HE.. What Causes Acne

Papules are a form of inflammatory acne, they look like solid red bumps, while pustules have pus at the top. These are the stereotypical red-colored bump you may associate with acne—that’s a papule. They start out as a comedone (either closed or open) and become inflamed when bacteria that lives on the skin overgrows inside that clogged pore.

How to treat it:
• Aloe vera: Aloe vera is chock-full of anti-inflammatory vitamins, enzymes, minerals, and amino acids to soothe papules, as well as natural salicylic acids to help unplug the acne at the source. Additionally, aloe has some antimicrobial properties: and aloe used topically in combination with tretinoin cream (a prescription-strength retinoid) was found to be effective in treating inflammatory and noninflammatory acne3.
• Benzoyl peroxide: It kills the acne-causing bacteria, P. acnes, that lives within our hair follicles, and it also helps to break up and remove dead skin cells that clog our pores. This makes the benzoyl peroxide especially helpful for angry papules—it canhelp with comedonal acne but is mainly hailed for shrinking inflammatory pimples.
• Tea tree oil: Tea tree oil has antimicrobial properties and is capable of lowering levels of acne-causing bacteria on the skin when applied to acne lesions. In fact, one double-blind placebo-controlled study found that a 5% tea tree oil gel blend was an effective treatment for mild to moderate acne4. Plus, tea tree oil is anti-inflammatory, which means it has the ability to soothe and relieve irritated, itchy, red, swollen skin. Tea tree oil should always be diluted the potent essential oil with a carrier—you never want to apply it directly to the skin.
• Blue Light Therapy: Blue light therapy that uses light in the 415 nm range is absorbed by porphyrin. The bacteria causing acne, P. acnes contains abundant levels of porphyrin and when the blue light is absorbed an oxygen free-radical is created which is released into the bacteria, killing the bacteria.

Pustules
Again, papules often turn into pustules: When the red papule forms a white, pus-filled head, you now have a tender pustule. People often mistake these white heads as, well, a “whitehead,” but in clinical derm-speak, those are two very different things. It might feel tempting to squeeze the pimple as soon as you see this head forming, but do try to resist this temptation. Self-surgery is not a good idea and it is best to see a professional for extractions—not only can these lead to scarring (which in some cases can be permanent including pitting), permanent dark spots, as well as infections, .

How to treat it:
• Ice: Pustules are pretty swollen, inflamed mounds. And how do we bring swelling down? Ice! Not only does the cool temperature feel produce a soothing feeling, also constricts the circulation, limiting flow to the area and retracting the inflammation. Our professional, in salon acne facials utilize a cold therapy skin stimulation.
• Spot treat: If you have a spot treatment, serum, or mask, that features acne-fighting ingredients (retinol, salicylic acid, tea tree oil, benzoyl peroxide, witch hazel, etc.) such as Osmosis Clarify Retinal Serum, you can always tap it onto the blemish before bed. It’s a great tip to shrink pimples overnight, as the extra dose can help unclog pores and treat the breakout.
• Blue Light Therapy: As mentioned above, blue light in the 415 nm range is absorbed by porphyrin. The bacteria causing acne, P. acnes contains abundant levels of porphyrin and when the blue light is absorbed an oxygen free-radical is created which is released into the bacteria, killing the bacteria.

Nodules

Nodular acne, along with cystic acne are two of the most severe forms of acne, though nodules are firmer than cysts, and more widespread than typical pimples. This type of acne often feels like firm knots under the skin and can be found on the face and body.

In terms of appearance, nodules look like hard lesions that feel like lumps under the skin; and while they may be flesh-toned or red, they’re often pretty painful to the touch.