Inflammation and Acne
The sudden presence of an acne lesion can feel like a mystery. Acne breakouts, which can seem to pop up out of nowhere, are actually caused by many different factors. But in truth, inflammation plays a big part in the formation of acne breakouts. Sebum, which is produced by the sebaceous glands on the skin, gets trapped inside the hair follicle and leads to an acne lesion.
So how does inflammation within the body aid in this process? Inflammation is a natural response within the body to injury or infection. Think about when you bump your head or get an allergic reaction to something, there is usually inflammation and swelling involved. Inflammation is our body’s way of trying to protect the body from becoming infected. When the body is introduced to an invading organism, it reacts by enlarging the blood vessels and leaking them onto the infected area. This is meant to fight the infection by unloading white blood cells onto the area and trying to rid of the bacteria or other agent.
When the bacteria from acne gets trapped inside our skin cells, the body recognizes the bacteria as a possible infectious agent and the inflammation process begins. This is one of the reasons why acne becomes red and inflamed, especially cystic acne. So how best to treat inflammatory acne? Here, our tips:
- Regular blue light therapy treatments will kill the p. acnes bacteria and therefore will not lead to inflammation. For best results, use an at-home blue light device in between in-office treatments.
- Use an acne treatment product containing benzoyl peroxide, which is an ingredient that helps kill the p. acnes bacteria.
- Isolaz acne therapy will suction out the bacteria from deep within the pores and uses light therapy to prevent future bacteria from forming,