Acne: Introduction to Management  |  How Acne Can Affect You  | Acne: Treatment Challenges

Treatment of Acne in Africans

By Chinedu Akpa. B. Pharm. Freelance Health Writer and DLHA Volunteer. Medically reviewed by the DLHA Team

When it comes to treating acne, there is no one-size-fits-all approach because your type of acne, severity, and skin sensitivity will have to be taken into account before your healthcare provider can develop a treatment plan that would work best for you.

Before beginning treatment, your healthcare provider should provide you with counseling. During this conversation, the following points should be made clear to you: [5]

• Avoiding make-up products that can clog your skin pores, like certain sunscreens, and heavy moisturizers like coconut oil and mineral oil.

• Awareness that acne treatment varies from person to person. As a result, therapy adjustments may be required at some point in order to improve personal outcomes.

• Awareness that acne treatment primarily subdues rather than cures; so long-term maintenance therapy, such as topical retinoid, is to be expected.

• Patience is required because it takes an average of 2-3 months to assess the lesion. An effective treatment would reduce the number of lesions. 

The counseling is required to avoid abrupt discontinuation of medication due to perceived lack of cure or improvement. 

How to Treat Mild Acne

This acne is distinguished by a few scattered comedones and small inflammatory red or pink bumps (papules). This type of acne may also cause a few lesions on one or more body areas. 

Topical medications such as retinoid, antibiotics, and benzoyl peroxide are ideal for treating this type of acne. If the acne is primarily comedonal, retinoid can be used as the sole treatment, but if it involves papules, it should be combined with benzoyl peroxide or antibiotics. In addition, benzoyl peroxide and antibiotics can be used in combination to treat acne-causing bacteria resistance, while retinoids can be used as a maintenance treatment. [5]

How to Treat Moderate-to-Severe Acne

This is characterized by prominent comedones, large inflammatory pimples with pus (pustules) and papules, and large hard lumps under the skin (nodules) in association with scars on various parts of the body. 

To treat or manage this type of acne, a more aggressive treatment regimen is typically implemented. This treatment plan combines topical and oral medications. Oral antibiotics such as tetracycline, hormonal therapy such as spironolactone or oral contraceptives for females, and oral isotretinoin are typically used to treat this disorder. They can be combined with topical medications in mild cases, as previously discussed. [5]

Some of these drugs should be used with caution because they can cause birth defects, stomach upset, menstrual irregularities, headaches, teeth discoloration, photosensitivity, dry skin, and vision changes. 

Watch video on How to treat Acne in dark skin:

Natural Remedies for Acne

Africans typically seek alternative treatments in nature as a first or last resort. With an increase in the level of resistance in the bacteria that causes acne, as well as acne recurrence after treatment, these alternatives are becoming more popular among Africans.

But how do these natural remedies compare to the standard treatment? Do they work better? Do they have fewer side effects? Let’s find out! 

1. Tea tree oil: A study of 124 patients comparing the efficacy of 5% tea tree oil gel and 5% benzoyl peroxide lotion discovered that both were effective in reducing the number of inflamed and non-inflamed lesions. [6] Tea tree oil's effectiveness stems from its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. [7]

2. Vitex chaste tree: Some females develop acne or flare up just before menstruation due to hormonal imbalance. The German Commission E recommended the Vitex chaste tree to be used as an acne treatment due to its hormonal activity. [8] The tree is native to the Mediterranean region of Southern Europe and Western Asia.  

3. Neem oil: Neem oil is obtained from Azadirachta indica which is a plant that grows in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. According to research, the oil from this plant is an excellent acne treatment due to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. These properties typically prevent acne lesions from recurring. [9]

4. Lavender oil: This oil has the ability to kill acne-causing bacteria, including resistant strains, which is important because resistance develops among these organisms as a result of acne's chronic nature. [10]

5. Aloe vera: The gel of this compound has been found to contain a novel anti-inflammatory chemical called C-glucosyl, which, combined with the fact that the gel also contains salicylic acid (a known topical acne agent), may explain why it is one of the herbs used to treat acne. [11]

How to Manage Acne Complications

Just like acne itself, its complications can be treated to relieve one or both the physical and psychological effects associated with them.

Here are what you can do:

• Apply sunscreen, topical agents like azelaic acid, retinoids, and hydroquinone to affected areas to manage post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Chemical peels such as salicylic and glycolic acids can also be used.

• The use of intense pulsed light, pulsed-dye laser, and 5% topical tranexamic acid can all help to reduce post-inflammatory skin redness.

• Scars caused by papules can be treated using controlled CO₂ laser vaporization.

• Keloid can be treated with a pulsed dye laser or intense pulsed light therapy. 

Resources

Published: August 20, 2024

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