What is chloracne?
Chloracne is the main symptom of chlorinated hydrocarbon poisoning. Although chloracne has a different cause than conventional acne (acne vulgaris), it has an acne-like appearance. Typical features are, for example, blackheads (comedones), a thickening of the horny layer and inflammatory abscesses and lumps on the affected skin areas.
Dioxin poisoning as a possible cause
The chlorinated hydrocarbons include the so-called dioxins. Dioxins are chemical compounds that are formed when products containing chlorine are manufactured, melted or burned and are carcinogenic and highly toxic even in small quantities. They are used, for example, in some plant protection products, wood preservatives or certain hydraulic oils, but are also found in low concentrations in foods such as eggs .
The toxic dioxins can be ingested through direct skin contact and, in rare cases, orally or by inhaling toxic fumes. Chloracne is therefore considered a form of contact acne (acne venenata), which occurs as a skin reaction through direct contact with a certain substance. The face is particularly often affected by the skin changes.
Chlorine acne as a result of going to the swimming pool?
Chlorine acne should not be confused with a chlorine allergy, which can occur as a result of going to the swimming pool. A chlorine allergy manifests itself as an itchy rash or burning eyes after contact with the chlorinated water. Such symptoms are often mistakenly interpreted as chloracne. On the one hand, however, the occurrence of chloracne is linked to significantly higher chlorine concentrations than are reached in swimming pools. On the other hand, it is not caused by pure chlorine, but by interactions of the chlorine with other chemical substances. Chloracne occurs predominantly as an occupational disease in workers in the electrical and chemical industries who are continuously exposed to chemicals containing chlorine.
treatment of chloracne
Chloracne can be treated, for example, by opening and draining the cysts and administering anti-inflammatory or hormone-containing medication. However, the effectiveness of retinoids (vitamin A acid supplements) for fighting chloracne is controversial.
Cold therapy (cryotherapy) can be used to relieve scarring. Excessive scar tissue and various other tissue diseases are removed by briefly applying ice. A skin peeling or plastic procedures such as skin removal (dermabrasion) are also possible treatments. However, in the case of a chronic course, despite therapy, disfiguring scars often remain on the affected skin areas. It can take several years for chloracne to heal.
Chloracne is also known as Seveso acne. The name comes from a chemical spill in the Italian city of Seveso in 1976 that released massive amounts of the highly toxic dioxin and sickened more than 200 people.