The article recounts the author's lifelong battle with acne, beginning at age 9 with her first pimple. Traditional treatments, including topical and oral antibiotics, provided temporary relief but ultimately failed to address the underlying issue. The author, now a Ph.D. student in food microbiology, explores the role of the bacterium Cutibacterium acnes in acne development, discovering that while healthy and acne-prone individuals share similar levels of this bacterium, the diversity of strains, especially pathogenic ones, differs significantly. This complexity highlights the potential for antibiotic resistance complicating the condition.
By my mid-20s, it was clear that the acne was more than a lingering symptom of puberty; it was a chronic condition. I was facing the harsh reality that modern skin care may never give me a clear complexion.
As it turns out, people blessed with healthy skin have comparable amounts of the bacteria C. acnes to those with acne. The devil's in the details when we examine strain-level differences: acne-prone individuals tend to have a greater diversity of C. acnes strains—and that diversity includes more pathogenic strains.
Much to my chagrin, I learned there is a link between antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity, meaning that the C. acnes strains that are antibiotic-resistant are the same strains causing aggressive breakouts.
Naturally, I turned to examining my acne—and its refusal to leave my face—through the lens of a microbiologist.
Collection
[
|
...
]