have you noticed that despite your best
skincare habits, red, tender bumps show up on your face frequently? these eruptions, commonly known as acne, mostly occur among teenagers. however, it can affect others too.
acne, if severe, can be painful. frequent acne breakouts might even cause scarring on your skin. however, identifying its type and cause can help you prevent its recurrence. besides, ayurvedic remedies can help you cure this condition holistically and improve your overall skin health.
types of acne
a. acne vulgaris
1. comedones
a comedonal acne occurs when dead keratin flakes and sebum block a hair follicle. comedones are the most basic forms of acne with no inflammation. these are of two types - open comedones and closed comedones.
type: non-inflammatory acne
severity: comedones, due to their non-inflammatory nature, are considered mild forms of acne. over-the-counter medication and natural remedies are usually prescribed to treat comedones.
a. whiteheads
whiteheads are uninflamed, closed comedones that result from dead skin flakes, sebum and dirt being trapped within your pores. whiteheads usually occur on your face, especially on the oily zones such as the nose, cheeks and chin. they can also appear in other areas such as your scalp, back and chest.
the major difference between a blackhead and a whitehead is that
blackheads are open comedones. this makes it easier to extract the hardened impurities from a blackhead. when exposed to the air, these impurities trapped within the pore get oxidized to assume their black colour.
● papules
in a papule, the blocked hair follicle gets inflamed due to propionibacterium acnes (a type of bacteria that lives on your skin) infection. as a result, a papule looks like a raised reddish cyst on the surface of your skin and is often painful to touch. the main difference between a papule and a pustule is that there is no pus seen on the surface of a papule. however, if left untreated, a papule can get filled with pus and turn into a pustule.
type: inflamed acne.
severity: one or two papules are regarded as mild acne. more than that will be classified as moderate to severe acne.
● pustules
being infected by the propionibacterium acnes, the blocked hair follicle attracts white blood cells as an immune mechanism to fight the infection. this results in a pus filled cyst called a pustule. pustules have the appearance of a white or yellow pus filled bump with a red inflamed ring around them. these acne lesions are painful to touch and often require medical treatment to cure them.
type: inflammatory acne.
severity: moderate to severe. pustules are often found occurring together with papules.
● cystic acne
as the comedo or non-inflammatory acne continues to get filled with sebum and dead keratin flakes there is increased proliferation of propionibacterium acnes bacteria. this triggers the body’s immune system, which releases white blood cells to curb the infection. eventually the thin wall of the blocked hair follicle breaks, spreading the impurities to the surrounding dermal layer. as a result, there is further inflammation and the infection travels deeper into the surface of your skin, forming large suppurative cystic acne.
type: large inflammatory acne that measures more than 10 mm in diameter.
severity: moderate to severe depending on the depth of the acne lesion and number of cystic acne formed in an area.
● nodules or nodular acne
the major difference between a cystic acne and a nodular acne lesion is that nodules are hard to touch. this happens when the impurities trapped within the infected hair follicle solidify and form a large, hardened nodule. the surrounding areas of a nodule are usually sore and may appear red and inflamed. these too go deep into the epidermal layer and cannot be easily extracted or treated with basic topical acne medication.
type: inflammatory acne.
severity: moderate to severe.
what causes different types of acne?
● ayurvedic diagnosis of acne
various internal and external factors mentioned below can affect the balance of your doshas or life energies that govern your body functions. according to ayurveda, an aggravation of doshas can put your body into a state of disease which include skin problems. ‘yuvana pidakas’ or acne are caused due to a vitiation of the vata, pitta and kapha doshas which in turn aggravates the rakta dhatu (blood) and the mamsa dhatu (muscles). severe cases of acne also involve ‘rasavaha’ or the formation of pus. a vata- pitta imbalance results in an increase in keratinocytes and excess kapha leads to excess sebum secretion. this eventually clogs up your skin pores and results in the formation of acne.
● dermatological diagnosis of acne
a healthy pilosebaceous unit regulates sebum production and natural disposal of dead skin cells. an imbalance of the pilosebaceous unit usually due to hormonal changes can result in over-secretion of sebum and an increase in keratinocytes. this leads to the blockage of hair follicles giving rise to comedonal acne.
non-inflammatory comedonal acne when infected by propionibacterium acnes bacteria can turn into a severe form of inflamed acne (pustules, nodules). the pus within the hair follicle is due to an immune response which attracts white blood cells to the site of infection.
this disorder of the pilosebaceous unit causing acne can be triggered by one of the various factors that are mentioned below:
● hormonal changes during puberty that leads to increased levels of the androgen hormone. androgen levels also increase during early pregnancy. this is why some women experience acne problems till their second trimester.
● changes in the levels of your estrogen and progesterone can play a role in acne formation. hence, many women experience acne problems before or during their menstrual cycle.
● genetic skin disorder.
● more common in women diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome.
●
use of
skincare products that are comedogenic.
● consumption of oily, spicy foods or foods that have high sugar content.
● stress leading to imbalances in metabolism and accumulation of toxins in the body.
● over exposure to heat, friction and sun.
● skin diseases leading to dry skin or skin barrier impairment.
●
lack of good hygiene and a proper
skincare routine.
● certain medicines (lithium, androgenic steroids, corticosteroids) can also trigger acne.
how to identify different types of acne?
acne is a broad term that includes various subtypes with often similar symptoms. thus, diagnosing the exact type might be confusing. to help you understand your acne better, we have mentioned below some of the basic symptoms of the acne subtypes.
● open comedones that look like small black bumps on your skin.
● no inflammation.
● no pus or skin irritation.
● whiteheads symptoms:
● closed comedones that appear as small white/ skin toned bumps on the surface of your skin.
● non-inflammatory.
● no pus formation, redness or skin irritation.
● papules symptoms:
● papules are reddish bumps on your skin.
● inflammatory acne.
● no visible pus.
● often painful to touch.
● pustules symptoms:
● pustules are often larger than comedones.
● they have a white or yellow pus-filled head with a red inflamed ring around them.
● inflammatory acne.
● painful to touch.
● cystic acne symptoms:
● cystic acne looks like large pus filled boils on your skin.
● inflammatory acne.
● they are usually large in size and have their roots deep under your skin.
● cysts are soft to touch due to the infected pus trapped within them.
● painful to touch.
●
high chances of developing
acne scars if not professionally extracted.
● nodular acne symptoms:
● nodules look like hard bumps under your skin. they can be the colour of your skin or red and inflamed.
● inflammatory acne.
● no visible pus head.
● often painful to touch.
how to treat all types of acne?
● natural ways to treat various types of acne
1. cleanse with non-acnegenic cleansers:
skin hygiene is an important step to control your acne problems. clean your face with mild non-acnegenic cleansers that gently remove surface impurities, excess sebum and dead skin cells. regular cleansing can prevent build-ups and keep your pores clean, thus preventing the formation of comedones. opt for a deep clean once in a while, depending on your exposure to sun and pollution.
2. face steaming:
face steaming is a great way to loosen stubborn impurities that tend to block your pores. add some green tea to the boiling water and let your skin absorb the goodness. green tea can help to control the excess secretion of sebum which leads to acne.
gently
exfoliate your skin with mild exfoliators to clear comedonal non-inflammatory acne such as whiteheads and
blackheads. however, consult your doctor before exfoliating if you are experiencing moderate to severe acne. inflammatory acne such as papules, pustules and nodules may get further irritated due to over-
exfoliation. there is also a chance of spreading the infection to the surrounding areas of your skin.
4. oil control natural clay masks:
natural oil control masks especially those that have tea tree oil can help curb the overproduction of sebum. clay masks are often astringent in nature and have a cooling effect on your skin. this helps calm irritated acne prone skin and deep cleanse your pores. apply your mask after a face steam to help your skin to absorb the skin benefitting properties of the mask better.
5. use water-based moisturizers and sunscreens:
after
exfoliation or application of a face mask, make sure to moisturize. even if you have oily, acne prone skin, do not leave your skin without a moisturizer. this can dry out your skin and in turn trigger the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum. opt for water based
non-comedogenic moisturizers that don’t clog your pores and provide optimum hydration for your skin.
sunscreen is a must for all skin types and especially if your skin is susceptible to acne.
over-exposure to the sun can further irritate your skin becoming a trigger for acne. use light
sunscreen that is non-acnegenic to protect your skin and prevent product build-up in your pores.
● ayurvedic remedies for different types of acne
1. mukha lepas
ayurveda prescribes a list of skin beneficial herbs with specific gunas (qualities) and effects on your doshas and the skin diseases you are diagnosed with. the below mentioned mukha lepas are specifically concocted to treat the condition of yuvana pidaka (acne).
a. yastimadhu, chandanam, manjistha and milk
as per research the combination of these powerful ayurvedic herbs with milk have shown to produce therapeutic relief to patients suffering from mild to severe cases of yuvana pidaka. yastimadhu’s calming effect on the skin pacifies vitiated vata and pitta dosha and prevents scarring from acne lesions. chandanam too improves your overall skin complexion and pacifies pitta. manjistha is the ancient skin herb used in numerous ayurvedic skin medicines for its ‘rakta shodhana’ or blood purifying abilities. together with milk that cleanses your pores, this mukha lepa is the ultimate acne healing ayurvedic face mask.
how to use: mix the ingredients (available in powdered form in ayurvedic shops) with milk and apply on the affected areas. leave it on for 15 minutes and wash off with tepid water for best results.
b. lodra, vacha, dhanya and rose water
lodra, vacha and dhanya are ancient ayurvedic herbs that are combined to create the powerful lodhradi mukha lepa. application of this lepa gives relief from kandu (itching) daha (burning sensation) and improves acne affected areas. often used along with ‘arogyavardhini vati’, the lodhradi lepa pacifies all three dosha and purifies the vitiated ‘rakta dhatu’ (blood). being rich in tannins and flavonoids, these herbs exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and skin healing properties.
how to use: mix the powders of lodra, vacha and dhanya with rose water to prepare the face pack. apply it on the acne affected areas and leave it on for 15 minutes and wash off with lukewarm water.
c. neem, guduchi, shalmali, jatiphala
neem and guduchi being excellent pitta, kapha and rakta dosha pacifiers. along with skin healing properties of shalmali and jatiphala, this ayurvedic lepa is a strong topical medicine for acne. shalmali and jatiphala are also effective against
acne scars.
how to use: mix these herbs with lukewarm water or rose water and apply on acne infected skin. let it dry for 15 minutes and wash off with tepid water.
d. haridra, shatavari, ashwagandha, rakta chandanam
haridra or turmeric is a known antibacterial agent. shatavari and ashwagandha help to control hormonal imbalances that trigger acne. rakta chandanam is a powerful blood purifier. when combined, these traditional herbs make for an ideal acne treating ayurvedic lepa.
how to use: mix all ingredients with water and apply on the affected areas. keep it for 15 minutes and wash off. repeat frequently till acne clears off.
2. panchakarma vidhi
the ancient ayurvedic procedure of panchakarma vidhi is prescribed in cases of severe or persistent acne. this process detoxifies and purges your body of harmful toxins and opens up the blocked channels. the three main procedures in the panchakarma therapy that can heal acne are:
nasya: the process of administering herbal oils through the nasal cavity to clear blockages. vamana: vamana or therapeutic vomiting reduces excess kapha dosha in your body.
virechana [5]: this involves the administration of purgatives to clear excess pitta dosha through the lower channels of your body.
3. ayurvedic oral medicines
ayurvedic oral medicines are often prescribed along with the mukha lepas in acne treatment. these medications often include skin healing, dosha calming and blood purifying herbs that are administered orally. these ayurvedic herbs also help to improve your digestive system and balance your hormones. some of the well known ayurvedic medicines for acne treatment are mentioned below.
● triphala guggulu
● arogyavardhini vati
● maha manjishtadi kashaya
● avipathi choornam
vedix tip: the ayurvedic procedures of abhyanga (herbal oil massage) and udvartana (herbal
exfoliation) have proven to be beneficial for removing comedonal acne such as
blackheads and whiteheads.