What’s the difference between day-to-day breakouts and severe acne?

So we don’t need to tell you that occasional breakouts are pretty common in the teen years – you might already have that first-hand experience.

We’ve heard a lot of talk around acne and spots, and the difference between the two – so we’re here to help you tell them apart.

*Technically* all spots are considered ‘acne’, as they are formed by bacteria, but we don’t want this to confuse things. There are different levels of acne and day-to-day normal breakouts often appear as small blemishes (red bumps, blackheads, whiteheads or small spots) that come and go.

These may be linked to stress and/or hormones. Severe acne tends to involve larger, deeper, more painful spots, that are often cystic in nature. This may affect multiple areas, like your face, chest, and back.

Severe acne can leave marks or scars. Overusing harsh actives can inflame or damage your skin barrier. If you’re having breakouts more regularly, they’re worsening or maybe starting to affect your mental health, it’s a good time to seek advice from a dermatologist or GP.

There is some good news though – teen skin is primed to regenerate and recover faster, since the skin cycle is faster (so your skin sheds dead skin cells quickly), plus it’s naturally packed with collagen.

This means that although your skin might be more reactive right now, you’re less likely to have long-term scars, as long as you do the work to take care of your skin!

If you have any questions, our expert team is always here to help. Just email hello@indu.me and someone will come back to you.