Bacterial Acne vs Fungal Acne: How to Tell Them Apart

Acne is a skin condition that is faced by millions on a regular basis. Whether it’s getting ready for an important meeting or a social gathering, these breakouts end up sucking your self-esteem. As people around you may often link acne with the lack of self-care and properly groomed professional appearance. The real chaotic demons behind acne are ‘Pathogens’. The pathogens reside on the skin surface as harmless microbes making up a normal skin microbiome.

These opportunistic tiny microbes feed on the oils on the skin surface and get to action to invade the skin protective barrier. These micro-organisms resulting in acne commonly include bacteria and fungi. Hence, named ‘Bacterial acne’ and ‘Fungal acne' respectively. These two types of acne require considerably different  medical attention as people often mistake bacterial acne for fungal acne. Let’s dive deeper into understanding these opportunistic microbes to fight them better. 

Understanding Acne Lesions And The Microbiology of Acne-Causing  Germs

To identify acne type at the right time is crucial before it becomes severely affected with inflammation or spread to other areas of the skin. Acne can be characterized by the severity of the inflammation. Certain types of acne lesions in the order of severity are mentioned in the table below:

The microbiology of acne-causing microbes: 

Cutibacterium Acnes ( Formerly Called Propionibacterium Acnes or P. Acnes)

Key characteristic features include:

• Anaerobic bacterium
• Flourishes gradually with feeding on sebum in clogged pores
• Triggers inflammation
• Phylotype IA1 & IC: Highly associated with inflammatory acne

C. acnes resides in the skin microbiome. It releases lipolytic enzymes which break down the sebum into releasing free fatty acids (FFA). These FFAs irritate the skin and leads to abnormal skin cell buildup called ‘hyperkeratinization’ which triggers the cascade of inflammatory mediators to come to action and promotes the occurrence of microcomedones (blackheads and whiteheads) due to further clogging of pores with dead skin cell buildup. 

Malassezia Furfur (Pityrosporum Sp.)

Key characteristic features include:

• Harmless commensal fungi (yeast) on skin
• Makes skin dry and flaky
• Triggers inflammatory cascade with entrapments of excess oil  inside follicular reservoir

Its overgrowth due to increased metabolism of oils on the skin around the pilosebaceous region may result in ‘malassezia folliculitis’ also commonly known as ‘fungal acne’. It appears as tiny, uniform, dome-shaped pinkish-red bumps or tiny breakouts clustered as well as it’s notoriously itchy. It not only makes skin dry, flaky and sometimes red but in severe infection, it may even result in seborrheic dermatitis. 

Fungal Acne vs Bacterial Acne : Key Differences

The key differentiating features in bacterial acne and fungal acne are mentioned in the table below:

How To Tell Fungal Acne Apart From Bacterial Acne ?

Instead of the tender throbbing pain associated with bacterial inflammation, with fungal acne you will experience a significant amount of itchiness, burning and tingling sensation. While bacterial acne would typically be with varying shapes and sizes of pimples spread around a given area whereas fungal acne forms bumps of remarkably similar and uniform papules in the area affected. No open blackheads or closed whiteheads would be present; moreover, there are absolutely no deep cystic pustules formed, instead it makes skin feel dry and flaky.

Fungal acne occurs in clustered rash-like patches that can host a large number of extremely small acne bumps; bacterial acne would rather form more scattered or isolated lesions. 

Bacterial acne develops on areas of the face like the cheeks, jaw line, chin, T- zone (forehead, nose and between the eyebrows); fungal acne would rather target certain parts of the face, upper chest and back, shoulders and upper arms. When it comes to triggers, fungal acne is exacerbated by heat, sweat, humidity – its flair up happens in a matter of minutes. Bacterial acne follows more internal factors such as stress, diet or hormonal changes.

Be aware of your triggers: fungal acne can significantly flare after consuming antibiotics as killing off bacteria will let the yeast run wild, whereas bacterial acne often gets better on oral antibiotics. Fungal acne thrives on rich moisturizing oils, fatty acids, esters and will only make them worse. It needs anti-fungal treatment with ketoconazole and pyrithione zinc as per the doctor’s recommendations. Bacterial acne is typically very resistant to most topical antifungal products. Lastly, fungal acne is a problem with an over growth of Malassezia fungus often associated with scalp dandruff and/or seborrheic dermatitis whereas bacterial acne is caused by proliferation of C.acnes bacteria. 

Note: Consult a dermatologist for a better in-depth assessment of your skin condition and prompt management guidelines. 

The Key Triggers Resulting In Acne

There are certain key triggers which lead to proliferation in the pathogenic microbes and disrupt the skin’s natural defensive barrier. Some of them are follows:

• Sedentary Lifestyle--Stress, anxiety, improper sleep schedule, smoking, alcohol, junk foods, too fried and oily foods and even dairy products can lead to fluctuations in cortisol release. This hormone stimulates the receptors at sebaceous glands and results in over-production of sebum for microbes to feed on.
• Environmental Stress--Harsh pollutants like dirt, dust, grime, etc. can make the skin feel unclean and dull. Hot humid climate can make skin more sensitive to moistness and render it prone to microbial invasion of skin barrier. Whereas, dry cold winters can make skin dry and to manage it, the application of heavy comedogenic moisturizing agents can just worsen acne.
• Hormonal Imbalance--Hormones like estrogen, progesterone, cortisol and  testosterone, when their levels in the body fluctuates with stress, menstrual cycle, pregnancy, etc., can stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum making skin oily and more prone to acne.
• Poor Skincell Turnover--Continuous deposition and accumulation of trapped debris of dead skin cells with hyperkeratinization can add to the clogging of pores. 
• Overproduction Of Sebum--It is a key trigger that leads to oily skin and enlargement of pores with stretching of walls due to presence of excess sebum.
• Genetic Predisposition--Genetic predisposition influences the pore size and structural design and productivity of the sebaceous glands in the skin. Receptor hypersensitivity causes oil glands to overreact to normal hormone levels.  A genetic defect called ‘retention hyperkeratinization’ causes dead skin cells to clump together inside follicles instead of shedding, leading to clogged pores. Lastly, genetic factors dictate the immune response to acne. 
• Clogged Pores--Entrapment of impurities, dead skin cells and excess sebum lead to clogging of pores which are indicative of poor skin health. Acts as a foodstock for the acne-causing microbes.

What Is The Best Strategy To Prevent Them Both ?

It needs the following strategies and care to prevent bacterial as well as fungal acne:

• Removal of Impurities
• Sebum Regulation
• Unclogging of Pores
• Anti-Microbial Action
• Skin Calming Effect

How Alite’s Anti-Acne Face Wash Is A Game-Changer ?

Alite’s Anti-Acne Face Wash is a wonderful choice to manage acne effectively as it has the following benefits:

• Oil-Control
• Fades Dark Spots
• Soothes The Skin
• Mild and Gentle
• Reduces Sebum Production
• Intense Cleansing

The key ingredients which act on the tough breakouts and heal the barrier are mentioned in the table below:

Steps To Follow For A Consistent Skin Care Routine

A consistent skincare routine can help maintain the skin health and effectively manage acne. 

Step 1: Start with Alite Anti Acne Face Wash

The steps to use the Alite Anti Acne Face Wash effectively are mentioned below:

1. Wash your hands
2. Take a small amount of face wash onto your hands
3. Massage onto the face
4. Gently lather
5. Rinse well with water
6. Pat dry with a clean towel

Step 2: Apply Alite Anti Acne Gel

Apply Alite Anti Acne Gel after cleansing.

Benefits may include:

• Supports blemish care
• Helps maintain clearer-looking skin
• Complements daily acne care routines
• Fights acne-causing microbes 
• Balanced for skin microbiome

Step 3: Moisturize

Apply a non-comedogenic moisturizer that is lightweight. This helps support hydration without making the skin feel greasy.

Points To Consider

While using face wash remember the following: 

Scrubbing Your Face Aggressively 

Never rub your face with force as if you are sanding a piece of wood. Simply massage your face in circles for 30 seconds to 1 minute and rinse your face. 

Lack of moisturisation 

Skipping a hydrating and non-comedogenic moisturiser may result in a dry, unmoisturised face, thereby producing more sebum for lubrication, which may make acne worse. 

Hot water 

The use of hot water will only leave you with dry skin and flushed cheeks .

Summary

Acne is an inflammatory skin ailment caused by agents like bacteria, fungi, etc., so you get to see types such as ‘Bacterial acne’ or ‘Fungal acne’. Though different pathogens are accountable for these distinct acne kinds, they are commonly confounded. 

Causes include sedentary lifestyle, environment, psychological concerns and hormonal disturbance along with keratinization. Some techniques to cope with Bacterial Acne and Fungal Acne are to cleanse and clear the skin of toxins and dirt, regulate the oils being secreted on to the surface of your skin, purify the clogged skin pores and use of mild and gentle anti-microbial products. Alite Anti Acne Face Wash assists by way of a robust cleansing action which can help clear the surface oils and offers great relief in inflammation and related skin concerns which come as a result of skin being oily and acne-prone.