Ever heard of fungal acne? Here’s what you need to know – and no, it has nothing to do with mushrooms
D idyou know that 95% of people experience acne before the age of 30? Maybe. But what if I told you that 27% of those people have fungal acne? Myself included. In fact, there was a time – not too long ago, actually – when I assumed that every passing glance from a stranger was an examination of the condition of my skin. Especially my T-zone. While these self-conscious thoughts went completely against my nature as a Leo (IYKYK), my insecurities were tied up with this commonly misconceived skin condition that I furiously battled for years.
Before I explain what fungal acne is, it’s worth addressing that the name is actually a misnomer. So, as unpalatable (to put it bluntly) as it may sound, ‘fungal acne’ is not exactly acne, but rather the colloquial term for the skin condition’s medical name, malassezia folliculitis or pityrosporum folliculitis (I know, I can’t pronounce them either). Now, seeing as we’re all introduced and on friendly terms, let’s get into the nitty-gritty details.
So, what is fungal acne?
‘Fungal acne is a skin condition that goes under-recognised and can often be confused with acne to the untrained eye, or it co-exists with acne, and a person has two simultaneous diagnoses,’ explains Anjali Mahto, medical and cosmetic consultant dermatologist. ‘It’s caused by a yeast that naturally lives on the skin, known as malassezia, and this fungus forms part of the skin’s natural microbiome.’
‘The yeast causes inflammation in the skin’s follicles, resulting in the occurrence of visible spots,’ says Stefanie Williams, cosmetic dermatologist and medical director of Eudelo. She explains that although fungal acne may look similar to ‘regular’ acne, often the latter has a white head of pus, whereas fungal acne is usually itchy. Medical and aesthetic dermatologist Alexis Granite adds that fungal acne also ‘tends to have a very uniform appearance – look for small red or fleshcoloured bumps or pustules’.
Basically, just as ‘regular’ acne – otherwise called acne vulgaris – is commonly caused by imbalanced hormone levels and bacteria, yeast is the main cause of fungal acne. This is why it won’t always respond to your regular blemishclearing products.
Okay, so how do I treat it?
Oil, as we’ve established, can make the fungus flourish, seeing as that is what it mostly feeds off. So, perhaps unsurprisingly, sweating, trapped heat and humidity (which can be caused by non-breathable clothing) and friction are the most common causes, explains Dr Granite. ‘A moist environment, medicat
