Cystic Acne Treatment: 4 Reasons Why Over-The-Counter Products Fail
For an effective cystic acne treatment, you need understand the cause of acne. The primary cause is the over production of sebum. In your body, a hormone called testosterone and an enzyme called 5alpha-reductase form dihydrotestosterone. This chemical activates the sebaceous glands to produce excess quantity of sebum which is released through follicle.
Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) and other bacteria on the skin and within the follicles create enzymes which are known as bacterial lipase. These enzymes flow into the follicle openings and convert sebum into free fatty acids. This causes irritation of the follicle linings which lead to excessive production of cells and cellular debris. As a result, P. acnes is trapped inside the follicle which allow it to thrive and infect the skin.
As the infection develops, it causes inflammation on the skin. This explains why the redness develops and why you feel painful when you have pimples or zits. As the follicles become more clogged, the acne infections become worse. Eventually, the infections becomes cysts.
Cystic acne take a long time to heal. Firstly, the infections in cystic acne evolve deep within the follicles. Secondly, the infections do not elevate to the top layer of the skin. Finally, they do not discharge waste.
Cystic acne treatment with over-the-counter products have disappointed many sufferers despite the claims they made. There are four reasons why they fail to treat cystic acne.
- Cystic acne develops deep beneath the skin which makes it difficult to be treated with topical therapies.
- These topical medications which contain salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and linoleic acid only treat the surface of the affected skin and address the symptoms of pimples.
- They don't reduce the excess sebum production.
- They don't reduce inflammation. In fact, prolonged application may cause redness.
Over-the-counter medications are not effective in treating moderate to severe acne. In addition, they cannot deal with the biochemical causes of acne and they cannot stop the pimple from becoming worse.
The pain for cysts breakouts can be severe. The healing takes time. If left untreated, it can cause deep scarring. Over-the-counter topical medications fail to address the real cause of zits. Therefore, you may need to consult your dermatologist for an effective cystic acne treatment as most therapies are restricted to oral medications. Alternatively, you can seek advice from alternative medicine practitioners for natural treatment.