How is acne formed? - How to treat acne?

Acne is a disease of the skin that occurs when the pores (tiny openings) of the skin gets blocked. Beneath the skin there are many sebaceous glands (oil glands). The sebaceous glands produce an oil like substance called sebum.

Acne occurs between the age of 11 and 30. It is most commonly seen in teenagers. This is due to hormonal changes in the body during puberty. Acne vulgaris is the most common type of acne that occurs in kids and teens.

The skin, neck, chest, face and shoulders are more prone to get acne.

What does the sebum do??

• The sebum keeps the skin moist.
• It also carries dead cells to the surface of the skin, to enable new ones to grow. This called shedding.

How does the sebum reach the skin??

The sebum reaches the skin by flowing out of tube like structures called follicles.

Each follicle has a single hair growing out of it.

What is the cause of acne??

When there are hormonal changes in the body, the oil glands produce excess oil. The pore can get clogged by the excess oil, skin cells, and the hair. This results in acne.

Forms of Acne

Acne shows up on the skin in the form of bumps –whiteheads, blackheads, papules, pimples, pustules, nodules and cysts.

In blackheads and whiteheads, bacteria build up in the pore, but the acne is not inflamed. The bacteria remains just beneath the skin.

Whiteheads – They appear in the form of small white spots on the skin just beneath the skin. They are not very visible. This happens, when the pores gets blocked and slightly bulges out of the skin. In whiteheads, the pores on the skin remain closed.

Blackheads – They appear as black spots on the skin. They are clearly visible. The blackheads form when the pores get blocked, bulges out of the skin but the pore is open. The surface of the pore becomes black due to exposure.

Papule – They appear as small red patches on the skin. This happens when the hair follicles break and a crack appears on the skin.

The crack fully exposes the oil to the outside air.The bacteria already living on the skin grow and multiply in the oil. When this happens, the follicles gets infected and results in the formation of a pimple or a pustule.

Pimple – Pimple forms when the bacteria penetrate deep below the skin and inflammation occurs. When acne is inflamed it erupts on the skin in the form of a red tender bump. They do not have pus. This is called a pimple

Pustule – A pustule is clearly visible on the skin. They are red at the base and have pus at the top. This pustule is also referred to as a “zit”.

When the bacteria leaks under the skin then the inflammation in the acne is worsened. This leads to the formation of nodules and cysts.

Nodule – This happens when the hair follicle breaks off at the base. This can cause a total collapse of the hair follicle causing a large solid inflamed bump. This can be very painful. Scarring can occur.

Cyst – They are clearly visible on the skin surface in the form of a big solid bump. They are filled with pus and can be very painful. Scarring can occur.

What can you do to treat acne??

These are simple steps that you can follow on a daily basis.

Wash your face twice a day with a gentle cleanser or a gentle soap. Do not scrub your skin when washing. This only irritates the skin further.

Pat your skin dry, do not rub down.

If you are wearing makeup, make sure you remove all the makeup before washing your face.

Use oil free moisturizers, makeup and sunscreen.

If you use hairsprays or hair gels, keep them away from your face because they clog up the pores.

Wash your face after exercising or even after sweating a lot.

Try not to touch your face often.

Do not pick, scratch or squeeze out pimples.

Many lotions and creams are available in the market to treat acne. Choose products which have any one or more than one of the following products in different combinations.

Benzoyl peroxide kills the bacteria that causes acne and reduces puffiness.

Salicylic acid dries out the skin and makes it peel which helps to get rid of pimples.

Resorcinol helps breakdown blackheads and whiteheads.

Retin A helps to unplug blocked pores.

Azelaic acids strengthens the hair follicles, prevents oil eruptions and kills the bacteria.

When you use a product for acne, follow the instructions. If you use too much, the skin becomes very very dry. Try out just a little bit on your skin to rule out any allergic reaction.

Consult a skin doctor if the acne does not reduce or gets worse.

References

WebMD

acne.org

kidshealth.org