Ever heard of fungal acne? Nor had we. Here’s what you need to know – and, no, it has nothing to do with mushrooms
There was a time, not too long ago, when I assumed that every passing glance from a stranger was an examination of the condition of my skin. Especially my T-zone – the forehead, nose and chin – which tends to be oiler than the rest of the face. While these self-conscious thoughts went completely against my nature as a Leo (IYKYK), my insecurities were tied up with a commonly misunderstood skin condition that I battled furiously for years.
I have fungal acne – acondition that accounts for almost a third (27%) of acne cases among the adolescent population. The name is actually a misnomer. As unpleasant as it may sound, ‘fungal acne’ isn’t exactly acne, but rather the colloquial term for the skin condition’s medical name, malassezia (or pityrosporum) folliculitis. (I know, I can’t pronounce it either.) ‘Fungal acne is a skin condition that goes underrecognised,’ explains Dr Anjali Mahto, medical and cosmetic consultant dermatologist. ‘It can often be confused with acne to the untrained eye, or it can co-exist with acne. 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.’
While ‘normal’ acne – otherwise called acne vulgaris – is commonly caused by imbalanced hormone levels and bacteria, yeast is the main cause of fungal acne. This is what makes it so tricky to treat, as it won’t always respond to your normal blemish-clearing products. ‘The yeast causes inflammations in the skin’s follicles, resulting in the occurrence of visible spots,’ says Dr Stefanie Williams, cosmetic dermatologist and medical director of the dermatology clinic Eudelo.
As to the question of what makes some of us more prone to fungal acne than others? Sweating, trapped heat and humidity (which can be caused by non-breathable clothing), friction and excess oil production are the most common factors, explains Dr Alexis Granite, medical and aesthetic dermatologist. For the latter, think: oil-rich areas, such as the forehead, sides of the nose, chin and the upper back and chest. She adds: ‘Moist environments, medications such as oral antibiotics or even underlying medical conditions are also contributors.’
Annoyingly, these spots often look very similar to acne, meaning they can be difficult to distinguish. But while fungal acne may look like ‘normal’ acne, Dr Williams explains, the latter will often have a white head of pus, whereas fungal acne is usually itchy. Dr Granite adds that fungal acne also tends to have a very uniform appearance. ‘Look for small red or fleshcoloured bumps or pustules.’
Unlike regular acne, whi
