Acne 101

Acne is definitely a four letter word for people who suffer with it. It is an inherited disorder of the pores – pores that want to sludge up with dead skin cells much like a clogged drain in your sink. Normal pores shed about one layer of dead skin cells per day inside the pore. The acne-prone pore sheds up to five layers of dead skin cells per day and the body just can’t keep up. This forms congestion under the skin which are non-inflamed acne lesions (blackheads and/or whiteheads; and if bacteria are present (which just loves to feed on the dead skin cells and oil), you will get inflamed pimples, pustules and/or cysts. There are two main types of acne as we see it – noninflamed acne and inflamed acne. Most people have a combination of the two.

What is Non-inflamed Acne?

Dead skin cells and oil (plus other debris) form a plug inside the pore. If this plug does not become inflamed, it can become a whitehead — a non-inflamed lesion under the skin also called a “closed comedone”. This is also called “maturation arrest” acne, as it has not “matured” into a blackhead yet.

What is Inflamed Acne?

As the oil and the dead skin cells build up, they put pressure on the cells surrounding the pore. With enough pressure, the sides of the pore rupture and the contents of the pore leak into the surrounding skin. Because this material contains a lot of P. acnes bacteria, the surrounding skin now becomes infected, creating a red bump that we know as a pimple. The medical term for this red bump is an inflammatory papule.

Acne is a mysterious disorder, but one thing IS for sure – it can be controlled with the right combination of products used in the correct way. Just as in a clogged drain, the pore must be treated with products that unclog it, keep it unclogged and kill the acne bacteria. Face Reality Acne Clinic has what you need to do just this.

Face Reality Acne Clinic has a clear-skin system that will have your acne under control in about three to four months depending on your type of acne. We combine the power of clinical-grade home care products that are customized for your type of acne and skin with a series of bi-monthly treatments that facilitate the clearing of your skin. We also teach you about other aggravating factors that make you break out – foods, medications, cosmetics, stress, and common ingredients in skin care formulations that might be clogging your pores (even professional and prescription products!).