How to Stop Acne - Diagnosis of Acne

How to Stop Acne

Diagnosis of Acne
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Clinical diagnosis of acne is based on history and the presence of characteristics lesions. Special tests are not required. Your doctor will be able to help you and teach you proven methods on how to stop acne.

Diagnostic Criteria

To diagnose your condition as acne, your doctor will first examine your skin and confirm that the blemishes are those of acne. The characteristic lesions are non-inflamed comedones (whiteheads and black heads) and inflamed lesions consisting of papules, pustules, nodules and cysts. These most occur together in characteristic oil-producing areas such as the face, upper back and upper chest in the typically affected age group, namely adolescents and young adults. And they are the ones who are active on searching a proven way on how to stop acne.

During the consultation, your doctor will also analyze aggravating factors and rule out special underlying conditions associated with acne, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome and Cushing’s Syndrome.

Your doctor will also assess the severity of your acne and determine your responses to previous treatments given, so that he can plan the best strategy on how to stop your acne.

Are Special Blood and Skin Tests Needed?

Special blood and skin tests are not routinely required. However, in situations where your doctor suspects that your skin condition is not a typical case of acne, he may order certain special tests. These are usually carried out to include mimics of acne and to identify underlying medical conditions that may cause or aggravate acne.

How to Stop Acne

Some Tests Include:

A. Skin Smear for Microscopy

This is done to identify bacteria or yeast when gram-negative folliculitis – inflammation of the follicle – or pityrosporum (a type of yeastlike fungi) folliculitis is suspected. (Gram’s stain is a method of treating bacteria with dyes; gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria show different stains, due to differences in the structure and composition of the cell walls.) A swab from affected skin is smeared on a glass slide, which is then stained with special chemicals and examined under a microscope to demonstrate the causative organism.

B. Skin Smear for Bacterial Culture

A smear from the affected skin is plated on a special medium that allows the causative bacteria to grow. The bacteria can then be identified and its susceptibility to various antibiotics, or antibiotic sensitivity, determined. This test is to identify the bacteria in gram-negative bacterial folliculitis so the doctor can decide on the most suitable antibiotic to stop acne infection.

C. Hormonal Blood Tests

This test screen for hormonal disorders in females with difficult to stop acne in the presence of irregular menstrual periods and hirsutism (male-pattern hair distribution in females). They include the raios of serum dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEAS), total and free testosterone and luteinising hormone (LH), to follicular stimulating hormone (FSH). If the results are abnormal, your doctor will refer you to an endocrinologist or gynaecologist for a more detailed evaluation and assessment.

With these procedures, it is posible to determine the cause easily, and affected persons would have enough time to do effective ways on how to stop acne without much trouble.

How to Stop Acne