While it may be unfair, some people are predisposed to have acne breakouts, while others are blessed with clear, unblemished skin. Now researchers from UCLA, Washington University in St. Louis, and the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, have discovered that which group you fall in (zits or not) seems to be associated with the type of bacteria that's predominant on your skin. Their research was published in Journal of Investigative Dermatology in February 2013.

Identifying Acne Types

The scientists compared the composition of the skin of people with acne to that of people without, and by tracing a genetic marker, have identified many different strains of a type of bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes (P acnes for short), which typically lives in the pores and may be to blame as the cause of acne in many cases.

The composition of the strains seemed to be different in people with acne and those without, according to study researcher Huiying Li, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Li and her colleagues identified three major categories in which the bacteria fall that affects the skin's health:

  • The first type of bacteria was found on both acne and clear skin.
  • The second type of bacteria, which was mostly found in people with acne-prone skin, potentially may lead to those bothersome red pimples.
  • The third type of bacteria was mostly found on clear skin and the scientists hypothesize that they may offer some protection against getting acne.

Why some people have that bacteria associated with acne, though, and others have the forms of bacteria associated with clear skin isn't yet understood, Li says. More research needs to be done to better understand P acnes and how they work.

The Future of Acne Treatment

"Potentially these 'good' bacteria could fight off the 'bad' strains and perhaps could be used as probiotics in a lotion or cream," Li says. Just like probiotics in yogurt work to balance the bacteria in your gut, adding good bacteria to the skin may also play a similar role, but further research will help to shed more light on this concept.

In the future, this means that your dermatologist may be able to provide you with customized acne prevention treatments to help you to avoid unsightly breakouts and give you the clear complexion you wish you were born with.

Huiying Li, PhD, reviewed this article.

 

 

Sources:

Fitz-Gibbon, Sorel et al. "Propionibacterium acnes Strain Populations in the Human Skin Microbiome Associated with Acne." Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Published online 21 Jan. 2013. Web. 13 March 2013.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23337890

Li, Huiying Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology at the University of California, Los Angeles. Email interview 11 March 2013.
http://labs.pharmacology.ucla.edu/lilab/

ScienceDaily.com. "Why Some People Get Zits and Others Don't." Science News: Science Daily. 18 Feb. 2013.  Web. 10 March 2013.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228080135.htm