Most people who are challenged with acne only want a quick fix, so that they can clear up their skin in a hurry.  But what has caused your skin to have this challenge to begin with?

What Causes Acne in Black Skin?

Some will say that the cause of acne is not fully understood but hormones and bacteria are clearly part of the equation.

Hormone production in teens and adults are one of the challenges of acne.  As teenagers, during the onslaught of puberty boys and girls produce high levels of androgen’s.  This is the male sex hormone that includes testosterone.

Testosterone signals your body to make more sebum.  Sebum is the oil that’s produced in your skin’s oil glands.

In spite of androgen’s and testosterone, some physicians believe that acne has more to do with how a person’s skin will respond to an increase in sebum production.

Sebum levels that might cause widespread breakout or acute cystic acne in one person might result in a pimple or two in someone else.

Bacteria on the other hand are formed when excess sebum clogs the opening of hair follicles … especially those on your face, neck, chest and back.

When bacteria grow in these clogged follicles, this is when you see blackheads or whiteheads begin to form on your skin’s surface.  This is known as non-inflammatory acne.

There are times when clogging causes your follicle wall to break down under the pressure of the buildup.  When this happens, the sebum leaks into nearby tissue and forms what’s known as a pustule. You know … the ones that you just want to squeeze and pop because you can see the pus build up.

How Is Acne Typically Treated?

Most acne patients are given oral antibiotics, topical antibiotics and/or some type of prescription retinoid to try. Don’t forget you’ve got your gift of melanin and when caring for black skin, melanin must take top priority in any type of treatment.

You can’t consider squeezing or having anything squeezed without running the risk of scarring.

Oral antibiotics at best are a temporary solution.  Research has shown that using oral antibiotics has led to the development of resistant strains of bacteria.  In addition antibiotics do not address the root cause of acne.

Topical antibiotics are really just a temporary fix for acne.  They don’t resolve the dead skin cell problem and therefore won’t be an effective long-term solution in managing acne.

Retinoid would seem to be the logical prescription for acne after all it prevents the root cause of acne which is microcomedo.  Microcomedo is when you have an enlarged hair follicle filled with oil and bacteria.  It can be invisible under your skin’s surface and forms a plug that obstructs the out flow of sebum (oil).

One problem with retinoid is that some patients are given the cream form of retinoid that can often make their skin so sensitive and irritated that they abandon using it before it becomes effective.  And … you cannot go out into the sun.

Remember …

Acne makes its grand entrance when hormones flair up whether it’s during puberty or menopause.  So young or mature your skin runs the risk of breakouts, blackheads, pustules and scarring.

Dedicated To Your Beauty,

Juliette Samuel

Esthetician/Author/Publisher

Nyraju Skin Care