Major Causes and Most Effective Treatments of Fungal Acne

Fungal infections and acnes are a menace to living entities, especially in monsoon times. Fungal Acne isn’t like regular acne. It doesn’t respond to the customary treatments that you apply for acne. Pityrosporum folliculitis is a condition commonly known as fungal acne. It has a lasting effect on the skin and damages the skin a great deal.

Though it might look like normal acne, it is totally different and is an outcome of the infection by the harmful fungus called Malassezia furfur. It can be a part of the regular came or exist independently as a skin infection. Coming from infection from yeast, it most possibly could worsen as a result of the regular treatment if done for long. Hence, it is imperative of identify the cause and try the right approach of treatment for fungal acne.

What Is Fungal Acne?

Fungal acne is a form of acne spots caused as a result of the growth of yeast called Malassezia furfur. This yeast is basically found on everyone’s skin. The spacious glands secrete sebum, which is oil on the skin. This sebum can cause the fungus to grow around the hair follicles. It grows around the hair follicles and causes inflammation as a result. This further leads to the development of spots on the skin and this is called fungal acne. Though developed externally, this issue is not communicable and is not an indication of any sort of hygiene-related issues.

What does fungal acne look like?

Fungal acne looks Like small, red bumps filled with pus emerging from the hair follicles of the skin. Since it is quite difficult to separate the symptoms of regular acne from fungal acne, we have created a list of fungal acne symptoms that you can use to assure.

● The size of the fungal acne is more or less the same for all the pus-filled pimples. The size of regular or bacterial acne varies with differently sized pimples all over the skin.

● Usually, fungal acne can be seen on the arms, back, and chest. But, fungal acne on face and fungal acne on forehead can also be found causing inflammation.

● Fungal acne can be itchy while bacterial acne rarely causes itchiness.

● Fungal acne develops in clusters. Bacterial acne is more widespread and does not form colonies on the skin.

What causes fungal acne?

Fungal acne can be caused by a variety of reasons. Unlike the regular acne that you get, fungal acne doesn’t emanate as a result of bacteria, oils, and pores. It has more to do with the growth of yeast on the skin. But it is imperative to note that sebum and dirt do play a significant role in the composition of fungal acne.

Interestingly, the yeast that is the sole reason for the development of fungal acne is always present on our skin. Then how is it that it suddenly gets upset and causes fungal acne? Our body has the ability to balance the amount of these years, bacteria, and oil on our skin. But, the problem begins when this natural balance gets disturbed. Here are some reasons that can possibly lead to this imbalance:

Trapped moisture:

Trapped moisture in your skin for long periods can cause acne. Be it sweaty clothes, moist clothes, or staying in a humid area, All these can cause fungal cane if the moisture persists on the skin. Long exposure to sweaty workout clothes can lead to fungal came over the body.

Medication:

Certain medications such as increased dosage of antibiotics less to the reduction of bacteria from your skin. This stimulates the imbalancement of yeast and oil and bacteria on the skin.

Oppressed immune system:

A poor immune system can lead to the development of fungal acne.

Diet:

A diet with excessive sugar and carbohydrates gives fungi and yeast reason to feed on them.

Tight clothes:

Tight clothes of synthetic material for longer times can cause excessive sweat and the trapping of this sweat and moisture and dirt on the skin further leads to fungal acne.

How to get rid of fungal acne?

Fungal acne treatment is essentially different from regular acne treatments. To treat fungal acne, anti-fungal and anti-yeast treatments are required. Basic treatment of cold includes the usage of antifungal lotion or powder on the infected area. You need to take the help of a medical professional if the issue has risen to a significant outbreak. Your physician might hand you some anti-fungal oral medications to treat the infection. In addition to this, there are some lifestyle changes that you need to make to treat fungal acne.

Shower on regular basis:

Showering each day is a good practice and has inevitable benefits. If you have a regular job where you need to move out and sometimes cause sweating or leads you to a humid location, try bathing regularly to reduce the chances of contracting fungal acne on your body. This aids in washing away the excessive yeast from the body.

Do not wear body-hugging clothes all the time:

Right and breathable clothes can lead to increased issues. Friction and the inability of the skin to breathe through tight clothes can lead to fungal acne. Wear breathable fabric and lose clothes, especially at nights when you sleep.

Try a different body wash:

For fungal acne, the popularly known dermatology products are dandruff shampoos which contain pyrithione zinc or selenium sulfide. This product can be used as a body wash to treat fungal acne on the body. If you see frequent breakouts over several days, had this solution as a body wash a few days in the week regularly to get rid of the fungal acne.

If you wish to continue the use regularly, you may do it once a week. It’ll help maintain a balance of bacteria and yeast on the skin. Apply the shampoo thoroughly whilst taking a generous amount in your palms. Rub it off on the affected area. Once down, let it sit for a few minutes and then rinse off with plain cold water.

Use antifungal treatments that are over the counter (OTC):

You can find a variety of OTC antifungal treatments on the market. Consult your dermatologist and get a prescription for the best OTC anti-fungal treatments to cure fungal acne. These products include OTC anti-fungal creams and ointments to apply to the affected area. Products with Ketoconazole, Clotrimazole, and butenafine can work wonders for such fungal growths.

Oral medicines can also be taken for the treatment of fungal acne:

Consult a good dermatologist and ask them to prescribe some oral drugs for fungal acne treatment. This step is usually taken if the home remedies are going no good to the problem, the breakouts are increasing, and other is no sign of any effect of the remedies adopted. At this stage, oral medicines like fluconazole or itraconazole can be helpful. These target the hair follicles and alleviate the fungal infection.

To remain protective of fungal acne, try maintaining a balanced diet, take showers more regularly and thoroughly, use a dandruff shampoo as a body wash in a gap of around 15 days. Also, most importantly, do not sit in wet or moist clothes for longer. Do not let sweat sit on your body for longer periods. Taking these preventive measures will help curtail the chances of fungal acne in the future.

We just had an extensive discussion on white a commonly growing issue these days. With monsoons around the corner, you often might come across certain types of fungal infections on your body. It is interactive to stay alert, adopt preventive measures and take care of hygiene and health to avoid contracting fungal acne. Follow the steps that we’ve discussed and you’re good to go!

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