Non-inflammatory acne: comedonal Acne What it is: Blackheads(pores blocked and capped with a blackened mass of skin debris) and whiteheads(closed blocked pores).
Treatment: Creams or facial washes with ingredients like benzoyl peroxide or fruit acids unclog pores.
Over the counter scrubs like papaya scrubs are fine.
Topical retinol prevents both from forming.
Inflammatory acne: mild acne What it is: Blackheads, whiteheads as well as papules and pustules are present.
A papule is a small, solid elevation of the skin that appears red while a pustule is a small, yellow pus-filled pimple.
Treatment: Topical antibiotics like clindamycin or erythromicin or treatments like blue light or IPL Moderate acne What it is: Skin is characterized by more painful and deep-rooted inflamed lesions like bigger pustules.
Treatments: A medical director of Wen & Weng medical group advised that in addition to topical therapies, oral medication can be used.
Antibiotics like doxycycline and minocycline are effective but acne could recur when they are stopped.
Severe acne What it is: Skin may be covered with many small pustules but no big nodules.
Nodules are like papules in that they are white and dome-shaped but bigger.
Treatment: Patients with severe acne usually use Roacutane, which is an oral vitamin A derivative that shrinks the sebaceous gland.
The drug should be taken for between six months and a year and during that time, the patient should avoid becoming pregnant and may also experience increased cholesterol levels and transient liver dysfunction as side effects.
Those with just a few nodules may be administered an intra-lesional steroid injection which flattens the nodule within 48 hours.