Acne is a privately painful condition with several social repercussions. Acne can make its sufferer feel overly self-conscious, ashamed and less than attractive. It's no wonder that people will bombard their skin with any promising acne treatment in hopes of getting this confidence stealer under control.
Yet sometimes, as a recent study in the International Journal of Dermatology revealed, the steps acne sufferers take to remedy this skin condition can actually worsen the ailment and in some cases provoke other unwanted cosmetic flaws like hyper-pigmentation (darkened spots on the skin).
In this study, researchers interviewed 93 acne patients from Dakar, Senegal. Contrary to typical acne cases, the average age of acne onset among the group was 25 years old, not the teenage years as normally associated with acne. Additionally, over 67% of these acne patients experienced skin pigment disorders like melanoderma, or increased amounts of pigment in the skin.
These pigment disorders resulted from several skin care factors. For example, some of the patients used benzoyl peroxide or retinoids to treat their acne. Ironically, both of these ingredients are know causes of melanoderma in dark skinned people.
Moreover, these acne sufferers sometimes combined their acne treatments with skin lightening treatments and sun exposure. Both of these actions predisposed the skin to sun sensitivity and skin blotching.
Preventing hyper-pigmentation while treating acne
Nearly 75% of the people in this Senegal study experienced inflammatory acne. This form of acne may include lesions such as pustules, papules or cysts. Several alternatives to benzoyl peroxide and retinoids are available to treat this type of acne.
Use clay masks
If your skin is sensitive to benzoyl peroxide or retinoids, you can use clays masks to treat inflammatory acne. Just apply the clay masks according to product directions to help calm acne-inflamed skin.
Start the treatment at night
Alternately, at night you can smooth tea treat oil onto inflamed acne lesions to help reduce the swelling. Applying the oil at night reduces the chances of experiencing skin sensitivities once you expose your skin to daylight.
Use proper sun protection
Another important step you can take to prevent dark marks from arising on your skin is to use a sunscreen whenever you go outside. Moreover, remember to re-apply the sunscreen as needed. Normally, you need to re-apply a sunscreen every two hours for optimal protection.
In short, when it comes to skin care make yourself aware of the potential side effects of any treatment you use. This way, you can save yourself from unwelcome cosmetics surprises.
Source:
Kane, Assane et al. Epidemiologic, clinical, and therapeutic features of acne in Dakar, Senegal. International Journal of Dermatology. October 2007; vol 46, no 1, pp 36-38.
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