Skin Care:

Acne, Symptoms, Treatments and Causes

Acne has, for generations, been something of a taboo subject. It would appear that it is fine for people to insult sufferers with rude comments such as "pizza face" and the likes but only those who suffer from this terrible affliction can understand the level of hurt such comments create. Furthermore the poor acne sufferer often finds it incredibly difficult to discuss their problem which is further exaggerated by sad fact that few parents are able to help in the situation. Happily, over the last few decades, great strides have been made in research into the understanding of the disease, the symptoms, its causes and the creation of effective acne treatments.

What Is Acne?

Acne is the term given to the terrible skin condition which is experienced by a great deal of teenagers. Acne is a chronic skin disorder which manifests as an inflammatory skin disease. It causes malfunctions in the skins sebaceous glands and hair follicles. This leads to excessive production of oil by the sebaceous glands and the formation of comedo.

Comedone are small plugs of material, consisting mainly of keratin and sebum, which form in the openings of a hair follicles. They are known as either an open or closed comedo. An open comedo is one where the plug is visible and is generally referred to as a blackhead whereas a closed comedo is one which remains below the skin surface in a non-inflammatory state and it is commonly referred to as a whitehead.

In acne the appearance of comedone is followed by the most visible aspects of the disease. The comedone become infected and this causes inflammation and redness in the skin and can lead to an outbreak of pimples. These blemishes, often referred to as spots or zits, often contain puss and can be very painful with the surrounding skin being very sensitive.

The bacteria which trigger the inflammation in acne, and the production of puss, are Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes. As well as these bacteria causing pimples (Papules or Nodules) acne cysts can also form which can be extremely painful and rather large. In severe cases scarring can occur which further degrades the overall appearance of the skin.

Acne Causes

Unfortunately scientists have made great advances in the understanding of the processes of acne formation but few in the field of understanding its causes. The processes described above go some way in explaining the causes of the pimples but what exactly causes the onset of the disease is not yet completely understood. However it is generally accepted that certain factors can have an effect, especially with such things as hormones, stress levels, vitamin deficiencies and diet. Many scientist believe that there may be genetic factors that influence the likelihood of acne formation and while this lack of knowledge sounds rather alarming the continual research brings us ever closer to understanding the problem and also helps improve our methods of treatment.

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