What You Need To Know About Acne

What is acne?

Also called acne vulgaris, acne is a skin condition wherein the skin's sebaceous glands produce too much oil (sebum) and it gets trapped underneath the skin. It can appear as a pimple, a whitehead, a blackhead, or mild inflammatory acne. In severe cases, it can appear as nodular acnes or cystic acnes. Although this disease is non-contagious, it affects all ages, genders and races.

What causes acne?

There are primary and secondary causes of acne. Here are some of the primary causes:

l Genetics. The tendency to develop acne runs in families.

l Hormonal activity. During puberty, a sudden spike in sex hormones called androgens causes the sebaceous glands to enlarge and make more sebum. The same thing happens when a woman is nearing her menstrual cycle. Her sex hormones spike and drop, causing an increased activity to the oil gland.

l Stress. Stress triggers the adrenal glands to increase activity and hormone output.

l Lack of exfoliation. An accumulation of dead skin cells can cause a blockage to the pores of the skin where the sebum escapes.

l Hyperactive sebaceous glands.

l Bacteria in the pores. An infection in the sebaceous glands can cause an inflammation and eventually, more sebum production.

What are the different kinds of acne?

Acne is generally categorized as non-inflammatory and inflammatory. The different non-inflammatory acne conditions are:

l Whiteheads. These form when bacteria and the excess sebum stay below the skin surface.

l Blackheads. These are formed when the trapped sebum and bacteria create a partial opening on the skin surface and turn black because of the melanin on the skin.

The different inflammatory acne conditions include:

l Papule. A papule forms when the trapped sebum and bacteria create a break in the follicular wall, letting white blood cells rush in to the follicular wall break and causing an inflammation.

l Pustule. It forms a few days after a papule formation, when the white blood cells make their way to the skin surface.

l Nodule. This form of inflammatory acne can be sore to the touch.

l Cyst. This form of acne is a large, pus-filled lesion that occurs as a severe inflammatory reaction to the trapped sebum and bacteria.

How can acne be treated?

Thanks to the advancements in modern medicine, we now have many ways to treat acne. These treatments include:

l Medications. Topical antibiotic or bactericidal gels and creams can be used on top of the acne breakout to disinfect the affected area and kill the bacteria causing the infection. Antibiotics can also come in tablets or capsules to be taken orally.

l Hormonal treatment. This is used for hormone-triggered acne breakouts.

There are instances where professional skin care treatments need to be administered. Here are some treatment methods that need the assistance of a professional dermatologist:

l Phototherapy. Intense violet light is flashed onto the affected area at least twice a week to reduce the number of acne lesions.

l Laser treatment. This treatment is used to reduce the scars left behind by acne. It is also said to help prevent the formation of acne altogether.

They say an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. Living with acne can be difficult, you'll be subject to humiliation. So before you even develop acne, take good care of your skin.

Article Source: http://www.articlemonk.com

The writer, Abbey Grace Yap, is an active advocate for health consciousness and disease awareness. She possesses a deep passion in discovering new health-related information and sharing it to her readers.

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