Acne
Acne is a common skin condition, seen mostly in teenagers, which is characterized by skin with pimples, blackheads, pinheads and scarring. Its technical name is Acne Vulgaris, where acne is from Greek meaning “pointed edge”, and vulgaris means common. Acne occurs when tiny pores in the skin, called sebaceous follicles, become clogged with secretions from glands under the skin, exacerbated by inflammation from the activity of the bacterium Propionibacterium Acne.
Acne can occur wherever there are sebaceous glands or pores in the skin; this includes almost all the surfaces of the human body except the palms and soles of the feet. However, acne mostly occurs in regions where the skin pores are at their densest; which includes face, upper back, neck and the upper part of the chest. Of these, acne of the face is most worrisome for the sufferer, because it makes the sufferer look worse, not only with the pimples that come with acne, but also with the scarring that inevitably follows the pimples.
What is Acne – Signs and Symptoms
Acne can be broadly divided into two types – inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne. Inflammatory acne is the more serious of the two, and includes the commonly seen pimples that are filled with pus. These pus-filled pimples can burst, causing pain to the individual. The technical name of pimples is pustules. Non-inflammatory acne includes blackheads and pinheads, often seen on nose or other parts of upper body. These do not have pus in them usually; however, sometimes they can hurt.
Pimples or zits are easily recognizable as red bumps that later get filled with pus. Similarly, blackheads are recognized as black spots at the roots of facial hair. Whiteheads are white bumps filled with what is known as pus, which is the discharge of oil and sebum from sebaceous glands. Blackheads and whiteheads are filled with the same discharge, the difference between the two is that the discharge of the blackheads is oxidized, whereas whiteheads are inaccessible to air, and therefore do not get oxidized. The technical name for both is comedones – because blackheads have a wider opening, and are open to air, they are called open comedones, whereas whiteheads are called closed comedones.
Causes of Acne
Acne occurs due to a complicated interplay of skin structure, hormones, bacterial activity, insufficient hygiene and other factors that are harder to identify. It has been surmised that even stress can exacerbate acne in teenagers as well as adults.
At the root of all types of acne is a blockage in skin pores or follicles. Each follicle contains a hair and oil gland, including sebaceous glands. Normally, these oil glands release oils that help lubricate the skin. However, when the follicle is blocked due to any number of reasons, the excretion from these glands gets trapped just beneath the skin. This blockage of the follicle is called a comedone, and can occur or made worse by dirt, bacteria, debris and sebum. The activity of the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes can cause inflammation, which can result in hyperpigmentation and scarring.
Hormonal activity, whether in adulthood, during menstrual cycles, pregnancy or puberty is known to exacerbate acne. Puberty increases the production of hormones called androgens, which make the follicular glands create more sebum. However, acne is far from a problem only of the teen years – it can be seen in an adult in his or her 40s, as well in a four year old.
Acne is made worse by use of oily cosmetic products, especially when they are applied to the face. The oils in these products block the skin pores even more, which makes the acne worse. Stress is also a factor in cause of acne – higher stress will lead to higher hormonal activity that will make the follicular glands more active, resulting in more acne.
Treatment for Acne
One of the most effective solutions for acne is self-care. The skin that is affected with acne should be cleaned with a non-drying, mild soap to remove all dirt. Makeup should be used sparingly. The face should be washed once or twice a day; however, the skin should not be scrubbed or otherwise roughed up after washing, nor should you wash the face too many times a day. A healthy diet that includes plenty of vegetables, fruits, eggs and meat is also an effective guard against acne, especially when compared to a diet consisting of refined and processed foods.
If self-care does not help with acne, you should consult a physician, who should prescribe you with lotions that will help reduce acne. If you have acne scars, the physician can help with them too.
Laser Treatment of Acne
One of the most effective treatments of acne and acne scars is by the use of laser. Emitting laser at the affected part of the skin will expose the bacterium Propionibacterium acnes and the compounds produced by it to wavelengths of light that will destroy them. Laser is also used to burn the follicle sac, as well as the sebaceous gland, which removes the root cause of the acne. Usually, you will need to take more than one session for the treatment to show positive results.
Laser is a very effective treatment for acne scar removal; it is painless, and has been known to give spectacular results, usually in a short period of time. Laser may not only remove the worst cases of acne scarring, it may do that without leaving any traces of blemishes. With the Federal Drugs Authority (FDA) of the United States having approved the use of laser treatment for acne, a number of doctors recommend it for cases of acne that do not respond to traditional treatment. By removing the follicle glands that are the direct cause of acne, laser therapy may completely avoid the possibility of future breakouts of acne in the treated region.
By itself, acne is far from a debilitating condition. However, to a person suffering from acne, it can cause psychological stress, including low self-esteem. With self-care that includes good hygiene, better diet and a stress-free lifestyle, you can usually control acne by yourself. However, if you cannot, you should contact a dermatologist, who will help you with acne treatment.
