Acne has long been associated with teenagers. Beyond teenage, most people don’t expect to deal with acne anymore. For some adults, this is usually the case, and for the unfortunate few, acne becomes a complete nuisance. Adult acne, especially fungal acne, is not commonly triggered by hormonal imbalance.
What is fungal acne?
Fungal acne has the same signs as normal acne. While P.acnes, a bacterium, causes typical acne for teens, fungal acne is triggered by a fungus called Malassezia. That’s why it is called Malassezia folliculitis as well. Human skin has plenty of Malassezia. If there is an overgrowth of this fungus on your skin, an infection of the hair follicle will occur.
When Malassezia increases on your skin surface, it attacks the hair follicle and causes folliculitis. This kind of acne is even harder to treat if you attempt to cure it like bacterial acne. It will not respond to some prescribed and most OTC acne medications. If you have noticed some acne bumps that don’t go away no matter what you do, you could have Malassezia folliculitis.
How to know you have fungal acne
Fungal acne is not exactly like regular acne that most adolescents have. Both are different and are a result of various pathogens. With fungal acne, you have a rash that is always itchy. Other unique signs of fungal acne are:
- Tiny whiteheads. These are so tiny that they look like pinheads.
- Irritation and itch. It is a significant thing that differentiates regular acne from fungal acne.
- Forms in patches. Unlike regular acne, fungal acne attacks small patches at a time. It can even appear like a little rash affecting just a tiny patch.
- Affects mainly your forehead, cheeks, back, and chest. If it appears on your face, it forms in small patches that may be scattered all over the face.
Why do you have fungal acne?
There is nothing you can do about having yeast on your skin. However, you can avoid doing things that can make it overgrow. Ensure that you don’t create a perfect environment for Malassezia to overgrow. These include:
- Failure to clean up after sweating profusely. Sweat keeps the skin moist, a perfect condition for yeast to increase.
- Failure to change wet clothes after swimming or going to the gym. These create a damp environment that yeast-like to increase.
- Eating a lot of sugary food. High amounts of carbohydrates like table sugar can feed yeast and cause it to proliferate.
Can you remove fungal acne?
The answer is yes. Even with a simple act like altering your lifestyle, you can attack your acne and finish it. The most important thing is to stop doing things that can aggravate your chances of getting this acne. Always take a bath after doing an activity that causes your body to sweat profusely. As soon as you are through with your gym activities, wash your face and change your clothes.
When you arrive at home, take a bath to keep your skin clean. Concerning your diet, reduce sugary foods, such as refined sugar and foods. Finally, a shampoo with ingredients such as zinc or selenium, or both is recommended for use on areas that develop Malassezia acne. If this does not end your acne, you can try using natural, essential oils.
One of the best oils to use on your skin is tea tree oil. It has strong antiseptic properties that could help ease your discomfort due to fungal acne. Apply this oil on the patches affected by Malassezia, and it will relieve the itch and the irritation you feel.
There are also some masks you can use containing tea tree oil and other ingredients to do the same thing it is capable of. Good examples are chamomile and cica extract. If you don’t receive positive results, it could be time to see a dermatologist.
Conclusion
Now you know the answer to this question: what is fungal acne. Fungal acne can be itchy and irritating. It is a stubborn type of acne that affects mostly adults. It is not easy to treat when you don’t recognize it. So try the methods of removal shared in this article. If the problem persists, consult a skin doctor.