ACNE,THE CAUSES OF ACNE AND HOW TO TREAT ACNE

WHAT IS ACNE

People who suffer from Acne generally know what is. Put simply, Acne is a troublesome skin condition resulting in the formation of lesions (commonly referred to as pimples) on areas of the face (including the forehead), neck, shoulders, back, upper arms and the chest. These lesions take the form of comedones (whiteheads and blackheads) and nodules.

Acne is the curse of the teenage face. In fact, up to 80% of all teenagers will experience some form of Acne. The good news is that most teen acne disappears as the teenager get older. In other words, they grow out of it. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. There are plenty of adults who suffer from acne and this can be very distressing for them.

Essentially, the cause of acne is when the skin pore or hair follicle becomes blocked. This blockage is caused by dead skin cells that are exfoliated but not completely removed from the skin. The skin cells block the pores and this forms a plug that traps sebum. This in turn leads to a build up of bacteria and the resultant inflammation of the skin.

Sebaceous glands in the skin produce natural oil called sebum to lubricate the skin so it doesn’t dry out. These glands are located near the hair follicles and are mainly found on the scalp, face, back and chest. The sebum is secreted through a small duct in the gland to the hair shaft. From there, it reaches the skin’s surface by moving up the hair follicle.

Even though these sebaceous glands are present at birth, they only begin secreting sebum when a person starts puberty. This explains, in part, why people aged 12-25 are primarily affected. However, there are many people in their 30’s and 40’s that also get acne.

The over-stimulation of the sebaceous glands results in the excess production of sebum and the clogging up of the hair follicles by dead skin cells that haven’t shed properly (because of the excess oil). The term “Comedo” is used to describe a sebaceous follicle that is clogged up with excess sebum, dead skin cells, tiny hairs and sometimes, bacteria (called Propionibacterium). We call them pimples. When a comedo is raised but there is no opening or only a very small opening to the skin’s surface, it is called a Whitehead. Where the clogged sebaceous follicle has an expanded opening with a blackish appearance, it is known as a Blackhead. Sometimes this “pimple stage” of Acne, progresses to nodules, which can become extremely painful and result in scarring. The nodules are a severe form of Acne characterized by significant inflammation extending into the deeper layers of the skin.

More than anything else, acne (and acne scarring) can be highly embarrassing and distressing for the sufferer. Seriuos forms of Acne can result in disfigurement in the form of acne scarring.

This troublesome skin condition takes no prisoners – it affects both males and females, irrespective of race.

CAUSES OF ACNE

The underlying cause of Acne is not fully understood. The development of Acne is a complex, metabolic process and it is not known why some sebaceous follicles get clogged while others do not.

Scientists and the medical fraternity suspect that many factors may combine to cause Acne. Clearly, one significant factor can be an increase in male sex hormones (called androgens) in both males and females during puberty. It is also well known that hormonal imbalances related to pregnancy or the use of birth control pills can also cause Acne.

Other suggested factors range from diet, stress, vitamin deficiency, heredity or genetics, certain drugs (such as Lithium and Androgens) through to certain skin care products such as creasy moisturizers and cosmetics.

Many doctors will say that there is no link between diet and Acne. Just because two people are on the same diet and only one of them gets Acne doesn't mean that diet is not one of the factors that contibutes to the cause of Acne or aggravation of the condition. There are many former Acne sufferers who will tell you that diet had a lot to do with them finding a solution to their Acne problem. It should be remembered that because of the way the relationship between the medical profession and pharmaceutical (drug companies) is structured, doctors and dermatologists have a vested interest in prescribing medication, rather than change of diet. Of course, there's also the fact that it is the big drug companies who fund most of the reasearch and they're not interested in chocolate, greasy foods or diary products playing any role in a cure for Acne.

Will a change of diet alone cure Acne? Probably not, unless your Acne is actually an allergic reaction to certain foods (such as diary products), but it may help. It is certainly the case that eating the wrong types of food may aggravate a pre-existing Acne condition.

The same goes for stress and personal cleanliness. While there is little evidence to suggest that stress and/or dirty skin causes Acne, both factors may well worsen the condition.

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