Acne
Facts
Skin
facts
The normal
skin is composed of two parts. The upper part
is called the epidermis and is composed of skin
cells. These cells continually divide, grow,
and mature. As they reach the surface of the
skin they flatten, die and are then shed. The
deeper part of the skin is called the dermis
and is composed mainly of collagen, which
supports the epidermis. Within the collagen are
the nerves, blood vessels and other structures
that comprise the
skin.
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The
whole surface of the
skin, except for the
palms and soles, is
covered in small skin
pores.
Each
pore is the entrance of a
small, flexible tube that
runs through into the
dermis and represents the
canal through which the
hairs grow to the
surface.
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Each hair
canal is associated with a sebaceous gland,
which produces an oily substance, called
sebum. The sebum is pumped into the
hair canal and from there onto the surface of
the skin, where it lubricates the hair and
protects the surface of the skin.
What
exactly is acne?
Acne is a
disease or disorder resulting from the
interaction of hormones on the skin's oil
glands, which leads to plugged pores and
outbreaks of lesions commonly called pimples or
zits. The bumps can be large or small,
different colors (red, black, white), tender or
dull, hardened or soft.
Acne can
occur anywhere on the body apart from the palms
of the hands and soles of the feet. The
commonest sites to get acne are the face, neck,
chest, back, upper arms and
buttocks.
What
causes acne?
In order
to understand how pimples form, take a quick
look at this diagram of a normal pore or
follicle. You can see that sebum, or oil,
flows naturally to the surface of your skin and
is then absorbed or evaporated.
Now, in
the next diagram, you can see that for some
reason the pore gets blocked. This
results in excess oil being accumulated below
the surface of the skin. Certain bacteria
are normal residents within the hair canal and
are present in everybody, normally doing no
harm.
However, As
the oil accumulates in the blocked
follicle, these bacteria start to
multiply in this "blocked" oil that would
normally rise to the surface of your
skin, and then produce chemicals causing
inflammation.
As the
bacteria multiply and grow, a small (or large)
bump appears on the skin. This is a
pimple, a collection of bacteria and trapped
oil (or sebum). The whole area becomes
inflamed and this leads to the first
inflammatory spot of acne, which is red spot or
papule.
Acne
is a skin disease
Many
dermatologists believe acne is not a hormonal
disease, even though it is related to the
levels of the male hormone, testosterone. It is
generally believed that acne occurs because the
oil gland becomes overly sensitive to the male
hormone present. With the increased sensitivity
of the gland to the male hormone, more oil is
produced in the follicle.
Another
cause may be due to a change in the
constituents of the oil being produced by the
sebaceous gland. Instead of floating off, dead
cells become very sticky and adhere to the
inside of the canal. Over the period of months
and years these dead cells build up and cause a
partial blockage in the hair canal, that leads
to blackheads, whiteheads and then, eventually,
inflammatory spots, papules, pustules and cysts
of acne.
Types of
Acne
There are
generally 5 different types of acne. The
first is the form experienced by the majority
of acne sufferers. The others are rare
but serious forms afflicting a relatively small
percentage of the population.
1. Acne
Vulgaris
This is
the most common form of acne. The mild to
moderate versions of this type of acne include
whiteheads, blackheads, papules, and
pustules. Pustules are very common and
are what most people think of when they say
they have a pimple or zit. It is an
inflamed bump with a white or yellow
center.
The severe
version of acne vulgaris includes nodules and
cysts. Both of these are large blemishes
that may (cysts) or may not (nodules) be filled
with pus. These are the forms of acne
that can lead to scarring and
disfigurement.
2. Acne
Rosacea
Acne
rosacea appears as a red rash covered
intermittently by pimples and blemishes.
It occurs more frequently in women than men and
requires a specialized treatment routine often
prescribed by a doctor.
3. Acne
Conglobata
This is a
very severe form of acne vulgaris. It
appears as very large, interconnected lesions
often dotted with whiteheads and
blackheads. It frequently leads to
scarring.
4. Acne
Fulminans
Acne fulminans is a
form of acne conglobata that appears very
suddenly. The acne bumps usually ooze and
other problems occur such as aching
joints. A doctor will normally prescribe
Accutane for this condition mainly observed in
young males.
5. Pyoderma
Faciale
This condition usually
afflicts women between the ages of 20 and
40. The acne from pyoderma faciale is
very severe and includes nodules, sores, and
pustules. If contained, it rarely lasts
longer than a year or so.
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