Acne Overview

Bruno Brown

85% of people included in the age bracket of 12 to 24 are likely
to suffer from any forms acne. Others may experience
intermittent and serious forms well up to their forties.
However, this skin disease is neither blood related or
contagious. Notably, acne is a universal skin disease which
manifests in all genders, ages and races.

This skin disorder is the resultant of over-induced sebaceous
glands (or the skin's oil glands) and blocked pilosebaceous
units imbedded deep beneath the skin and blocked skin pores.
Primarily, acne develops from blocked pilosebaceous canals. If
these canals are obstructed by hardened sebum and dead cells,
the combination of which may accumulate and block the ejection
of dirt and body wastes; thus providing breeding grounds for
Propionibacterium acnes or the P. acnes in the follicle walls or
hair pores. These acne-infecting bacteria will attract white
blood cells. The area then gets inflamed due to the reaction of
the body to the activities eventually leading to the growth of
acne.

This skin disorder comes in many forms. It is basically
categorized into three:

* Whiteheads and blackheads or closed and open clogs
respectively. * Mild inflammatory acne which includes papules
and pustules. * Cystic acnes or nodules.

Moreover, acne may come in many types, each possessing their own
characteristics. Some types may be inter-related and some have
their independent origins.

* Comedo- or microcomedo, the smallest type of lesion) *
Pustules- are pus-filled, usually yellowish in colour. *
Nodules- are the same with pustules only varying in size and the
degree of swelling. * Papules- are typically inflamed pimples. *
Cysts- are pus filled and have sac-like formation. This is the
most severe form of acne.

There are other forms of acne like:

* Acne vulgaris-the most common form which comprise of
blackheads and whiteheads. Normally found around the shoulder,
the surface of the face and the forehead. * Infantile acne-
which occurs to infants or new born babies. * Acne rosacea- acne
growing on the skin surface of adults, especially middle-aged
women. * Scalp folliculitis- or acne that manifest on the scalp
and around the hairline. * Perioral dermatitis- which is more
prevalent in women, characterized by small pustules and papules.
* Acne conglobata- or acne vulgaris in its sever form. * Acne
fulminans- usually characterized with systematic symptoms.

Acne is a disease that cannot be fully cured. However, there had
been developed treatments to decrease the skin's vulnerability
to acne infection. These may composed by the following methods
of treatments:

* Homeophatic treatments or those that can be prepared at home
and are usually available over the counter (soap and water,
salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide and alcohol) * Topical
treatments or those that are applied on the external layers of
the skin. * Oral drugs or drugs that can be taken
systematically, these are usually composed of antibiotics (like
spironolactone, minocycline and doxycycline treatments).

There had not been any tangible causes of acne for most forms.
Nevertheless, several studies were made as to determine some of
the causes which may trigger the production of acne. These
include the following:

* Propionibacterium acnes or P. acnes (the acne-infecting
bacteria) * Psychological stress (also, emotional stress) *
Unhealthy diet (basically, the basis may be the diet followed in
the West which are fat-enriched) * Improperly functioning
digestive system * Hormonal imbalances and changes ( which may
be the product of the digestive system reacting to some food
items) * Cosmetics (especially those that are oil-based)

About the author:

Bruno Brown writes articles for href="http://acne.atillz.com">acne information and other
health related websites.

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