Acne improves remarkably in summer, but do all patients with acne improve? There are some that don’t. These are the reasons why acne can get worse in some patients during the summer.
When holidays start we relax and produce less stress hormone, Cortisol. This results in the sebaceous gland being less stimulated and producing less sebum. Many patients with acne think that the sun of the summer and UVA rays improve acne by itself. Actually, it is the reduction of stress that is involved in the improvement of this common skin condition
We know that when we expose our skin to the sun there are many types of light that interact with it, from Ultraviolet to infrared, going through the entire spectrum of the rainbow. The sun emits a large amount of solar radiation of which only 5% is Ultraviolet. 50% is infrared radiation and heats the surface of the earth and our bodies. Only 45% is visible light and it is received in the form of blue, green, yellow, orange and red light. What effect does each of these types of colors and lights have?
Ultraviolet radiation produces mutations in cutaneous cells, especially if it is ultraviolet B, the strongest or most energetic. These are absorbed by the most superficial cells of the skin and can induce skin cancer when we get older. As the skin can suffer from ultraviolet rays, our body defends itself with two mechanisms: on one hand it tans and on the other it makes the skin become thicker. When we tan through the production of melanin, the sun rays are dissipated from our skin and cannot enter or damage our cells. As the skin is thicker, it reflects sunlight better. This is possibly the best defensive mechanism in fair skin.
The thickening of the epidermis as a response to ultraviolet radiation from the sun improves many diseases such as eczema or atopic dermatitis, for this reason skin allergies improve during the summer. But since we know that acne worsens when sebum is blocked, a lot of sun can make the skin thicker and produce more acne or rather, a special type of acne called ACNE ESTIVALIS or MALLORCA ACNE. This is because this acne was typical of tourists from northern Europe who in a few days wanted to get the tan of the whole year by going to the Balearic Islands. This ACNE ESTIVALIS appears in the form of pimples on the thorax or chest region and on the forehead and typically occurs one or two weeks after having too much tan or a sunburn.
Above ultraviolet radiation, the colors of sunlight are very helpful in improving acne because they kill bad bacteria and reduce inflammation. Specifically, it is known that blue and red colors are absorbed by substances that bacteria in acne have called PORPHYRINES. Since bacteria accumulate these compounds, they are easily killed by blue and red light from the sun. This is the mechanism by which photobiology or light therapy markedly improves acne.
At the other end of the spectrum of light, in the infrared zone, this type of light decreases inflammation and can improve acne.
Globally, the sun can improve acne except when it is taken suddenly and quickly, which causes a thickening of the epidermis and a worsening of acne or summer acne. Thanks to the sun and holidays, summer commonly improves the skin, not only acne but also other conditions.
