How To Treat Every Type of Acne (Comedones, Nodules, Cysts)

Summary

This video offers a comprehensive guide on understanding and treating different types of acne. It explains the causes of acne, categorizing it into inflammatory and non-inflammatory types. The video also discusses the importance of proper skincare routines, including the use of exfoliants like salicylic acid, balancing oil quality through diet, and maintaining the skin's pH. Additionally, it provides tips on managing severe acne and emphasizes the need to consult professionals for advanced treatments. The goal is to empower viewers to take control of their skin health.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Acne is a complex issue with varying levels, causes, and treatment methods.
• 🔍 Acne types are categorized into inflammatory (papules, pustules, nodules, cysts) and non-inflammatory (open and closed comedones, blackheads, whiteheads) acne.
• 📍 The root causes of acne include clogged pores, poor oil quality, and an imbalanced skin pH level.
• 🛠️ Effective acne treatment involves exfoliation with salicylic acid, regulating oil flow, and maintaining a balanced skin pH.
• 🚫 Avoid physical scrubs and cleansers with salicylic acid alone, as they are not effective for deep exfoliation.
• 🍽️ Improving oil quality can be achieved by increasing essential fatty acids in the diet or through supplementation.
• 💊 For severe acne, consider professional treatments like chemical peels or consult a dermatologist for oral retinoids.
• 🧴 A proper skincare routine includes cleansing, toning, exfoliating, moisturizing, and applying SPF for daytime.
• 🔬 Skin purging is common when starting a new acne treatment; it involves temporary worsening before improvement.
• ⏱️ Patience and consistency are key in acne treatment, and professional guidance can be sought if acne persists after 4 months of self-care.

Q & A

What are the two main categories of acne?

The two main categories of acne are inflammatory acne and non-inflammatory acne.

What are the different types of non-inflammatory acne?

Non-inflammatory acne includes open and closed comedones, which are blackheads and whiteheads.

How does the presence of oil and UV light affect the formation of blackheads?

The oil plug can oxidize from UV light exposure and turn into a blackhead, which is essentially a plug of oil that has oxidized and darkened at the top of the hair follicle.

What are the two levels of inflammatory acne and what types of acne do they include?

Inflammatory acne is divided into two levels: Level two includes papules and pustules, while level three includes nodules and cysts.

Why do papules and pustules occur in the skin?

Papules and pustules occur when there is a blockage further down the hair follicle within the epidermis, leading to a lack of oxygen and an environment where acne bacteria thrive, causing infection.

What is the difference between papules and pustules?

Papules are small, red bumps without pus, while pustules are similar to papules but contain pus.

Why are nodules and cysts considered more severe forms of acne?

Nodules and cysts are more severe because they are blockages deep within the skin, close to the dermis, and can lead to significant scarring if the collagen and elastin are damaged.

What are the three main factors that cause acne?

The three main factors that cause acne are clogged pores, poor oil quality, and an imbalanced skin pH.

How can you improve the quality of your skin's oil?

Improving the quality of your skin's oil can be achieved by increasing essential fatty acids in your diet, such as through avocados, fish, and nuts, or by taking supplements.

What is the recommended pH range for healthy skin and why is it important?

The recommended pH range for healthy skin is between 4.5 and 6.5. This slightly acidic environment helps keep the skin free from bacteria and maintains a strong immune response.

What are the key ingredients recommended for treating acne?

Key ingredients recommended for treating acne include salicylic acid for exfoliation, vitamin B3 (niacinamide) for balancing skin pH, and retinol (vitamin A) for regulating oil production and preventing scarring.

Why is it important to consult a skin professional for severe acne or acne scarring?

Consulting a skin professional is important for severe acne or acne scarring because they can provide advanced treatments like chemical peels, micro-needling, and may recommend oral medications like retinoids for effective treatment.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 Understanding Acne: Causes and Types

This paragraph delves into the complexities of acne, emphasizing that it's not a single issue but a multifaceted one with various causes and treatments. It introduces the concept of acne as a blockage or infection within the sebaceous unit, explaining the role of the hair follicle and sebaceous gland in oil (sebum) production. The paragraph distinguishes between inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne, detailing the differences between mild congestion like blackheads and whiteheads, and more severe forms like papules, pustules, nodules, and cysts. It also outlines the progression of acne from level one (mild) to level three (severe), highlighting the importance of understanding these types to effectively manage skin health.

05:01

🛠 Treating Acne: Strategies and Skincare Routine

Paragraph two focuses on the treatment of acne, starting with the importance of exfoliation using salicylic acid, which is oil-soluble, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial. It advises against physical scrubs and recommends leave-on serums for effective exfoliation. The paragraph then addresses the regulation of oil flow through diet and supplementation with essential fatty acids, which can improve oil quality and prevent blockages. It also discusses the significance of maintaining a skin pH between 4.5 and 6.5, with vitamin B3 (niacinamide) being key for balancing pH and strengthening the skin barrier. The paragraph concludes with a brief on the role of vitamin A (retinol) in acne treatment, its benefits for skin cell turnover, oil regulation, and collagen production, which can prevent scarring. It suggests consulting a dermatologist for cystic acne and emphasizes the importance of a consistent skincare routine tailored to individual needs.

10:03

🧴 Skincare Routine for Acne Management

The final paragraph provides a comprehensive guide to a skincare routine designed to manage acne. It suggests starting with a double cleanse, followed by a toner without AHAs or BHAs, and then applying a vitamin A serum. Niacinamide is also included in the nighttime routine to balance the skin's pH and reduce redness. The paragraph clarifies the order of application for water-based and oil-based serums and emphasizes the importance of starting slow with new products like salicylic acid and retinol to avoid overdoing it. It also touches on the concept of skin purging, which is a temporary increase in breakouts as the skin adjusts to the treatment. The routine is flexible and suggests adjusting based on the severity of acne, with a reminder to consult a skin professional for personalized advice. The paragraph ends with an invitation for viewers to ask questions and engage with the content.

Keywords

💡Acne

Acne is a common skin condition characterized by clogged pores, which can lead to whiteheads, blackheads, or pimples. In the video, acne is described as a complex issue with varying levels, causes, and treatment methods, emphasizing that it is not just a singular problem but one that can affect individuals at different stages of life. The video aims to empower viewers to understand and manage acne through education.

💡Sebaceous gland

The sebaceous gland is a type of exocrine gland in the skin that secretes an oily substance called sebum. In the context of the video, the sebaceous gland is crucial as it is connected to the hair follicle and is where acne begins. When the gland's function is disrupted, it can lead to the blockages that cause acne.

💡Inflammatory acne

Inflammatory acne refers to a type of acne that involves redness, swelling, and infection within the skin. The video explains that this form of acne includes papules, pustules, nodules, and cysts, and is more severe compared to non-inflammatory acne. It is caused by a blockage within the hair follicle that leads to an infection due to a lack of oxygen.

💡Non-inflammatory acne

Non-inflammatory acne, as discussed in the video, includes open and closed comedones (blackheads and whiteheads). These types of acne do not involve redness or inflammation and are considered milder forms of the condition. The video suggests that non-inflammatory acne is easier to treat compared to its inflammatory counterpart.

💡Salicylic acid

Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) used in skincare for its exfoliating, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. The video recommends using a leave-on serum containing salicylic acid to treat acne by penetrating oil and exfoliating from within, helping to clear blockages and reduce acne bacteria.

💡pH level

The pH level of the skin is discussed in the video as an important factor in acne development. A healthy skin pH is between 4.5 and 6.5, which is slightly acidic and helps maintain a barrier against bacteria. An imbalance in pH can lead to acne, as it can create an environment where bacteria thrive.

💡Niacinamide

Niacinamide, also known as vitamin B3, is highlighted in the video as a key ingredient for balancing the skin's pH and strengthening its barrier. It is suggested as a treatment to reduce redness and prevent hyperpigmentation, which can result from acne breakouts.

💡Retinol

Retinol, a form of vitamin A, is mentioned as a component that helps in acne treatment by regulating oil production and cell turnover. The video explains that retinol can prevent excess pigmentation and stimulate collagen production, which can help in treating acne scars.

💡Exfoliation

Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells from the skin's surface. In the video, it is emphasized as a crucial step in acne treatment, particularly through the use of salicylic acid, which helps to clear blockages within the hair follicle and prevent acne formation.

💡Skin purging

Skin purging is a term used in the video to describe a temporary increase in acne breakouts that can occur when starting a new skincare treatment, as the skin pushes out clogged impurities. The video advises viewers to be patient and continue with their routine through this phase for better long-term results.

Highlights

Acne is a complex issue with varying levels, causes, and treatment methods.

Acne is caused by three main factors: oil quality, skin's pH level, and clogged skin.

Acne types are categorized into inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne.

Non-inflammatory acne includes open and closed comedones, such as blackheads and whiteheads.

Inflammatory acne consists of papules, pustules, nodules, and cysts, which indicate infection within the skin.

Papules and pustules are红肿 and painful bumps caused by a lack of oxygen and bacterial infection.

Nodules and cysts are severe acne types that are deep within the skin and can lead to scarring.

Clogged pores, poor oil quality, and an imbalanced skin pH are the primary causes of acne.

Exfoliation with salicylic acid is recommended for treating acne due to its oil-soluble, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties.

Physical scrubs and cleansers with salicylic acid are not recommended for exfoliation due to their limited effectiveness.

Regulating oil flow involves improving oil quality through diet and supplementation with essential fatty acids.

Maintaining a skin pH between 4.5 and 6.5 is crucial for a healthy skin environment.

Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) is an effective ingredient for balancing skin pH and reducing redness.

Retinol (Vitamin A) aids in cell turnover, oil regulation, and collagen production, which can help prevent and treat acne scars.

Genetics, hormonal factors, diet, and gut health can influence acne development.

For severe acne, consulting a dermatologist or naturopath for professional treatment and hormone level testing is advised.

A skincare routine including cleansing, exfoliation, moisturizing, and sun protection is essential for acne management.

Skin purging, where the skin breaks out more before improving, is a normal response to new treatments.

Patience and consistency in skincare, along with professional advice, are key to managing acne.

Transcripts

acne most likely has troubled most of us

at one point or another whether it pops

up during our teenage years or hounds us

in our adulthood or both its presence is

unwelcome to say the least and many

think acne is just a singular problem

but in reality it's a complex issue with

varying levels causes and treatment

methods if you've ever felt overwhelmed

by the numerous products on the shelves

the conflicting advice from friends or

all of the home remedies available on

the internet then you're not alone this

video will help you understand the

differ types of acne their causes and

how to treat them so you feel empowered

to take control of your Skin's Health

now from my experience acne is mainly

caused by three different factors number

one oil quality number two your Skin's

pH level and number three clogged skin

from makeup dirt and oil so firstly acne

is a blockage or an infection within the

sebaceous unit the hair follicle with

our sebaceous gland if you take a look

at this diagram here we can see that the

hair follicle runs through the epidermis

and the dermis attached to the hair

follicle is a sebaceous gland this is

where we produce oil known as sebum our

sebaceous gland releases oil into the

hair follicle and it should flow nicely

onto the surface of the skin to

lubricate to keep our skin moisturized

and protected but when it comes to acne

the types actually fall into two

different categories inflammatory acne

and non-inflammatory acne

non-inflammatory acne is your open and

closed chromones blackheads and whitee

heads these sit at a level one level one

is when we have mild congestion it's the

most common we have a blockage within

the skin and this occurs right at the

top of that hair follicle this occurs

when we have oil coming through and it

creates a plug at the top of the

follicle whiteheads are non oxidized

clog pores sometimes the oil plug

oxidizes from the UV light and then can

turn into a blackhead so blackheads are

essentially little plugs of oil that

have oxidized and gone dark at the top

of the hair follicle with open and

closed chodon there are no redness or

inflammation in terms of it being

sensitive to touch or any pain

associated with the actual comedones now

non-inflammatory acne such as comedones

is easy to treat and get on top of then

we have inflammatory acne this includes

papules pules nodules and cysts these

four types of acne are broken down into

two levels papules and postures sit in

level two and this is when we get a

blockage further down the hair follicle

within the epidermis what happens here

is oxygen stops getting to the area when

we have no oxygen our PE acne bacteria

thrives it is the main reason for

creating infection within the skin we

all know when our body has an infection

we get swelling pain and redness papules

are small rais reddish bumps on the skin

surface they do not have pus papules can

be tended to touch and might feel hard

as well when our body starts to fight

the blockage our body starts sending

white blood cells and that's when you

start to get P this blockage is called

postures the body may get rid of these

on its own as it will fight the

infection and try to push the blockage

out however many people like to pop

these pimples that leads to spreading

that bacteria across the surface of the

skin and can lead to more breakouts but

as well as scarring and

hyperpigmentation the postle can

actually heal itself from the inside out

if we leave it alone normally within

that 1 to 2 weeks level three is when we

get blockages further down in the hair

follicle when this occurs the body

recognizes that the blockage is actually

too far away from the skin surface to

push it out so instead it actually keeps

the infection in the body your body will

send other enzymes to break down the

blockage and return the skin to normal

Health but it can take a really long

time right painful deep pimples in the

form of nodules and cysts that never

come to the skin surface now the problem

with these blockages they are close to

the dermis which means if our collagen

and elastin get damaged while you have

cysts or nodules it can actually lead to

really bad scarring now scarring can

only be treated with micro needling

generally or Advanced Skin treatments so

it's best to consult with a skin

professional if you're trying to treat

acne scarring cystic and nodular acne

are harder to treat as they are very

deep within the skin so this is the

three types of blockages you can

experience with acne level one being the

mildest and of course level three being

the most severe acne so let's discuss

what causes these three types of

blockages so essentially three things

have gone wrong in the skin the first

thing is clogged pores this is a made up

of dead skin cells as well as products

makeup and sunscreen when your oil can't

escape onto the surface of the skin it

gets stuck underneath the blockage this

is why it's important to cleanse your

skin correctly exfoliate and avoid

products with ingredients that are

clogging the pores it can also cut off

oxygen to the area of the hair follicle

which can then lead to level two

postures and so on the second issue is

your oil quality we want our oil to be

free flowing liquid that can get through

the hair follicle onto the top layer of

the skin the hair follicle passage get

thinner as we get to the top of the skin

so your oil quality needs to be very

healthy and thin to get through most

people have unhealthy thick oil which of

course can't fit through that passageway

to get onto the surface of the Skin So

when this occurs it actually gets stuck

and then causes a blockage and then

leads to level 1 2 or three the third

reason is your Skin's pH your skin

should be between a pH level of 4.5 and

6.5 this is healthy it needs to be

slightly acidic to keep free of bacteria

and have a strong immune action if your

Skin's pH is out of whack those with

acne often have a alkaline pH which is

out of balance bacteria pathogens love

an alkaline skin so we need to ensure

our pH is balanced between 4.5 and 6.5

okay so now we know why you get acne

breakouts and the types of acne but how

do we treat every type of acne the first

important step is exfoliation we

recommend a leave on Serum with

salicylic acid as the key ingredient

that has a small molecular size that can

actually penetrate oil and exfoliate the

the skin from the inside out salicylic

acid is oil soluble it is attracted to

oil to break it down salicylic acid is

also anti-inflammatory which can help to

calm the skin down and finally it is

also antibacterial so it gets rid of

that P acne bacteria it's the only acid

that can do this so it's the best choice

for acne we don't recommend physical

scrubs as this can spread bacteria

causing more breakouts but it can also

irritate the skin by creating micro

tears within the skin we also don't

recommend salicylic acids in cleansers

alone as your exfoliation method

cleansers are only on the skin for less

than 1 minute and it just isn't enough

time for that acid to go into your hair

follicle and clean up the mess of which

your blockages and infections are so

using a leave on Serum with 2% salicylic

acid that has time to work on the skin

and use this regularly during the week

if you have severe acne you may need to

look into booking in with your local

skin professional for some chemical

peels that are at a higher strength

please do not do chemical peels at home

these need to be applied and removed

correctly by a professional skin

therapist next how do we regulate our

oil flow so it's nice and thin so if you

continue to have thick oil it doesn't

matter how often you exfoliate you will

still get recurring breakouts because

you haven't fixed your oil quality

problem oil quality let's talk about it

the way we change the oil quality is

increasing your essential fatty acids in

your diet including avocado fish nuts

foods that are high in essential fatty

acids supplementation can also be taken

daily to encourage the body to create

better quality oil so we can prevent

blockages within the skin and finally

the Skin's pH 4.5 to 6.5 is where we

want our skin to be the best active

ingredient to balance the Skin's pH is

vitamin B3 otherwise known as

niacinamide anyone can use niacinamide

and the active ingredient helps to

strengthen the Skin's barrier reduce

redness and balancing the Skin's pH

increasing hydration ninite is also

great for hyperpigmentation we can get

from popping and picking our pimples so

it will help prevent and treat the

hyperpigmentation left behind by the

breakout and finally vitamin A which is

retinol retinol helps remove dead skin

cells it stimulates your cell production

it prevents excess pigmentation it

regulates your oil production to be at a

normal level it will help regulate the

amount of oil your skin is producing

it's not going to fix your oil quality

only essential fatty acids can do that

it's also going to stimulate the fiber

blast in the dermis that encourages your

collagen and alasin to produce more

proteins this will help prevent scarring

and treat it if you already have

scarring so now genetics hormonal

factors diet medications and your

overall gut health can affect three

above factors we can help with skinc

care but try these first and if you

notice no difference in 4 months we

recommend you go to a naturopath to look

at your gut health and get some testing

on your hormone levels to get to the

underlying root problem and work from

the inside out for cystic acne please

consult a dermatologist it is the most

challenging to treat and you may need

short-term acne medication with oral

retinoids so here is an example of what

your skincare routine could look like to

help with acne now this will depend on

each person and again you might need to

tweak this routine depending on the

severity of your acne so if you do have

any questions feel free to pop them down

below and we'll see if we're able to

help answer those for you so start by

cleansing then you're going to tone this

is optional then you're going to apply a

Leon exfoliating serum so this needs to

be salicylic acid or you can use a leon

serum that contains both salicylic acid

and AAS just a leave on serum then

moisturize and then applying a SPF then

in the morning 2 to three times a week

on the other days you're going to

cleanse tone apply a nice cinnamide

serum moisturize and SPF now we don't

recommend to use n cinnamide and

salicylic acid together because most

brands they are actually conflix unless

your brand States otherwise so always

look into the brands that you are using

and just see what they recommend it will

depend on their formulation so if in

doubt like I said just contact your

skincare brand and otherwise use on

separate days now another thing about

skin purging really monitor how your

skin responds to how often you are using

your exfoliating serum you will most

likely experience skin purging which is

when you break out more because your

skin is pushing out the clogged buildup

underneath your skin onto the skin

surface so push through it you can do it

let's take a look at your night routine

so starting by cleansing the skin you

want to double cleanse so cleansing

twice tone just make sure there is no a

Haas or bhas in your toner and then you

want to apply a vitamin A serum you will

also include niacinamide in your night

routine as well so if your vitamin A is

water-based use the vitamin A first

followed by the NY cinnamide however if

your vitamin A is oilbased then apply

the N camide first followed by the

vitamin A it will just depend on the

product formulation but use both in your

routine then you will finish with

moisturizer so reminder serums need to

be applied thinnest to thickest

water-based serums first followed by

oilbased serums if you are brand new to

both salicylic acid and retinol you do

need to start off slow so don't overdo

it remember while acne can be

frustrating and affect our self-esteem

understanding acne and how it is caused

is the first step stay patient

consistent with your routine invest in

good quality skin care and always

consult with a skin professional if

you're unsure about the right treatment

for you if you have any questions please

let me know in the comments don't forget

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