What are the common causes of acne vulgaris?

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

After reading through the information provided from your end, as well as after viewing the image, it appears to be grade 2 acne vulgaris. As you have mentioned in the previous history of acne, they may usually appear on and off depending upon multiple external and internal factors, as mentioned below.

Genetic susceptibility, where then there is a family history of a similar condition that can be transmitted, due to hormonal fluctuations within the body, especially among the androgen levels, which results in the excess secretion of sebum, thereby stimulating the formation of acne by triggering bacteria within the skin, due to stress, due to use of skin care products or makeup products, due to any underlying medical condition and any medications used for the same, due to dietary changes as well as climate changes. It is pretty common to see a condition called PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) among young females, which may also be associated with menstrual irregularities, unwanted facial hair growth, hair loss, weight gain, etc., which may or may not be present. Polycystic ovarian syndrome must be ruled out to treat acne completely. Therefore I request you consult a gynecologist in person to rule out PCOS.

My advice :

• Aloe extract, Salicylic acid, and Glycolic acid foaming face wash are to be used in the morning and at night. Apply a sufficient quantity, massage in gentle circular motions for one minute and wash off. You may need to continue it for months.
• Clindamycin and Benzoyl peroxide gel is to be applied in the morning after using the face wash on the acne spots. They may be continued for months together till the rash is healed.
• Clindamycin and Tretinoin cream may be used on alternate nights only after using the face wash at night and cleaning and drying the area well. It needs to be ensured that there is no moisture during the application of this medication. The smallest quantity of the medication possible, almost a size of a grain of rice quantity, may be used and applied in a very thin layer on the affected acne spots only. First-time users experience a burning sensation, redness, and slight peeling. However, if used with caution and in the right quantity, as mentioned above, and in a very thin layer, they are very beneficial and would not cause any adverse effects.
• Capsule Doxycycline and Lactobacillus 100 mg twice daily are to be taken with water in the morning and at night after food for ten days. This is an antibiotic; therefore, it needs to be made sure that there is no history of any allergy to antibiotics before consuming this medication.
• Tablet Pantoprazole 40 mg twice daily in the morning and at night 30 minutes before consuming food to prevent acidity due to antibiotics for ten days.
• Vitamin C tablet 500 mg chewable tablet to be taken daily in the morning after food. They may be consumed for two months. This helps in reducing the recurrence of acne as well as has antioxidant properties. It needs to be made sure that extremely hot food items or drinks or milk have to be avoided consumption of this medication.
• Make sure to avoid milk and dairy products, red meat, sweets, and fried and oily food, as they may trigger acne. Make sure to consume more fruits, vegetables, fiber, and at least ten glasses of water daily in a 250 ml glass size.
• Facial procedures in the form of glycolic acid chemical peels may be done at a dermatologist's clinic. In this procedure solution consisting of glycolic acid is applied onto the face and kept for 5 to 10 minutes before washing off. This is usually done every week for six sessions at least. They help reduce the current acne and the formation of further acne by helping with regularizing the sebum secretion.

Acne scars reduce with the help of procedures more than medication intake. Therefore undergoing the procedures not only helps with active acne but also helps in clearing the acne scars to a great extent as well.

Undergoing procedures along with using medications will help in reducing acne to a great extent. However, acne may appear depending on the various external and internal factors mentioned above. Therefore using medications along with lifestyle modifications and procedures will be helpful.

Hope the information provided above was helpful and provided clarity.

Thank you.