Key Takeaways
- Fungal acne is caused by a yeast infection that gets into a damaged hair follicle and causes inflammation.
- Fungal acne is not the same as conventional acne, despite the near-identical physical characteristics, such as bumps that look like whiteheads or blackheads.
- Treating fungal acne requires a detailed consultation to prescribe the treatments to manage fungal acne while minimising the risk of side effects.
- Preventive care includes maintaining hygiene daily, wearing loose-fitting clothing, and adopting a well-balanced diet.
What is Fungal Acne?
Despite the name, fungal acne stems from a yeast infection, caused by a yeast species that is usually present on our skin. Normally, this yeast does not pose a health risk. However, when your hair follicles are damaged, such as after you shave, the yeast can potentially grow into the follicle, feeding on sebum (natural oils produced by your skin) and causing inflammation of the follicles, or folliculitis.
Fungal acne is often confused with conventional acne due to the presence of whiteheads (closed comedones), which appear as white bumps.
However, fungal acne vs closed comedones have different treatments, so care must be taken when diagnosing your condition to ensure you receive the correct treatment to minimise complications.
What Does Fungal Acne Look Like?
If you are wondering, “How to know if i have fungal acne?” Recognising the appearance of fungal acne may help you identify it and seek further assessment. Fungal acne typically occurs on the upper back, chest, shoulders, chin, and forehead. When fungal acne occurs, white bumps will appear where the yeast has caused inflammation in the follicles. The appearance of these bumps is similar to whiteheads or even blackheads, which is why it is sometimes confused with conventional acne. These bumps may seem like pinheads and are also uniformly sized. For those with a light skin tone, the bumps may also have a red ring or border around each one.
Common symptoms of fungal acne include persistent itchiness, swelling, and occasional stinging, which may worsen in hot and humid conditions.
What Causes Fungal Acne?
The exact reason why yeast can inflame the hair follicles is still unclear, but hot and humid conditions are known to exacerbate yeast growth. Given Singapore’s frequently warm climate, some people may be more prone to fungal acne. Other causes include:
- Trapped sweat or moisture, especially when wearing sweaty clothing for too long
- The effects of certain medications, which may increase your risk of fungal acne
- Oily skin promoting yeast growth on the skin
- Hormonal changes that could promote fungal acne
- A weakened immune system
- Chafing due to friction between your skin and your clothing or other materials
How to Treat Fungal Acne
Treating fungal acne is not the same as treating conventional acne, especially considering that both conditions stem from different causal factors. At CuraMed Medical and Aesthetic Clinic, we offer several fungal acne treatment to help you manage this condition.
Topical Treatments & Oral Medication
Oral antifungal medications may be prescribed to help control the symptoms of fungal acne, while topical antifungal creams (typically available over the counter) may help to reduce the risk of a recurrence. However, some of these require a prescription and cannot be purchased over the counter. Please consult our doctor or a healthcare professional for more information about fungal acne treatment products.
Treatment Considerations for Fungal Acne
Because of how different it is from conventional acne, treatments tailored for conventional acne will not be effective in treating fungal acne. Some treatments may present a risk of complications due to the differing nature of both conventional and fungal acne. Please consult our doctor or a healthcare professional for additional support and advice before you undertake any aesthetic procedures for fungal acne treatment. We will perform a thorough skin assessment to help you ascertain which treatments may help treat your fungal acne. We will also help recommend fungal acne safe-products that can be used in your daily skincare routine.
How to Stop and Prevent Fungal Acne
The good news is that fungal acne prevention is relatively easy with proper lifestyle changes and habits. Given that the yeast thrives in hot and humid conditions, it helps to maintain your hygiene at all times. Take a shower if you feel hot and sweaty, and be sure to cleanse your skin with a gentle shampoo. Moisturise your skin as often as possible, and avoid shaving, waxing, or plucking your hair every day to minimise the risk of fungal acne.
Here are a few other preventive care tips to keep in mind:
- Wear light, loose-fitting clothing to avoid chafing. Opt for clean and breathable fabrics that can wick away sweat and keep you cool.
- Ideally, avoid taking a dip in a hot tub or swimming pool, unless you can verify that it has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
- Wash your bathing suit or swimsuit immediately after water activities, and ensure it dries thoroughly before storing it.
- Moisturising your skin is important, but do avoid over-moisturising yourself.
- Adopt a healthy, well-balanced diet and reduce your intake of sugar and carb-rich foods. Speak to a nutritionist or a healthcare professional for further dietary advice.
- Use antifungal shampoo and body wash or other fungal acne-safe products directed by your doctor to clean your skin and minimise the risk of fungal acne.
If you know you are at high risk of fungal acne, feel free to consult our acne clinic team at Curamed Aesthetics for further support for your fungal acne.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a suitable fungal acne treatment?
Everyone has a different skin type, and various treatment methods may help to address fungal acne concerns. Each presented option will have different effects to help treat fungal acne and minimise the risk of recurrence. At Curamed Aesthetics, you can speak to our doctor during the initial consultation to suggest a suitable procedure for your fungal acne. Do note that the results of each treatment will vary depending on your skin’s condition.
Why do some medications increase the risk of fungal acne?
Certain medications, such as specific topical or oral medications, may kill healthy bacteria on your skin since the medications do not differentiate between good and bad bacteria. As such, it can end up increasing yeast levels on your skin, where it can increase the risk of fungal acne.
Can fungal acne cause scarring?
There is a potential risk of scarring if you try to scratch or pop fungal acne bumps on your own. Rest assured, we do have treatment options available for acne scars.
Can fungal acne come back after treatment?
There is still a risk that fungal acne can come back even after treatment, but as long as you practice preventive care regularly, you may be able to prevent a recurrence.
