In this issue, we will discuss what exactly is acne, different types
of acne like vulgaris, papules, pustules, maculae, nodules and cysts,
which gender and age group usually gets acne, the common reasons or
causes and the social impact and effects on teens and adults alike.
The social impact of acne is huge. The unpleasant sight of pimples
makes many people run to the near drugstore or pharmacy because of
the perceived influence acne has in social relations. Every year,
hundreds of millions of dollars are spent around the world on anti-Acne
Products by people on five continents.
“More than 40 percent of all teens develop cases of acne severe enough to warrant medical treatment. Most cases are usually solved without the need for fancy treatments, although more than one trip to the doctor is required.”
What is acne?
With all this talk about acne, we might as well try to define the condition a bit. Acne is the commonly used name for pores clogged by sebum (also known as whiteheads and blackheads), pimples, nodules or cysts that can appear on the face, neck, shoulders, chest, back, upper arms and upper legs. Acne, most commonly known as pimples, is the bane of almost every face and the worst nightmare for those too unfortunate to suffer and is the most common skin disease today. In United States alone, nearly 60 million people are infected with acne, where 85 per cent of teenagers suffer from it.Acne is a disorder resulting from the action of hormones on the skin’s oil glands (sebaceous glands), which leads to plugged pores and outbreaks of lesions commonly called pimples or zits. Acne lesions usually occur on the face, neck, back, chest, and shoulders. Contrary to the popular belief, acne is not just a teenager’s disease. It is a socially bane and can be upsetting and disfiguring in certain cases. It has a significant economic impact, as people spend a lot of money on non-prescription and prescription treatments, therapies and Acne Products.
Most teenagers and a good number of adults suffer from acne for more or less extended periods of time. The condition is not confined to any age group, race, or sex. It affects hundreds of millions of people across the world. The biggest problems with acne are the unpleasant look of pimples and the scars they may leave behind. Acne cases vary from mild to severely disfiguring. It ranges from comedones (blackheads and whiteheads) to nodules and cysts. Here are several acne terms that can help you better understand acne.
Comedo or Comedones are simply a plugged and enlarged hair follicle. When a comedo is open, it is usually called a blackhead. When it is closed or deep into the skin, it is usually called whitehead. The whitehead differs in color from the blackhead because the opening of the plugged sebaceous(oily) follicle to the skin’s surface is closed or very narrow, in contrast to the distended follicular opening of the blackhead. Neither blackheads nor whiteheads should be squeezed or picked open, unless extracted by a dermatologist under sterile conditions. Tissue injured by squeezing or picking can become infected by staphylococci, streptococci and other skin bacteria.
Papules are inflamed lesions that usually appear as small, pink bumps on the skin and can be tender to the touch. A group of very small papules and microcomedones may be almost invisible but have a “sandpaper” feel to the touch. A papule is caused by localized cellular reaction to the process of acne. Pustules are papules topped by pus-filled lesions that may be red at the base. A pustule that forms over a sebaceous follicle usually has a hair in the center. Acne pustules that heal without progressing to cystic form usually leave no scars. Nodules are solid, dome-shaped or irregularly-shaped lesions. They are commonly characterized by inflammation, extend into deeper layers of the skin and may cause tissue destruction that results in scarring. A nodule may be very painful. Nodular acne is a severe form of acne that may not respond to therapies other than isotretinoin. Cysts can appear similar to nodules but are pus-filled, very painful and can cause scarring. They are usually described as having a diameter of 5 mm or more.
Types of Acne
Although pimples are by far the most common form of acne and the one most people are likely to encounter or suffer from, you should known that there are other forms as well. The simplest form is acne vulgaris, which features only comedones, the simplest of lesions. Lesions are small patches of skin affected by acne, although the term “lesion” is not restricted to the changes produced by acne in skin tissues. Acne lesions are the external form of comedones, the sebaceous follicles plugged by excess sebum. Comedones are known as blackheads and whiteheads, depending on whether the pore is open or not. Blackheads are pores whose distended openings are blocked by a mixture of keratin and sebum that is blackened at the surface. Whiteheads are closed pores filled with the secretion of the sebaceous gland that swells underneath the tissue. Comedones are the usual target for picking and squeezing. However, opening a follicle in the less than sterile conditions of your home is likely to result in a slight infection. An open pore is an entry point for all kinds of bacteria.• Papules: The papule is a small, solid usually
inflammatory cone shaped elevation of the skin that does not contain
pus which distinguishes them from pimples and nodules. Very small
papules can also appear in clusters, due to the tissue’s response
to acne.
• Pustules: Pustules are small inflamed elevations
of the skin that are filled with pus. The pus is a combination of
bacteria, white blood cells and dead skin cells. Pustules are usually
formed around sebaceous follicles and hair.
• Maculae: A macula is a red spot on the skin left
behind by an acne lesion. Maculae are flat, red and stand out against
the surrounding skin. A group of maculae gives the face an inflamed
aspect.
• Nodules: The nodule is a solid conical lesion,
one of the most painful lesions caused by acne. Nodules tend to extend
into the deeper layers of the skin and are known to lead to tissue
destruction due to accumulated secretion or hypertrophy of tissue
elements. They can be very painful to remove and leave scars behind.
Nodular acne is a severe form of acne that is treated only with isotretinonin.
• Cysts: Cysts are lesions shaped like capsules and
contain liquid or semi-liquid pus similar to that found in pustules.
However, cysts are larger than pustules and can be infected. Cysts
are also extending deeper into the skin and leave scar tissue behind.
Nodulocystic acne is probably the worst type of acne known to man.
It is resistant to treatment and responds only to isotretinoin, the
substance obtained from Vitamin A.
Who gets acne?
Believe it or not, nearly everybody in the world gets acne pimples. When the body shifts into higher gear and puberty begins at the age of 12, hormones start taking over. It doesn’t matter if you?re a man or a woman. It doesn’t matter where you come from and who your parents were. I have never heard of a person who had stayed blemish-free in all the years of his or her life. Whether it’s food or pollution, something is bound to upset your hormonal balance sooner or later. More than 40 percent of all teens develop cases of acne severe enough to warrant medical treatment. Most cases are usually solved without the need for fancy treatments, although more than one trip to the doctor is required. However, modern medicine has produced a wide range of prescription and over-the-counter products to help people deal with their acne without unnecessary pain.However, not all acne cases can be treated quite that easily. Acne comes and goes on its own, between the age of twelve and twenty-three, but some people develop severe forms of acne, while others get acne for the first time as adults. This is mostly the case for men. Because of the higher level of androgens in their systems, men are far more likely than women to suffer from acne. In women, acne is associated with their fertility cycle and the hormonal changes it entails. While most cases of acne are confined to the facial skin, most of the people suffering from this condition experience at least the occasional blackhead or pimple down the arms, on the back, the chest or even on the buttocks.
Common causes of acne
I always asked myself, why, why do I have acne and other people not. But worldwide there about 60 million people who suffering like I did. I did some research and talked to my doctor to find the most common causes of acne.Hormones: The number one cause of acne is the production of sex hormones, known as androgen, that begins at puberty. This is why majority of acne sufferers are adolescents and teens. Hormones are responsible for then acne flare-ups during menstruation and pregnancy. When the sebaceous gland is stimulated by androgens, it produces extra sebum. In its journey up the follicle toward the surface, the sebum mixes with common skin bacteria and dead skin cells that have been shed from the lining of the follicle. While this process is normal, the presence of extra sebum in the follicle increases the chances of clogging and acne.
Stress: can also cause the production of hormones, such as cortisol, which can aggravate acne. Stress brings upon different hormone levels. With hormone changes the body prompts the skins oil glands to enlarge, secreting more oil. Which causes white heads, black heads and pimples.
Oily or heavy make up: Heavy make-up clogs the pores and oily make-ups add more oil, which only adds to the problem if oily skin already exists. Cosmetics, especially certain moisturizers, foundations and pomades contain lanolin, petrolatum, vegetable oils, butyl stearate, lauryl alcohol and oleic acid. Certain medications and steroids: Vitamins are good for your body, But an excess of vitamins B1, B6 and B12 can cause acne flare-ups. These vitamins are good for the skin, but avoid overuse.
Diets: For some people, a diet that is high in refined carbohydrates and sugars can actually aggravate their acne.
Over abrasive cleansing: Harsh exploiters can damage skin and spread infections. Picking and squeezing: This can actually send the infection deeper into the skin and can cause scarring. Environmental irritants: such as high humidity and pollution. High humidity actually causes swelling of skin. Pollution is of course is a big cause for clogging your pores.
Genes: Family members who are also acne sufferers. Acne is inherited and severe cases known as cystic acne usually come from heredity.
The Social Impact and negative results of Acne
Acne is one of the most troublesome conditions of our times. While most people suffering from acne do not experience any kind of physical discomfort, they make up for this by psychological scarring. This effect has not been studied in depth because acne is a common, non-threatening condition that comes and goes on its own and any psychological effects attached to it were not seen as particularly important. However, acne has a stronger than suspected impact on the lives of people today. Studies conducted by researchers showed that people suffering from acne also display:• Low self-confidence
• Frustration
• Feelings of inadequacy
• Depression
• Refusal to socialize
• Low self-esteem
These effects are triggered by the negative effect acne has on
looks and the resulting apprehension of negative reactions from
others. People suffering from acne can end up living unsatisfying
lives and fail in school, jobs and social interaction.
Glossary of terms found on this page:
• Sebum: An oily secretion that consists of fat
and cellular debris of the sebacious glands near the follicles that
lubricates and protects the hair and skin.
• Pores: A very small gland opening on the surface
of the skin.
• Pimples: A type of skin lesion caused by inflamed
and/or obstructed pores.
• Hormones: chemical substances secreted by the endocrine
glands in the body that are carried through the bloodstream and control
the actions of certain cells or organs.
• Oil Glands: fatty glands found in hair follicles
throughout the body that secrete oil into the hair and surrounding
skin.
• Acne Lesions: A wound, injury or pathological alteration
of skin tissue.
• Zits: an inflammation of the skin caused by excessive
secretions of oil from the sebaceous glands combined with naturally
occurring dead skin cells that block the hair follicles. Also referred
as spots or pimples.
• Acne Scars: results from the biologic process of
wound repair in the skin after a pimple or zit has been pierced, with
the exception of very minor lesions, every wound results in some degree
of scarring.
• Distended: abnormally expanded or increased in
size, meaning bloated, swollen or puffy.
• microcomedones: minuscule plugs blocking the oil
secreting glands, a medical term for blackheads if they are open and
whiteheads if they are closed.
• isotretinoin: a drug that decreases sebum production
and dries up acne pimples, belonging to the family of drugs called
retinoids used for treatment of severe recalcitrant cystic acne.
• comedones: plugs blocking the oil secreting glands,
a medical term for blackheads if they are open and whiteheads if they
are closed.
• keratin: a primarily tough protein that makes up
the building blocks of the skin, nails and hair.
• Bacteria: A quickly reproducing very small microscopic,
single celled organism that cause infections and disease.