Varieties of post-acne
In addition to atrophic scars - a type of post-acne, which we wrote about separately in another article, there are also post-inflammatory erythema and post-inflammatory pigmentation. Today’s article is devoted to these two phenomena.
Before talking about these unpleasant consequences, it is worth understanding where and why a pimple occurs in the first place. A pimple itself is an inflammation that the body does not allow into the blood, namely: at the site of infection, the capillaries narrow, then expand, building a dense defense of leukocytes. They fight infection, after which they restore damaged tissue and create new blood vessels. Visually the pimple goes away.
If the pimple is squeezed out, the natural healing process is disrupted. The infection can get into the blood, the probability of this is quite high. The vessels are certainly injured and leave marks.
Thus, post-inflammatory erythema occurs due to the accumulation of dilated capillaries, which could have been restored to a healthy epidermis if the pimple had not been pressed in this place. Most often, post-inflammatory erythema appears on light skin. Most Russians and Europeans who deal with the problem of post-acne are susceptible to it. Erythema appears as a pink, red, or purple patch left at the site of the pimple. The color is due to injury to the capillaries in the inflamed area. Sometimes erythema goes away on its own within six months, but not always - it all depends on the individual characteristics of the body.
Post-inflammatory pigmentation - brown spots. The color is due to the increased content of melanin, which occurs due to exposure of aggressive sun rays to unprotected, injured skin. Most often, dark-skinned and dark-skinned people, as well as women over 35 years of age, suffer from this disease due to endocrine changes. In most cases, the cause of pigmentation is inflammation of the papulopustular elements of acne, as well as scratching the area of squeezed out pimples.
Allergy to cold in a child
The body's reaction to hypothermia can occur at any age. In children it manifests itself differently and is of a purely individual nature. For example, with the first case of a reaction to cold, children tolerate allergies much easier than with repeated attacks of the pathology (relapses). Clinical manifestations depend on the form of the disease and severity. Cold allergies in children are not much different in appearance from skin lesions such as seborrheic eczema (a skin disease characterized by inflammation, rash and severe itching) or atopic dermatitis (a disease caused by a genetic factor, accompanied by a rash and severe itching)4,5.
Children with weak immune systems are most susceptible to reactions. In the vast majority of cases, a child develops cold urticaria:
- due to genetic inheritance;
- after viral infections;
- with a tendency to skin diseases6.
Why do post-acne appear?
The unpleasant consequences of acne are always the result of incorrect or insufficient professional treatment. First of all, it is important to maintain hygiene: do not squeeze out the inflammatory element, do not touch it with dirty hands, follow all stages of skin cleansing and the recommendations of a dermatologist.
The causes of post-acne can be different: deep inflammation, long-term struggle with acne, incorrectly selected treatment. All this inevitably leaves unsightly marks, especially the regular squeezing out of inflammatory elements, which, as we said earlier, damages the capillaries.
Factors in the appearance of post-inflammatory erythema are divided according to the nature of the formation into pathological and physiological. The first include:
- infectious diseases or pathologies of the body;
- autoimmune diseases;
- thermal, radiation or chemical burn.
Physiological reasons include:
- physical injury or intense massage;
- certain medications taken in large doses;
- long exposure to the open sun without proper protection.
Mild erythema goes away in a couple of days; in more serious cases, recovery may take several weeks. The speed depends on the individual characteristics of the body: cell regeneration (ability to renew), hormonal levels, deficiency or excess of vitamins, as well as on the cosmetics used to combat post-acne.
The causes of post-inflammatory pigmentation are still not fully understood, but scientists have identified several factors that influence their development. These include:
- stress;
- hormonal disorders;
- infection;
- diet;
- genetic predisposition.
Some experts believe that exposure to the sun does not affect the appearance of post-inflammatory pigmentation, but there is no evidence of this yet.
Symptoms of an allergy to cold
The reaction can occur upon contact with cold objects or prolonged exposure to frost. Most often, manifestations occur in winter. The likelihood of such a reaction increases in damp, windy weather. Sometimes the peak of development of an allergy to cold occurs at the moment when the patient gets into the heat. Main symptoms:
- pink or red rashes;
- itching;
- swelling in exposed areas of the body.
Sometimes patients experience a systemic allergic reaction - redness of the skin throughout the body. Its characteristic symptoms are:
- chills;
- tachycardia;
- swelling of the fingers and toes;
- a feeling of heaviness in the chest and throat (tightness);
- and even loss of consciousness2.
How to get rid of acne spots using cosmetology
Excessive spotting does not affect a person’s well-being, but his appearance and emotional state noticeably suffer from such acquisitions. It is logical that the first specialist who is contacted to remove post-acne and stagnant spots is a cosmetologist/dermatologist. In what ways does it help with erythema:
- laser exposure to capillaries;
- gels and ointments that narrow the walls of blood vessels;
- creams, masks and all kinds of peelings.
Experts in the field of cosmetology believe that erythema can disappear on its own in six months to a year. But in the case of post-inflammatory pigmentation, it is much more difficult to get rid of spots. Here are the popular methods that cosmetologists use in their practice:
- Microdermabrasion is the “filing off” of the stratum corneum of the skin. To completely remove post-acne pigmentation, 2-3 sessions are required, and the skin recovers within a month. During this time, you should avoid direct sunlight and refrain from going to the solarium, swimming pool and sauna.
- Mesotherapy with vitamins. It comes in the form of injections with a concentrate of vitamins, nucleic acids, amino acids, and proteins. It can also be applied to the skin with a vitamin cocktail, which is delivered to the deep layers of the epidermis using a laser device or microneedling (multiple skin punctures).
- Photothermolysis. The procedure involves burning out the upper layer of the epidermis, and the thermal effect provokes increased cell regeneration.
- Ozone therapy. Removing pigment spots with ozone. There are three types: meso-ozone therapy, ozone tonic and injections. The first is treating clean skin with a roller with an oxygen-ozone composition. Ozone tonic - rubbing the skin with an ozone cocktail, especially recommended against pigmented brown spots. With ozone injections, an ozone cocktail is injected under the skin, and the injection site visibly swells. Using massage movements, the substance is evenly distributed throughout the problem area.
- Laser facial resurfacing. Requires lengthy preparation: avoid ultraviolet radiation a month before the procedure, start using sunscreen 14 days before, undergo a medical examination, and take urine and blood tests. Acne spots on the face will go away only after a course of procedures, which lasts from 3 to 10 sessions. A rather traumatic method that requires a long period of rehabilitation.
- Dermabrasion. Mechanical damage to the stratum corneum of the skin. It can be superficial, deep and medium. Superficial dermabrasion touches the layers of skin up to the basal membrane, medium touches only the basal level, and deep penetrates to the papillary layer of the epidermis. Painful! There are contraindications.
- Chemical peeling. Organic acids are used that cause a controlled burn and subsequent death of the top layer of skin.
Each of the listed procedures requires a mandatory recovery period and is contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation!
Allergy to cold on the face
It is very important to learn to recognize this type of allergy, as it can masquerade as colds or dermatitis. The main symptoms appear as follows:
- Finding yourself outside in the cold, a person begins to experience a headache.
- Spasms (tone) of the muscles of the face and neck appear.
- Nausea sets in.
- In particularly severe cases, extensive facial swelling may develop, which is accompanied by redness.
- Spots and blisters appear, like a burn, and severe itching occurs.
- People suffering from cold urticaria experience a runny nose with watery nasal discharge and frequent sneezing.
Also, the cold may cause pain in the eye area and watery eyes. This phenomenon is called pseudoallergic conjunctivitis.
How to Get Rid of Acne Spots with Physiotherapy
To increase the effectiveness of cosmetics, physiotherapy is used - in the case of post-acne spots, we recommend using phonophoresis or microcurrents for a more pronounced result.
Today we’ll talk about phonophoresis. With this procedure, the beneficial substances of the gel or cream are delivered to the deep layers of the skin thanks to the influence of ultrasound.
The transferred components accumulate in the form of a medicinal depot in the skin and subcutaneous fat, significantly increasing the effectiveness of the drug and the time of its action. This is why the effect of physiotherapy lasts longer than a course of skin applications.
To conduct a session, you need a medium - a gel or cream with active ingredients that need to nourish the epidermal cells and eliminate the deformed substrate. The cosmetic product is applied only to previously cleansed skin! Since air does not carry ultrasound, you should press the emitter head tightly against the gel/cream application at the site of the problem area.
Next, the required ultrasound frequency is set - the lower the number, the stronger the effect on the body. Thus, at a frequency of 800–1000 kHz, ultrasound penetrates 5–6 cm, and at 2400 kHz, 1–2 cm. In the case of acne spots, a greater depth is not needed to solve a problem not of a medical, but of a cosmetic nature, deeper than 2 cm not worth influencing.
One session of phonophoresis takes 10–15 minutes, depending on the specific case and the severity of pigmentation. To remove red spots from acne, you need to complete a course of 8–15 procedures at intervals of a day or two.
Treatment
Help before diagnosis
If the burning sensation is caused by a slight burn of the skin (only redness, no blisters), it can be treated with dexpanthenol sprays. Medicines quickly relieve symptoms, soothe the skin and promote its healing. If you experience severe burns, rashes or other symptoms, consult a doctor. To quickly relieve burning sensations, experts prescribe gels and sprays with a soothing and cooling effect.
Conservative therapy
Therapy is determined by the underlying disease. Often, burning skin is caused by dermatological pathologies, to eliminate which an integrated approach is practiced. For mild cases of the disease, local remedies are sufficient: lotions and wet-dry dressings for weeping, ointments and rich creams for peeling. They use medications with antiseptics and antibiotics, topical steroids, and antimycotics.
For allergic dermatoses, systemic detoxification therapy is prescribed: antihistamines, sedatives, methods of extracorporeal hemocorrection. Antifungal drugs in tablets are recommended for the treatment of common mycoses. Herpes zoster requires intravenous or oral acyclovir.
Physiotherapy methods are effective in a comprehensive treatment regimen. To eliminate rashes, accelerate skin healing and stimulate immune defense, laser therapy, magnetic therapy, and ozone therapy are prescribed. In the remission phase of chronic dermatoses, skin irradiation with ultraviolet light and mud therapy are used. With senestopathies, patients require the help of a psychiatrist.
How to remove acne spots with Fermencol gel
A specially developed Fermenkol line will help remove post-acne spots, aimed at correcting skin texture, normalizing color and restoring healthy tissue. All Fermenkol products contain 9 active collagenase enzymes, which “eat up” the destroyed vascular endothelium, improve local capillary circulation and, as a result, even out skin color.
Fermenkol also eliminates deformed collagen and, penetrating the dermis, acts only on pathological tissue, without affecting intact (healthy) areas of the skin. The result: clean, smooth skin without pigmentation.
To enhance the cosmetic effect, experts recommend using Fermenkol together with phonophoresis. The course of procedures can be completed either in a clinic at your place of residence or at home with a portable Reton device for phonophoresis. You can purchase Fermenkol products by placing an order online on the official website or in pharmacies in your city. Before use, consult a specialist; he will prescribe the optimal number of procedures. It is easy to get a consultation from a practicing doctor; to do this, you need to click the “doctor” button, describe your situation in detail and attach a photo of the damaged area.
Fermenkol products have already helped many people get rid of acne spots, here is just one of the reviews:
Remember! The sooner you start the course, the faster you will achieve the desired result and will again be able to enjoy healthy and beautiful skin.
Diagnosis of hyperemia
Red facial skin can be both a protective reaction to irritants and a signal of disturbances in the human body. Timely diagnosis and treatment help delay the development of serious pathologies. Studying the problem begins with collecting complaints and medical history. Thus, episodes of skin color changes should be carefully analyzed.
If the redness on the face is of a short-term local nature, has a clear connection with any cause, goes away on its own after it is eliminated and is not accompanied by other symptoms, then a person can cope with the change in skin color without outside help.
In cases of systematic red spots on the face, the causes of which are unclear, the help of a specialist is necessary. The reason to urgently contact him is the simultaneous combination of redness on the face and peeling, itching, burning, microcracks, as well as general weakness, fatigue and disruption of the internal organs.
In such cases, laboratory tests of blood and urine, available instrumental studies of the cardiovascular system (measurement of blood pressure and pulse, ECG and assessment of the condition of blood vessels) are performed. Taking into account preliminary data, the doctor may prescribe dermatological and allergological tests, determination of the hormonal profile, and in-depth instrumental procedures (radiography, ultrasound, MRI, CT).
Modern laboratory and instrumental equipment will provide the opportunity for comprehensive general clinical observation, and the joint work of several specialists will make it possible to more accurately determine the nature of facial redness and its causes.
Liver pigment spots
Deterioration in the functionality of internal organs can also lead to the formation of aesthetic defects. The liver plays the role of a filter, retaining and processing all dangerous substances, and then removing them from the body. In cases where she fails to cope with her duties, slow but sure intoxication occurs, which is manifested not only by internal, but also by external pathologies.
Metabolic processes in tissues are disrupted, including the normal distribution of melanin; it accumulates in certain areas. Most often it appears on the face. The contours of such spots are not uniform, they do not have a clear boundary. The color can also vary from light to dark brown.
