Blemishes On Face: Causes, Types, And Treatments

Everyone loves to flaunt flawless skin, which is why blemishes can be a cause of your worries, whether you are a 20 or 50-year old [1]. Blemishes on your face can disrupt the way your skin looks, affect its texture, and trigger an insecure feel despite applying makeup. Whether it is an acne mark, an age spot, a whitehead, or a blackhead, such blemishes on the face can be unsightly[2]. While these blemishes occurring on your face are generally non-threatening, a few might be indicators of any underlying medical condition. But, the brighter side is that the blemishes on your face can be treated with professional treatments and by following the perfect skincare routine. Keep reading to understand the causes of facial blemishes, their types, treatments, and steps to prevent it.

Facial Blemishes: An Overview

Facial blemishes refer to imperfections on the skin like skin discoloration, marks, or spots caused by pimples, acne, whiteheads, or blackheads[3]. Though blemishes can occur on any part of your body, your face is more prone to such skin flaws, as it has more open skin pores and follicles. Facial blemishes are a common skin condition that can develop on your skin at any point in time from puberty to old age[4]. If you have an uneven skin tone, develop red or brown colored patches, skin irritation due to dryness, skin inflammation, pus-filled bumps, or painful pustules, then you are at a higher risk of developing facial blemishes.

Causes of Facial blemishes

Several factors are responsible for causing blemishes on your facial skin, which often occur as soon as your skin pores get clogged. Let’s take a look at the major causes:

1. Heredity: Your genes might be responsible for causing facial blemishes. If your parents have inherited some medical disorders or genetic conditions like Fabry disease, there are chances of developing blemishes. These facial blemishes occur due to gene mutation causing red and dark colored spots.
2. Exposure to the Sun: Too much exposure to the sun’s UV rays can be a major reason behind hyperpigmentation on the face, which will lead to facial blemishes.
3. Too Much Sebum Production: Acne and pimples occur as a result of excess sebum production due to overactive sebaceous glands. Too much oil production will clog your open pores in the skin and cause an accumulation of dead cells and dirt.
4. Hormonal Changes: Facial blemishes develop when there are hormonal changes caused by menopause, menstruation cycle, pregnancy, puberty, and changes in metabolic activities[5].
5. Mindless Eating: Consuming foods like dairy products or sweets with skimmed milk will lead to acne or pimple breakouts on your face[6]. Eating foods high in carbohydrates and sugar might cause pustules and papules, which will leave marks like blemishes[7].
6. Effects of Medications: If you are taking medications that contain corticosteroids as the key ingredient might cause side effects like pimples or acne and lead to blemishes on your face.
7. Not Maintaining Skin: Your facial skin will attract a lot of impurities like grime, dirt, dust, and dead cells every day. Not following a regular skincare routine based on your specific skin type will cause facial blemishes, Wearing heavy makeup every day will also block your skin pores and cause facial blemishes.

Types of Facial blemishes

Facial blemishes are of various types, as they can range from simple ones like the acne scars created by skin lesions to complex ones like sebaceous cysts[8]. Consult your dermatologist to understand the type of your facial blemish to approach it with the right treatment option.

• Papules: These mid-sized or small bumps are shaped like domes with a raised look on your facial skin. Papules appear in red, pink, or purple and look like rashes in clusters.
• Acne Marks: The marks left by healed acne are caused due to the damage inflicted on your facial skin’s dermis layer. Pimples or acne can cause your skin pores to open due to inflammation and wounds, which can cause blemishes like scars.
• Melasma Spots: If you are pregnant, you are prone to develop melasma spots. These blemishes are brown-colored and are induced by changes in hormones and exposure to UV rays.
• Blackhead: It refers to open comedones, which develop when the clogged dead cells and sebum in the skin pores open and widen to accumulate more dirt. It appears as black spots on your nose, chin, and cheeks.
• Whitehead: This closed comedone is usually wrapped up in skin, making it the opposite of blackheads. This type of blemish occurs in red color and has tips with pus filling inside.
• Liver Spots / Sun Spots: Popularly called age spots, these facial blemishes will develop on any part of your face, when exposed to sun. It is a common form of hyperpigmentation caused by exposure to UV rays. These sun spots are prevalent among people aged above 50 years of age but might occur among young adults too[9].
• Acne Pustules: These pustules create skin lesions featuring yellowish and whitish bases, as they are filled with pus. These facial blemishes occur when dirt, bacteria, and sebum get clogged in the skin pores to cause skin infections.
• Pigmented Blemishes: A skin condition called hyperpigmentation appears as dark patches due to excess production of melanin due to overworking of melanocytes. Such uneven dark-colored patches in black or brown appearing on your face are termed pigmented blemishes.
• Nodular Acne: Sometimes, acne tends to develop with nodules causing painful and huge bumps that remain in deep skin layers. Such acne nodules are huge and remain solid to the touch when compared to papules. These nodules like skin warts and tags will leave unsightly scars on your facial skin.
• Sebaceous Cysts: These sac-like cysts are filled with red blood cells, white blood cells, bacteria, and sebum. This kind of cyst persists for several months and might need professional intervention to treat it. Blemishes are a result of various types of cysts like sebaceous cysts, ganglion cysts, and epidermoid cysts.

Treatments For Facial Blemishes

To get rid of unsightly blemishes on your facial skin, you can seek the advice of your dermatologist to select the right treatment[10].

1. Topical Medications

As an initial line of treatment, your dermatologist might prescribe topical medications to treat your facial blemishes by lowering the inflammation and eliminating bacteria inside skin pores[11]. You will be prescribed to use topical lotions and creams that contain vitamin A to treat medium and mild blemishes. Sometimes, products that contain effective ingredients like salicylic acid, Retin-A, Azelaic acid, Resorcinol, and benzoyl peroxide will be suggested to fade the blemishes. Using products that contain retinoids will help in unblocking the clogged pores.

2. Oral Medications

If you are dealing with severe facial blemishes, your doctor will prescribe oral medications along with topical products. With oral medications like antibiotics, you can notice visible results on your skin in 6 weeks[12]. Medications containing Tetracycline or birth control pills might be suggested for treating stubborn blemishes. Generally, oral antibiotics are used for treating the blemishes caused by deep-rooted acne cysts or nodules. These antibiotics combat bacteria by lowering skin redness and inflammation while cleansing the skin pores.

3. Chemical Peels

Chemical peels are an ideal choice to get rid of unsightly facial blemishes, as they use active ingredients with chemical formulations. This procedure loosens up your skin’s top layer to gently slough it away and reveal the flawless baby skin under it. These peels use chemical solutions to velar your skin pores and keep away pimples and acne breakouts. You can also get specific chemical peels designed for skin prone to acne, which eliminates impurities that clog the skin pores, flush out bacteria and toxins, and lower inflammation on the blemish-ridden site[14]. You can choose between deep, mild, and medium-strength peels based on the severity and extent of facial blemishes. Some of the advanced chemical peels use chemical formulations like pyruvic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, and salicylic acid, which can be very effective against stubborn blemishes on your face.

4. Microneedling

Microneedling is a renowned procedure used to remove facial blemishes, tackle skin redness, and uneven patches, and eliminate acne scars[15]. It is also very effective in fading away blemishes on the face among the elderly, especially when they are battling against collagen loss and wrinkles. Your dermatologist will suggest this procedure, as it helps in increasing cell turnover rate and promotes collagen production to lower blemishes on cheeks, nose, forehead, and chin[16]. The microneedling device creates small injuries on the facial skin to replace the damaged tissue with fresh collagen to cut down discoloration and scarring. This skin procedure helps you achieve healthy and young-looking skin with a brightened skin tone. Sometimes, it is performed together with microdermabrasion for a more effective look[17].

5. Laser Resurfacing

This treatment is very effective for people who wish to get rid of their stubborn facial blemishes that are deeper and darker in color. During this procedure, your dermatologist would use laser light energy of high intensity to trigger collagen production between the skin layers. Based on your blemish’s severity, he might suggest a couple of laser surfacing treatment sessions to clear the skin flaws. Whether it is enhancing skin texture, skin elasticity, skin discoloration caused by excess sun exposure, acne scars, or liver spots, this laser treatment is a perfect choice.

6. Injectable Filler

This procedure is an ideal choice to treat deep blemishes caused by depressed scars caused by acne. It is very effective in treating the blemishes caused by boxcar scars and icepick scars. These injectable fillers are very effective in kindling collagen production through fibroblasts, which will help in enhancing the trait and appearance of damaged skin and the surrounding tissues. So, after this procedure, you will have smoother skin with a better texture.

Preventive Measures For Facial Blemishes

Facial blemishes can be prevented by following a few preventive steps that can go a long way in helping you flaunt flawless skin. Find below some of the preventive tips that will help you have smooth and radiant-looking skin free from blemishes.

• Maintain Good Skin Hygiene: Following healthy hygiene practices to maintain skin health will help keep blemishes at bay. Ensure that you cleanse your face thoroughly in the morning and at night before you sleep. Also, sleep on clean pillow covers and bed sheets to prevent bacterial infection from developing on your facial skin.
• Eat Healthy: Following a healthy diet with fresh fruits and vegetables with skin-friendly vitamins E and C will be useful for maintaining your skin health and preventing the occurrence of blemishes. You can also stay away from dairy products like cheese or milk. Do not eat a lot of food items loaded with sugars and fats to prevent pimples and acne breakouts[18].
• Protect Against Sun Exposure: Protecting your skin against the harmful UV rays of the sun is essential to keep sun spots away. So, apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect against the effects of UVA and UVB rays of the sun.
• Choose The Right Skincare Products: Follow a regular skincare routine with products that are suitable for your skin type. You can also consult your dermatologist to get a prescription for non-comedogenic products and cosmetics that are free from oil to prevent skin pores from clogging.
• Regular Exfoliation: When following a skincare routine, include an exfoliation regime to keep your skin clean to prevent dirt and grime accumulation, which might clog your pores. Use products like scrubs that have mild anti-bacterial ingredients and gentle scrubbing beads for exfoliating your skin gently.
• Keep Your Skin Hydrated: Apart from keeping your skin moisturized, it is essential to keep it hydrated by drinking at least 3 liters of water. Drinking enough amount of water will help eliminate the toxins from your body and prevent skin blemishes.
• Do Not Touch Your Facial Skin: Avoid the temptation of feeling your facial skin by touching it every time. If you have acne-prone skin, it might worsen and lead to facial blemishes due to the transfer of dirt and bacteria from your hands.

Parting Thoughts

Though facial blemishes are a common skin condition, dealing with it every day especially when meeting someone for the first time, can be frustrating. It doesn’t matter what type of facial blemishes you might have, seeking the right treatment will help you prevent it from recurring. Schedule an appointment today with a skin specialist at Kolors Healthcare to learn more about the treatments available for facial blemishes to achieve problem-free skin.

Reference Links

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