Acne is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition that causes spots and pimples, especially on the face, shoulders, back, neck, chest, and upper arms.

It is the most common skin condition in that affects a lot of people. Acne commonly occurs during puberty, when the sebaceous glands activate, but it can occur at any age. It is not dangerous, but it can leave skin scars.Acne is a skin disorder that occurs when oil and dead skin cells clog your hair follicles. It causes pimples, whiteheads, and blackheads. Teenagers are the most affected by acne, yet it affects people of all ages. 

Although there are effective acne treatments available, acne can be stubborn. The pimples and bumps take a long time to cure, and as one starts to fade, another appears. 

Acne can cause emotional anguish as well as skin scarring, depending on its severity. The earlier you begin treatment, the lesser your chances of developing such issues.

Acne pimples vary in size, colour, and level of pain.

•   Blackheads:  Clearly visible, they are black and appear on the surface of the skin
• Papules: Small, usually pink bumps, these are visible on the surface of the skin
• Pustules: Clearly visible on the surface of the skin. They are red at their base and have pus at the top
• Nodules: Clearly visible on the surface of the skin. They are large, solid, painful pimples that are embedded deep in the skin
• Cysts: Clearly visible on the surface of the skin. They are painful and filled with pus. Cysts can cause scars.

Acne is caused by four basic factors: 

• Excess sebum (oil) production 
• Oil and dead skin cells block hair follicles 
• BacteriasInflammation 
• Because these areas of skin contain the greatest oil (sebaceous) glands, acne usually occurs on the face, forehead, chest, upper back, and shoulders. Oil glands are associated with hair follicles. 
  

A whitehead can form when the follicular wall bulges. Alternatively, the plug could be exposed to the surface and darken, resulting in a blackhead. A blackhead may appear to be dirt trapped in the pores. The pore, however, is clogged with bacteria and oil, which turns dark when exposed to air.

When blocked hair follicles become inflamed or infected with germs, pimples appear as elevated red spots with a white core. Blockages and inflammation deep within the hair follicles cause cystlike lumps to form beneath the skin's surface. Other pores in your skin, such as sweat gland openings, are normally unaffected by acne. 

Acne can be triggered or worsened by a variety of factors, including: 

• Hormonal shifts Androgens are hormones that induce the sebaceous glands to expand and produce more sebum in both males and girls during puberty. Hormone fluctuations, especially in women, can cause breakouts in their forties and fifties. 
• Medications in particular. Drugs containing corticosteroids, for example, and testosterone 
• Diet. According to studies, eating certain foods, such as carbohydrate-rich foods like bread, bagels, and chips, might aggravate acne. More research is needed to see if adhering to specific dietary limitations can help those with acne. 
• Stress. Stress does not cause acne, but it might aggravate it if you already have it.

Treatment 

Ask your doctor about prescription-strength acne drugs if you've used over-the-counter (nonprescription) acne products for several weeks and they haven't worked. A dermatologist can help you in the following ways: 

• Control acne. 
• Avoid scarring and other skin damage 
• Reduce the visibility of scars 

Acne treatments reduce oil production and puffiness while also treating bacterial infections. Most prescription acne medications take four to eight weeks to show benefits. Acne can last for months or even years before it clears up completely.

Your doctor's treatment plan will be based on your age, the type and severity of your acne, and how much time you're ready to devote to it.

For example, for several weeks, you may need to wash and apply treatments to the affected area twice a day. Topical treatments and drugs taken orally (oral meds) are frequently used together. Because of the potential of side effects, treatment choices for pregnant women are restricted. 

Discuss the risks and advantages of any drugs or other therapies you are considering with your doctor. And, until your skin recovers, schedule follow-up consultations with your doctor every three to six months. 

Medications applied to the skin 

The following are the most commonly prescribed topical acne medications: 

Retinoids and retinoid-like medications are retinoids and retinoid-like pharmaceuticals. Retinoids, such as retinoic acids and tretinoin, are frequently used to treat mild acne.These are available in creams, gels, and lotions. Tretinoin (Avita, Retin-A, and others), adapalene (Differin), and tazarotene are some examples (Tazorac, Avage, others). This treatment is applied in the evening, three times a week at first, then daily as your skin becomes accustomed to it. It keeps hair follicles from becoming clogged. Tretinoin should not be used in conjunction with benzoyl peroxide. 

Topical retinoids make your skin more sensitive to the sun. They can also cause dryness and redness, particularly in persons with darker skin. Adapalene may be the most tolerable. 

Antibiotics. These operate by destroying microorganisms on the skin and lowering inflammation and redness.You can use both a retinoid and an antibiotic for the first several months of treatment, with the antibiotic applied in the morning and the retinoid applied in the evening. Antibiotics are frequently used in conjunction with benzoyl peroxide to lessen the risk of antibiotic resistance. Clindamycin with benzoyl peroxide (Benzaclin, Duac, and others) and erythromycin with benzoyl peroxide are two examples (Benzamycin). Topical antibiotics aren't suggested on their own. 

Azelaic acid and salicylic acid are two types of azelaic acid. Azelaic acid is a yeast-produced acid that occurs naturally. It's antimicrobial in nature. When taken twice a day, a 20% azelaic acid cream or gel appears to be as effective as many traditional acne treatments.

Salicylic acid, which comes in both wash-off and leave-on forms, may help prevent clogged hair follicles. There are only a few studies that prove how effective it is. Skin darkening and slight skin irritation are among the side effects. 

Dapsone. For inflammatory acne, Dapsone (Aczone) 5 percent gel twice day is suggested, especially in women with acne. Redness and dryness are two common side effects. 

The evidence for utilising zinc, sulphur, nicotinamide, resorcinol, sulfacetamide sodium, or aluminium chloride as topical acne treatments isn't strong.