Infectious-type acne refers to acne, or skin problems that look like acne, that are caused by pathogens on the skin. I’m not talking about P. Acnes here, the bacteria typically linked to acne. I’m talking about other bacteria, yeast or viruses that sometimes trouble the skin.
A good example is a fungus called Malassezia (formerly called Pityrosporum). The fungus is linked to dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and Malassezia folliculitis.
Malassezia folliculitis looks very similar to acne, and the two are often mistaken – even by dermatologists.
The point is that your acne may not be acne. And if acne treatments, even the ones described in this course, don’t seem to bring results, you may need to consider other possibilities.
Visiting a dermatologist is the only way to know for sure what your skin problems are caused by, and ask them to check the bugs residing on your skin. I highly recommend you to do that, if the methods described in this course don’t help. Here are some things to look for that suggest you have infectious-type acne.
- Acne gets worse with antibiotics. Antibiotics kill the bacteria that compete with Malassezia for nutrients and living space. Killing off the competition frees Malassezia to expand, which can aggravate the problem.
- Gets worse during summer or in a hot climate. The fungus thrives in hot conditions.
- Gets worse when you sweat. Sweat contains substances that feed the fungus.
- Itchy. Pimples caused by Malassezia are often itchy, as opposed to acne, which usually doesn’t itch.
- Location. Pimples caused by the fungus often appear on the forehead and the hair and jaw lines. It’s also more common on the chest and back than acne.
