1/ Who is affected by acne?
According to Dermato Drey, dermatologist, 80% of people are affected by acne in their life. “We often hear that “acne is a dirty people thing. It’s: “You have pimples. Go wash your face, it will be better.”
It’s not true, it’s not the case; It’s not a hygiene issue at all. And I find it stigmatizing for patients, precisely, to believe in this rumour,” explains the doctor.
Cause, solutions to make them disappear… Here are 7 very simple questions about dark circles to a dermatologist, which have even become a criterion of beauty for some.
2/ What is positive acne?
Dermato Drey: “It’s a fairly recent phenomenon. It’s been 2-3 years since “acne positivity” started developing. I think it parallels the movement of “body positivity”, “body positivism” which concerns other complexes related to the skin or the body.
3/ Who are the positive acne influencers?
“So I can’t say who was the first influencer of ‘acne positivity’ but it’s a movement that has developed especially in the United States because there acne is often very severe , because of food and because of access to care in dermatological consultation, which is also a little more restricted.
But ultimately, it is a movement that is developing in all Western cultures. We can cite Cotty Concha, who was one of the first, perhaps, to display her cleansed acne.
And then there is also The Blemish Queen, Its just acne… There are really several that prove that you can have charm and have acne.”
4/ As a dermatologist, do you encourage your patients to accept their acne?
“Yes, because as dermatologists, our role is twofold.
On the one hand, to offer solutions to minimize acne. And on the other hand, to help patients to accept themselves better in order to suffer less from their acne. Acne is not a serious illness that is life-threatening, so you don’t take risks for your health by not treating your acne.
The only problem is that acne can form long-term scars. So we rather have an interest in treating ourselves so as not to regret later.
Watch the video of these young people who have decided to assume their acne on Instagram. They have chosen acceptance of their imperfections.
5/ What is the cause of acne?
“There are several factors that come into play that can add up.
First, genetics. If both of your parents had severe acne, I might as well tell you that it’s a bad start for you. Tobacco counts too.
For women, hormonal variations therefore pre-menstrual syndrome, hyperandrogenism which is a pathology where androgens are rather favored. Certain pills, pregnancy… All of these variations can promote acne.
And then there are also environmental factors such as diet, exposure to the sun. And that, we can play on that.”
6/ What bad behavior should be avoided?
“There are 4 pitfalls to avoid. First, to remain confined and locked in the cosmetics stage. Cosmetics are fine; it can help some mild acne. But we have other tools. So there are people who are going to ruin themselves by buying all the cosmetics, all the miracle advertisements and unfortunately, afterwards, they are a little desperate.
The second pitfall to avoid is what is called dermatillomania. It consists of scratching, squeezing, all the blackheads, all the pimples, all the little scabs that we will find. And it has a big impact on quality of life.
Then, the risk of acne is also the depressive syndrome, to say to oneself: “Anyway, I have pimples, I’m ugly; my life sucks.” And finally, we lock ourselves into ruminating thoughts like that.
And the fourth problem is when there is a bad discussion with your doctor and you finally refuse treatments that could be very important, very interesting to cure your acne. I am thinking in particular of isotretinoin which suffers from a bad reputation even though it has been prescribed for 40 years and which, we agree, is tricky to administer but which gives good results.
Isotretinoin is what used to be called roaccutane. It still exists under the name of roaccutane in other countries but in France, it has been more than 20 years since the roaccutane brand no longer exists.
7/ Does toothpaste or lemon against acne work?
Grandmother’s tips, products, make-up… On the internet, many tips are springing up to supposedly make acne problems disappear. The dermatologist warns against those.
“There are a lot of things circulating on the internet that are either useless or dangerous. I am thinking in particular of putting toothpaste on the pimples.
Toothpaste is soap, menthol; it does not help and it can only cause burns.
Same for lemon juice, it contains citric acid so something that will make a peeling, which can cause stains afterwards. It’s not a good solution.”
8/ What advice to better accept your acne?
”There are plenty of ways to better accept your acne.
First realize that perfect skin does not exist. All the photos you see on social networks, they are made up, highlighted, retouched, filtered… So, the influencer you admire with her supposedly perfect skin, in fact, she surely has less pretty skin than you with your dilated pores and your three pimples.
And then, secondly, we can realize that mild acne is a normal reaction of the skin. The sebaceous glands which produce sebum, the fat in the skin, are used to evacuate toxins.
And to defend against the bacteria that are present on the surface of the skin, one needs to make some pimples too. So as long as the acne isn’t too big and she’s not making a major complex, it’s not a big deal.”
Discover the testimony of 16-year-old Mattea, who suffers from severe acne. On TikTok, in each publication, the young girl opens up about her daily life without natural makeup.