Acne Help
Acne is a widespread medical condition. It is a disease of the hair and oil glands that causes pimples, black and white heads, reddishness of the skin and cysts. It affects both sexes and can continue well into adulthood. No matter where you live in the world or what social class you belong to, you are susceptible to developing acne. Adolescents rank the highest at 90%. Adult women are second at 50% and then the third group is all adults ranking at 25%. It’s the exceptionally rare person who has never had a pimple in their life.
There is no cure for acne but there are numerous treatments available over the counter and by prescription. It’s important to continue with your treatment even after your skin has cleared up because a pimple starts 2-3 weeks before it’s visible. It starts deep within your pores. Pores are also known as sebaceous hair follicles. Your sebaceous glands produce sebum, an oily secretion that moisturizes your skin, which exits through the pores. Normally your old skin cells mix with this sebum and are shed gradually.
Uneven shedding of the skin causes it to become sticky and clump together, clogging the pore. This plug causes oil and bacteria to become trapped inside the pore. This causes the pore to swell because your body continues to produce oil and then your body starts to attack the bacteria which causes inflammation. After about 2-3 weeks, a pimple appears.
What causes acne?
Hormones - Most people develop acne during puberty when our bodies are producing the hormone androgen. This hormone causes the sebaceous glands to enlarge. These glands are over stimulated in those people suffering from acne and can remain that way into adulthood. Androgen is also responsible for acne flare-ups during the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy also.
Follicle Overproduction – Dead skin cells are usually shed gradually, mixing with sebum and exiting through the follicle. However, in people suffering from acne this process is sped up and the dead cells don’t reach the skin’s surface. Instead, they clog the pore.
Sebum Overproduction – When the sebaceous glands are over stimulated, they produce an excess of sebum. This travels up the follicle, mixing with dead skin cells and bacteria. Even though this is the normal process, too much sebum in the follicle increases the chances that the follicle will become clogged.
Bacteria – The bacteria that causes acne, P. acnes, is a naturally occurring component on our skin. However, when a pore becomes clogged and the bacteria get trapped inside, it can multiply rapidly causing our bodies’ immune system to attack it.
Inflammation – When bacteria are introduced into your body, your white blood cells rush to attack it. When the white cells do this, in causes inflammation in the surrounding tissues. This is why pimples become swollen and red.
Washing your face everyday with an oil-free face wash is a good start to preventing pimples, but it’s not always quite that simple. If you develop acne, depending on the severity, you might consider using an over the counter product or seeing your doctor and getting a prescription medication to treat it.
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