations of this disease. You can get rid of enlarged pores by prescribing special drugs that can reduce the activity of the sebaceous glands. For example, such drugs include retinoic acid and retinol. At the same time, preference is often given to retinol, since it has a more gentle effect on the skin — it does not provoke peeling or redness. It is also important that retinol is able to significantly reduce the stratum corneum and slow down the activity of the sebaceous glands. However, it is worth remembering that treatment with this drug can take a long time — from a month to a year.
It is also possible to eliminate various skin defects caused by the expansion of pores by getting rid of the excessive development of the stratum corneum — hyperkeratosis. The most effective way to eliminate this pathological process is acid peeling. As a result of the active action of acids on the skin, its stratum corneum gradually thinns.
It is also important that fruit acids are able to clean the sebaceous glands well from fatty secretions and other contaminants like cosmetics. At the same time, it is not necessary to undergo a peeling course in the salon. It is enough to wipe the skin daily with acid of natural origin. However, it is necessary to monitor the duration of the use of acids. To avoid addiction to drugs, it is necessary to periodically stop treatment for several months. To achieve a more noticeable and pronounced result, you can use salon procedures. Namely, with the help of a surface peeling, you can quickly improve the texture of the skin and narrow the pores.
Methods of correction of persistent erythema in post-acne
Persistent redness of the skin is a very noticeable defect, which is incredibly difficult to hide. However, there are ways to eliminate this defect. For example, the patient may be prescribed medications that improve blood supply to the upper layers of the skin. These include medicines based on camphor, ichthyol, nicotinic acid, menthol, isopropyl alcohol. As a result of the use of these drugs, the capillaries gradually begin to narrow, become more elastic, paresis and inflammation disappear.
In order to achieve a more noticeable and rapid result, it is recommended to prescribe cosmetic procedures together with medical treatment. The most effective in this case will be the acid peeling procedure. Vitamin C, which is part of the peeling, has a resorbing, vasoconstricting and depigmenting effect on the skin. Therefore, as a result of the procedure, the condition of the skin improves significantly, its protective properties increase, cell regeneration accelerates.
Various injection techniques — mesotherapy, ozone therapy, biorevitalization – have also shown their effectiveness in the treatment of acne. All these techniques are aimed at improving the elasticity and microcirculation of the skin. To eliminate the effects of acne, various physiotherapy procedures are also actively used. Namely, the doctor may prescribe darsonvalization, drug electrophoresis, ultrasound and cryotherapy, light therapy, vacuum massage. To activate metabolic processes, thermal therapeutic procedures such as infrared radiation, compresses, thermal masks are prescribed.
Correction of scars in post-acne
In most cases, scars caused by acne are treated for a long time. At the same time, the result is not always positive. Therefore, it is much better to avoid the appearance of pronounced scars than to treat them later. To do this, it is worth starting therapy for inflammation of the sebaceous glands in a timely manner. Otherwise, if the scars have already appeared, the treatment boils down to making them as inconspicuous as possible. The treatment method is selected depending on the severity of the defect and the age of the patient.
Median (TSA) and deep peels
Peels are rightfully considered one of the most effective and effective means of combating most skin defects. With the help of a median or deep peeling, even deep scars and stagnant post-acne spots can be removed. This happens due to the effect of a certain concentration of acid on the skin, which removes the upper stratum corneum, after which tissue necrosis occurs. At the site of acid exposure, the skin gradually darkens, after which a crust is formed, which then disappears.
Due to this process, the process of skin regeneration is activated in patients, which eventually leads to a reduction of scars and the elimination of other minor defects caused by acne. After several peeling sessions, the skin at the site of acid exposure becomes healthier and acquires a natural shade.
For peeling, a solution of trichloroacetic acid is usually used, which is applied to the skin for 15 minutes. Patients with high skin sensitivity may experience pain syndrome during the procedure. You can get rid of pain by applying ice to the site of acid exposure or taking an analgesic drug. It is worth noting that after peeling the patient, hyperemia and swelling of the skin may occur, which eventually pass by themselves. Phenolic acid is usually used for deep peeling. However, this procedure is carried out exclusively in a hospital.
Laser skin resurfacing
To eliminate post-acne scars, the appearance of which was provoked by prolonged treatment of acne, a laser resurfacing procedure is usually used. Under the influence of a laser beam, even the oldest and most pronounced scar is removed in layers. At the same time, the laser affects the skin in the same way as peeling. After the procedure, the skin goes through several stages of healing.
The main advantage of laser skin resurfacing is the possibility of the most accurate laser exposure to the affected area. It is worth not forgetting about the consequences of using a laser. In patients after a laser resurfacing session, complications such as skin swelling, redness and irritation are often observed. Since the procedure is quite painful, it is usually performed under general or local anesthesia. According to the time, one session of laser skin resurfacing takes about an hour.
Collagen injections and adipose tissue transplantation
To eliminate small-sized and not very old scars, a cosmetologist can prescribe collagen injections. It is worth noting that collagen is the building material of which connective tissue consists. Therefore, it is not surprising that slowing down its synthesis leads to the appearance of a variety of skin imperfections. The introduction of collagen injections under the skin allows them to fill all the voids in the skin and thereby smooth out the scars.
Usually, animal collagen is used to eliminate small scars. Much less often, plant and marine collagen are chosen for this purpose. It is important that the procedure has a pronounced prolonged effect, since the result from it persists for six months. It is also possible to get rid of deep scars. To do this, a small amount of adipose tissue is taken from the patient and injected into the affected area. In this case, adipose tissue usually resolves within a year.
Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion is understood as mechanical grinding of the skin, during which it is erased. Namely, during this hardware procedure, the cosmetologist removes the surface layer of the skin with the help of special brushes and nozzles of the grinding machine. As a result, during the healing of the damaged area of the skin, its relief changes and scars are eliminated. However, dermabrasion is not indicated for all types of scars. For example, it should not be used to eliminate scars with a wide base, as they can become more pronounced.
This procedure is also not recommended for patients with dark skin, as they may experience hyperpigmentation. There is also a huge risk of infection and even the appearance of keloid scars. Of course, dermabrasion is a painful procedure, so it is carried out under local anesthesia. Immediately after its completion, the patient may experience complications such as swelling and abrasions.
An equally unpleasant complication after dermabrasion can be called the formation of a crust at the site of skin damage, which eventually disappears itself. At the same time, it is strongly not recommended to delete it yourself. You can speed up the process of getting rid of this crust by applying bandages to the site of exposure of the apparatus.
A more gentle procedure is considered microdermabrasion, which is carried out by exposing the skin to aluminum oxide crystals. Its main advantage is considered to be safety, since complications appear extremely rarely after it. However, to achieve the desired result, you will have to undergo a course of procedures.
Surgical methods
It is not always possible to get rid of pronounced and very noticeable manifestations of post-acne with the help of the above methods. In such cases, it is necessary to resort to surgical techniques. For example, large scars are removed by excision. After the end of the operation, a suture is applied to the excision site or skin grafting is done by applying the patient’s own tissue. Usually, such operations are recommended to remove scars that have arisen at the site of fistulas. After the operation, the skin usually heals completely in a few weeks.
In some cases, scar pruning may be prescribed. The procedure involves cutting the skin under the scar in order for the new scar to slightly lift the old one and thereby make it less noticeable against the background of healthy skin. To get the desired effect, you need to take a course of three sessions.
Prognosis in post-acne treatment
Post-acne is a serious aesthetic disadvantage, since various defects caused by acne are very noticeable. Most of these defects can be eliminated. However, there are also skin imperfections that cannot be eliminated by conservative methods. For example, medicines, cosmetics, injections do not work on scars. Moreover, sometimes even with the help of radical methods it is not possible to completely get rid of the scar.
Usually, to eliminate very pronounced and noticeable scars, the doctor prescribes a whole range of procedures. Treatment at the same time lasts quite a long time. It is proved that the combination of several techniques gives a more noticeable and faster result. For example, to eliminate scarring of the skin, you can use the technique of excision of scars and subsequent skin resurfacing. Post-acne is characterized by the appearance of different types of scars on the skin. Therefore, doctors often have to use several methods of removing scarring at once.
It is also necessary to remember about contraindications for the treatment of scars. These include:
the presence of an inflammatory process;
hypersensitivity of the skin;
herpes;
taking some medications.
Since scars are a rather complex defect, which is very difficult to get rid of, it is not surprising that the process of their treatment is lengthy. The process of scar removal is based on deliberate damage to the integrity of the skin, subsequent epithelialization and the formation of a new scar in place of the old one.
It must be remembered that each of the techniques used to treat scars has certain contraindications. Therefore, the doctor needs to choose the most optimal method of eliminating the defect, which would not cause serious complications of the patient’s health. Of course, all these procedures take a lot of time. It is also worth remembering that the most traumatic procedures for the skin should be carried out only in a hospital under the supervision of a qualified cosmetologist.
Getting rid of other manifestations of post-acne is much easier. Enlarged pores can be eliminated by taking a complex of medications. Persistent redness of the face is also treated with medication. To prevent possible complications after post-acne treatment, it is advisable to follow all the doctor’s instructions on skin care before and after the procedure. Most of the procedures that are prescribed for post-acne removal are not recommended in summer and spring to avoid possible hyperpigmentation.
If the procedures were carried out in the summer, before going outside, it is necessary to apply sunscreen to the skin. Of course, post-acne is treated for quite a long time and difficult. That is why it will be much easier to prevent the disease than to get rid of it later. First of all, it is not recommended to remove black dots and pimples yourself, as this can cause skin defects. Serious consequences can also be prevented if you consult a doctor in time for advice.
