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Acne: Basic Fact of Life

Acne is known as a skin disorder of adolescents and teenagers and is typically marked by oily skin and the presence of pimples on the face. It is in fact the most common kind of skin disorder and is widespread across demographics.

What is Acne?

There are some basics or facts you need to know about this skin condition. Acne, which is also called acne vulgaris, is caused by the excess secretion of oil in the skin or sebum. The oil is produced by the sebaceous glands present inside the hair follicle deep within the skin.

The build-up of oil in the follicle causes leads to the typical pimples or lumps on the face. These bumps can be classified into five categories. Comedones are plugs in the skin that develop when the oil blocks the pore.

What are comedones?

Comedones turn into white heads and blackheads when there is a build-up of oil and keratin squamae or dead skin cells in the pore. The opening of the pore also tends to get dilated.

The next stage if the growth of papules or pustules, which develop when bacteria multiply in the pore and cause infection. The bumps then turn into lumps deep in the skin and are inflamed and painful.

Finally, cysts or boils are fairly large sac-like structures that develop in the hair follicle and are very painful even to the lightest touch.

When does Acne set in?

There are rare cases of infant acne but the disease usually appears in puberty and adolescence. In fact, 85 per cent of cases fall into this age bracket and are the cause of much anxiety among teenagers.

When acne sets in before this, it mainly affects girls, and when it persists stubbornly into adulthood, once again, females are more widely affected. During the teen years, the more severe cases usually affect boys.

The disorder usually marks the face but in some cases, it can spread to the neck, chest and back as well.

What Causes Acne?

Little is known about the cause of acne though, as mentioned earlier, it is the direct outcome of excess oil production in the skin. This is caused by the presence of raised levels of testosterone, or the male hormone in the body, which explains why it sets in at puberty.

This is a stage when there are several hormonal changes as the boy matures and an imbalance in androgens causes the skin to flare up. Acne usually lasts for about five years but often lingers for a longer period.

Here’s another acne basic fact: picking, plucking, poking acne pimples or pustules greatly aggravates the condition. Bursting zits causes the infected matter to spread across the surface of the skin, further aggravating the problem. Also, certain drugs can trigger or worsen the skin condition, including certain steroids.