Acne is a chronic inflammatory skin disease of the sebaceous unit of the hair follicles, which is also known as "pimples" because it tends to occur in teenagers. The worldwide incidence of acne is 9.4%, ranking it the 8th most chronic disease in the world. Studies have shown that the prevalence of acne in Chinese groups is 8.1%, 85.1% of adolescents develop acne, and 3% to 7% of acne patients will be left with scarring. At the 6th "Acne Prevention and Technology Week" healthy China public welfare activity held today, Professor Gu Jun, Chairman of the Dermatovenereology Professional Committee of the Chinese Society of Integrative Medicine and Professor Gu Jun of the Tenth People's Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, jointly issued an initiative to designate September 19-26 every year as "Acne Prevention and Technology Week", whose homonym is "Save Me", calling on all walks of life to join hands to help Chinese acne patients.
Minor questions? Protracted!
"Acne" seems to be a common skin problem, but it is actually closely related to physical health, mental health, social attributes, etc. Acne is divided into three degrees and four grades, and the occurrence of acne can lead to problems such as papules, pustules, cysts, nodules on the skin, and even scarring, which seriously affects the appearance of patients. "Long-term repeated acne will cause patients to have dissatisfaction with appearance and inferiority complex, and even depression and anxiety." Professor He Li of the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University said.
However, while being affected by acne, many patients or family members will think that acne is just a small problem "popping up" on the skin, as long as the acne is simply extinguished with some medicine, it can be quickly cured. As everyone knows, acne treatment is a "protracted battle", because the patient's own skin has inflammation, coupled with the influence of topical drugs, various treatment methods, etc., it is easy to induce skin sensitivity, resulting in a vicious circle of acne.
Professor Zheng Zhizhong of Huashan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University explained that acne patients often have unsound skin barrier function, due to the strong secretion of facial sebum, changes in sebum composition, unstable lipid structure, coupled with inflammatory reactions, it is easy to cause skin barrier damage, and the resistance to external stimuli is weakened; Secondly, most patients have the bad habit of excessive skin cleaning, which aggravates the damage to the skin barrier. "Therefore, acne patients should be as streamlined as possible in their skin care routine, do basic cleansing, hydration, moisturizing and sun protection, help repair the skin barrier, and restore the normal barrier function of the skin."
The principle of different "acne" for the four skin types
For acne patients with different skin types, scholars have also brought different skin care methods, focuses and precautions——
People with acne with oily skin should use warm water close to body temperature to cleanse their faces, which is conducive to dissolving sebum; Use cleansing mousse and cleansing foam with moisturizing and oil-controlling ingredients at a frequency of less than 2 times per day; Use oil-control, acne-cleansing and acne effective skin care products for the whole face, with water agents and gels.
Acne patients with dry skin can use warm water to cleanse their faces, using a cleanser with soothing and repairing the skin barrier, 1 time per day; Use a skincare product that repairs the skin barrier for the entire face, preferably with a watery emulsion/cream, or use a hydrating mask 2 to 3 times a week for deep hydration.
Patients with combination skin who share the characteristics of oily skin and dry/normal skin can use a cleanser with a soothing and skin-repairing function at a frequency < 2 times a day; The T-zone care principle is the same as that of oily acne skin, and the care principle of cheeks, temporal region, chin and other parts is the same as that of dry acne skin.
For acne patients with sensitive skin, it is recommended to use a cleanser with a soothing and skin barrier repair function, once a day.
Integrative Medicine promotes acne treatment
In recent years, the diagnosis and treatment of acne has also been developing towards integrative medicine, including topical treatment, systemic treatment, and physical and chemical therapy, and the combination of multiple treatments is essential. He Li said that formulating integrated treatment plans from various aspects such as detection, diagnosis, treatment, and skin care, and carrying out precise prevention and care according to different skin types, can increase the efficacy, reduce recurrence, and improve overall patient satisfaction.
Gu Jun introduced that since the establishment of the "Acne Prevention and Treatment Science Week" activity, the Dermatovenereology Special Committee of the Chinese Society of Integrative Medicine has taken the lead in organizing free consultations, epidemiological investigations, patient science education, doctor education and other work across the country, and compiled the acne science book "Retain Youth Without Acne" to provide patients with authoritative and easy-to-understand acne science knowledge. In addition, the special committee issued the "Guidelines for the Primary Diagnosis and Treatment of Acne Vulgaris", "Expert Consensus on the Clinical Application of Aminovalerate Photodynamic Therapy in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris", "Expert Consensus on the Clinical Application of Oral Isotretinoin in the Treatment of Acne", etc., to provide a strong reference for the majority of dermatologists for clinical diagnosis and treatment. In this year's event, the special committee took the lead in distributing the "6th Acne Week Science Handbook" to all free clinics across the country, simplifying the importance of integrated medicine for acne treatment into multiple easy-to-understand and life-friendly chapters. The manual provides a comprehensive analysis from the causes of acne to dietary interventions, personal skin care, treatment plans, etc., which helps to strengthen patients' comprehensive awareness of acne care and achieve precise combat against "acne".
Editor-in-chief: Gu Yong
Source: Author: Boxwood