Acne is a common disorder of the skin found in many people especially among teenagers and young adults.
Acne results from hormonal imbalance, and blocked sebaceous glands. Millions of Americans are affected annually by this disease, which is also known as pimples or zits.
Acne is found on various parts of the body including the face, back, neck, shoulders, and chest.
Though acne is common among teenagers, it can affect people of all age groups even those in there 40s and 50s.
Acne can even occur in adult women due to hormonal changes during pregnancy, changes in menstrual cycle or with birth control pills.
Acne is a common disease and can be treated easily and rarely takes the shape of a serious medical problem. But if left untreated it can often cause emotional and mental stress.
How does acne develop?
Oil is produced by the sebaceous glands, which usually travel through the hair follicles. At times, skin cells can stop the hair follicles thereby blocking the flow of the oil from the sebaceous glands. Skin bacteria called Propionibacterium are often responsible for acne. An incomplete blockage of hair follicle causes blackheads while a complete blockage results in whiteheads.
Acne can be both superficial i.e. pimples without blisters or deep acne i.e. pimples with pus-filled cysts.
Acne Causes:
Acne is a common disorder found commonly among teenagers. Nearly 80 percent of all teenagers in America develop acne. Though no definite reason can be attributed to the cause of acne, yet the following factors are responsible for the
acne development
- Excessive production of oil or sebum
- Erratic shedding of dead skin cells
- Increase of bacteria
- Hormonal changes during menstrual cycle and pregnancy
- Drugs such as lithium, corticosteroids, and barbiturates
- Heredity
Many feel that certain types of food especially oily ones can cause acne. Dirt also isn’t a cause of
acne. In fact acne can get worse if you scrub your skin hard or wash it with some hard soap or chemicals causing irritation.
Symptoms Of Acne
There are two main types of acne – inflammatory and non-inflammatory.
-
Non-inflammatory acne is the usual whiteheads and the blackheads that most people develop on the face. This is a mild form of acne that can be treated with over the counter medicines.
- Inflammatory acne is the more serious ones where the whiteheads develop pus, become inflamed, and eventually red. Inflammatory acne can result in cysts or scars on the face, chest, neck and shoulders. You need to get prescription drugs and may be even surgery in most extreme cases.
The symptoms of
acne may resemble other skin conditions and so it is best to consult a doctor before it gets too late.
