What Is Fungal Acne?

Acne can take a lot of different forms, and each requires targeted treatment. In fact, if you’ve been trying to solve your skin problems and not seeing results, it could be because you’re not treating the right root cause.

For example, you often won’t see improvement when you use skin care products for common acne, but you actually have fungal acne. Fortunately, here at Hanami Medspa in Fort Worth, Texas, Elaine Phuah, DO, MBA, FACOI, and our team can evaluate your skin to determine what’s causing your breakouts. Then, we tailor treatment to you. 

As an example, let’s look at one specific cause of skin woes: fungal acne. 

Understanding fungal acne

Fungal acne develops when you get an infection in your hair follicles. The fungus causing the breakouts is Malassezia yeast. 

The Malassezia yeast thrives in hot, damp environments. As a result, fungal acne is more common in warm, humid climates like Fort Worth. Sweat can also contribute to this type of acne, so make sure you wash up soon after exercising. 

In fact, you can get fungal acne on your face, but it can also affect your body. It’s especially common where skin rubs against skin or where you wear tight clothing. 

When the Malassezia yeast gets into your hair follicles, it usually causes small clusters of red bumps (what skin experts call papules). The infection can escalate, causing the bumps to grow and develop pus, turning them into whiteheads. As a result, just from looking at it, fungal acne can be hard to distinguish from common acne. 

Telling the difference

Because fungal acne can look like common acne, you might wonder how to tell the difference between the two. Fortunately, there’s a simple trick: checking how it feels.

The infection behind fungal acne causes itching. So if you’re dealing with a breakout and experiencing the urge to scratch it, it’s likely fungal acne. 

If your breakouts itch, talk to Dr. Hanami. She can develop a treatment plan to target the yeast causing the infection in your hair follicles, resulting in breakouts. 

In most cases, that means using antifungal medication. You might take it orally, apply it topically, or both. Dr. Hanami can tailor your treatment plan to your skin, how often you experience itchy breakouts and other unique factors. 

If you’re ready to get relief from your itchy fungal acne, call Hanami Medspa or make an appointment online today.