What Causes Acne and How to Treat It Effectively
Most people think of acne as a “teenage thing,” but for many people, acne continues to be an issue in adulthood and may continue to impact self-esteem and daily life. Whether you suffer from sporadic breakouts or chronic cystic acne, understanding the causes of your acne is key to restoring your skin’s beauty.
At LifeBoost, we take a holistic approach to skin health and offer advanced PRP (Platelet‑Rich Plasma) treatments designed to target resistant acne scars. Our team works with you to create a customized solution that goes beyond addressing breakouts, helping you achieve a clearer, healthier, and more radiant complexion.
What is Acne?
Essentially, acne develops when hair follicles become clogged with oil and dead skin cells. While it is most commonly associated with the face, acne can also appear on the back, chest, and shoulders. It’s important to note that acne is not just one type of blemish—there are several forms, depending on what occurs beneath the skin.
Examples include:
Blackheads or Whiteheads: These are clogged pores or comedones.
Pimples: Papules and pustules, which appear as little red bumps either without pus or filled with pus.
Cysts or Nodules: Both of these are deep-rooted and painful inflamed lesions usually resulting in scarring.
Common Causes of Acne
1. Overproduction of Oil (Sebum) by Your Skin
Sebum (oil) is made by your skin to keep it soft, but sometimes the sebaceous glands become too active and produce too much oil. Using this excess oil, your skin can create a perfect environment for acne, by trapping dirt, grime and other debris inside your pores.
2. Clogged Pores
Every day, the skin naturally sheds dead cells. When this process slows, those cells can mix with sebum (skin oil) and form a “plug” inside the hair follicle. These clogged follicles are the leading cause of many types of acne.
3. Bacteria
Everyone has some bacteria living on their skin; however, when pores get clogged with sebum, certain types of bacteria can thrive and reproduce. As these types of bacteria multiply inside the follicle, the immune system recognizes the presence of these foreign organisms and triggers inflammation, leading to redness and swelling.
4. Hormonal Changes
Hormones are the primary cause of acne throughout your life.
– Adolescence: The increase in androgens (male hormones) leads to larger oil glands.
– Adulthood: The hormonal changes women experience from their menstrual cycle, pregnancy and stress (which causes an increase in cortisol) are the most significant triggers of “adult acne” around the jawline area.
Treatment
Determining the proper course of treatment begins with understanding the causes, the triggers. Mild cases of acne can typically be treated with over-the-counter products, but those with moderate to severe (scarring) forms of acne will almost certainly require medical assistance to eliminate the triggers.
At LifeBoost, we treat more than just the symptom; our approach is to get to the root of the problem. In addition, for those who are left with physical reminders of their breakout history, we have developed innovative PRP treatments using the body’s own growth factors to promote collagen production, which smooth the appearance of the scarred areas and restores the skin’ full texture.
Recognizing Your Acne Types
Recognizing your acne gives you a starting point for treatment since you first want to find out what type of acne you have.
Acne usually can be broken down into two types:
Non-inflammatory and inflammatory (non-inflamed) acne
Determining the type of acne you have lets you know whether you should be treating it with simple topical products or require something more significant like prescription medications.
Comedonal Acne
The most common type of acne is the comedonal type (blackheads and whiteheads) and, therefore, is not considered to be inflammatory (ie., angry). Comedonal acne is the easiest form of acne to treat. In addition to being the least severe of the acne types, this type of acne typically has the lowest number of bacteria.
Blackheads: Comedonal acne is open at the top and therefore has a dark, discolored appearance due to oxidation.
Whiteheads: Comedonal acne is closed at the top due to a very thin layer of skin blocking all of the oil.
Inflammatory Acne
Inflammatory acne is characterized by red bumps on the skin due to the breakdown of the pore walls caused by inflammation (ie., irritation) of the pore.
Papules: Papules are those red and hard bumps that are painful to touch and are indicative of inflammation.
Pustules: Pustules resemble papules but have what appears to be a small, white, or yellow head. This “head” contains pus that has developed due to your body’s immune response to the bacteria.
Nodular Acne & Cystic Acne
The two most serious varieties of acne are nodular and cystic acne, both of which form deep within the skin.
A nodule is a large, painful, hardened lump that typically does not have a puncture site or “head.”
A cyst is a soft, fluid-filled sac that can also be quite painful. A cyst is formed deep within the dermis and is most likely to leave scars since they need to be treated by a doctor.
How to Get the Best Results from Acne Treatment
There is no benefit to using multiple acne products at once simply because they are trending on social media, and this method of self-treatment can lead to a damaged skin barrier and more acne. For the best results, it is crucial to create a scientifically-proven plan of attack.
Regularly Using Products Recommended by a Doctor- A Consistent Routine
The main factor for healthy skin is consistency, but using products which are not appropriate may be as detrimental as doing nothing at all.
Cleansers that are Non-Irritating– Using an abrasive face scrub can cause an increase in oil secretion due to irritation and leave your skin more vulnerable to other products. Your face wash should have an appropriate balance of pH for your skin.
Non-Comedogenic Skin Care Products-To avoid clogging your pores, always search for this label when shopping for skin care products such as sunscreens and moisturizers.
Products prescribed by a Medical Specialist– A physician will recommend products containing the ‘active ingredients’ (such as retinoid, benzoyl peroxide, and salicylic acid) in specific proportion that suit your skin’s specific needs. This will minimize the likelihood that people abandon their skin care regimen due to irritation caused by incorrect concentrations of ‘active ingredients”.
PRP Treatment for Your Acne Scars
Once your active breakout is over, your healing journey has just started. Scarring from acne, a permanent reminder of previous skin problems; includes pitted, bumpy or discolored skin. Most topical anti-acne treatments don’t penetrate deep enough into the dermal layers of tissue where these blemishes originate. Advanced medical procedures utilizing regenerative medicine techniques provide a safe way to treat these blemishes through Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy.
What Is PRP Therapy?
Platelet-Rich Plasma therapy (PRP Therapy) is also known as the “Vampire Facial,” among other names. But the underlying basis for PRP Therapy is that it uses a safe, natural healing component present in your blood, your own Platelets.
The procedure is relatively straightforward
A small amount of blood is drawn and placed in a centrifuge, where platelets are concentrated into a solution. These platelets are rich in growth factors; substances that stimulate new cell development and help the body heal wounds and regenerate tissue. When PRP is reintroduced into your skin, it activates deep cellular renewal, rejuvenating the treated area naturally.
How PRP Helps Improve Acne Scars?
PRP treats your acne scars from the inside out by rebuilding your skin from the bottom up, instead of just removing the top layers like our standard method of treatment.
Stimulate the Growth of New Cells
PRP encourages new cell growth, helping smooth the “orange peel” texture and reduce dark spots caused by chronic acne.
Make Scars Less Visible
By signaling the body to generate new tissue, PRP effectively fills in atrophic or depressed scars, making them less noticeable.
Promote Natural Skin Regeneration
PRP boosts collagen and elastin production, restoring elasticity and thickness to the skin for a more youthful, resilient appearance.
Why Choose PRP from LifeBoost?
When it comes to regenerative medicine, the expertise of your provider matters as much as the technology itself. At LifeBoost, we prioritize:
Safety and Precision: We Utilizes medical-grade equipment to obtain the highest concentration of Platelets to achieve maximum benefit.
Natural-Looking Results: Because PRP uses your own body’s biological materials; there is almost no chance of an allergic reaction and the outcome will be totally natural-looking.
Expert Healthcare: LifeBoost Medical Team has extensive knowledge of skin anatomy and will tailor each PRP session based on your questions and issues.
The Importance of Seeking Professional Treatment
At‑home scar remedies or high‑strength chemical peel kits can increase irritation and even cause permanent skin damage. Acne and acne scarring are complex medical conditions involving deep inflammation and structural changes in the dermis. Because of this, do‑it‑yourself treatments rarely address the root causes. Medically supervised care offers greater safety and effectiveness, as professionals can identify the specific types of scarring and apply a combination of advanced modalities, such as medical‑grade skincare products, PRP, and other proven therapies, to achieve the best possible results.
Final Thoughts: Begin Improving Your Skin Today
Although acne has an effect on countless people, that does not mean it has to continue for an extended period of time. You can combat your current breakouts using a custom-designed skincare program and also erase any previous imperfections or damage through PRP therapy. Finding clarity and having healthy skin is now possible for you. At LifeBoost, we are dedicated to helping you look and feel you’re best through expert, compassionate care. You don’t have to hide behind makeup or filters anymore.