According to the American Academy of Dermatology, acne affects upwards of 50 million Americans annually. It’s considered to be the most common skin condition that prompts individuals to seek treatment with an estimated 3 billion annually spent on addressing the condition. While acne can affect individuals at any age, it is more prominent amongst adolescents during puberty and women who are going through hormonal changes.
What does this mean for your beauty location? You will undoubtedly come across clients who suffer from this embarrassing condition. Not only is acne visible to the outside world, but it can also have psychological ramifications as well. In fact, individuals who suffer from acne have a higher likelihood of suffering from depression and anxiety.
In the latest Artemis Beauty Survey we gathered insights from over 1200 people who shared their candid thoughts on topics pertaining to acne, mental health, and aesthetic procedures. Our survey findings illustrated that Millennials were the demographic most affected by depression and anxiety as a result of their acne—although anyone who suffers from acne can grapple with these emotional issues.
What Is Acne?
Acne is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition that results in spots and pimples most commonly found on the face, neck, back, chest, arms, and shoulders and can be categorized as either active or inactive. It occurs when hair follicles under the skin become clogged with sebum and dead skin cells. To understand what causes acne we first need to understand the skin’s anatomy.
Sebaceous glands are tiny glands located near the surface of the skin. These glands are attached to hair follicles which are small holes in the skin where an individual hair grows. The purpose of these glands is to lubricate the hair and skin with an oily substance known as sebum so that the skin and hair don’t dry out. In cases of acne, the glands produce too much sebum which mixes with dead skin cells and forms a plug in the hair follicle. If the plug is close to the surface of the skin, it can bulge outwards creating a whitehead, whereas if the plugged follicle is open to the skin it creates a blackhead.
Papules (small red or pink bumps), pustules (pimples that are pus-filled), comedones (small flesh-colored, white or dark bumps that the make the skin look bumpy), nodules (severe acne that can be painful and lead to scarring), and cysts (painful, pus-filled pimples found deep in the skin), which are all forms of acne vulgaris, occur when harmless bacteria (that normally live on the skin) contaminate and infect the plugged follicles.
What Is The Difference Between Active Acne & Non-Active Acne?
Now that we understand what acne is, there are two classifications of the condition. Active acne is a classification signified by the presence of comedones, inflammatory papules, and pustules. Acne that is under control, also known as inactive acne, is a classification of acne where there are no comedones, inflammatory papules, or pustules present.
How Do You Treat Active Acne?
While active acne can clear up on its own, if your clients have chronic breakouts, the condition will most likely not resolve itself. To worsen matters, if your clients don’t have their active acne treated, they may end up with acne scars that could make their anxiety and depression even worse—especially since the scars last well beyond the breakouts. At the end of the day, most cases of active acne can be treated and controlled. It is a matter of figuring out what treatment options are most appropriate for your clients and their skin.
Luckily, there are a variety of treatment options for active acne that you can recommend to your clients that range from over-the-counter options like benzoyl peroxide, to prescribed medications like oral antibiotics, and Accutane for example, to kill bacteria. Other treatment options include facials, a skincare routine consisting of products specifically created to address acne, LED light therapy, lasers, chemical peels, and other specialized non-invasive treatments, like plasma therapy.
For more information about how to treat active acne with non-invasive plasma therapy, visit our partner website plasonus.com – treatments.
