acne awareness
June is acne awareness month and a great opportunity to take a deep dive into the diagnosis, causes and management of acne.
When it comes to any skin condition, the most important thing is getting the diagnosis correct.
Acne is pretty straight forward right? Wrong. There are many conditions that present with pustules/pimples and may be mistaken for acne. Some of these are extremely common, others much rarer. The reason this diagnosis is important, is that it can completely change the treatment that a person may pursue.
Adolescent acne
Hormonal acne
Medication induced acne
Perioral dermatitis
Rosacea
Malassezia folliculitis
Chloracne
Mechanical/occlusive acne
Seborrheic dermatitis
Bacterial folliculitis
Pseudofolliculitis barbae
Keratosis pilaris rubra faciei
This list is not exhaustive!
Affecting nearly 10% of the global population at some stage in their life, acne carries with it quite a considerable psychological, social, emotional and financial burden. The prevalence in our community seems to be increasing, but also importantly, more people than ever before are seeking treatment.
The hallmark features of acne are pimples/pustules, nodules and cysts, open and closed comedones (blackheads and whiteheads) and hyperseborrhoea (excessively oily skin). Some of these features overlap with the above conditions, which is why misdiagnosis can occur. Identifying which of these signs are present in the individual also dictates which treatment types will be most successful.
In addition to skin directed therapies and medical treatment, lifestyle factors can make big a difference to the severity of acne.
Check back in over the next month, for more information, or drop your questions below so I know what you want to know!