More than seventeen million Americans are afflicted with acne. Acne affects about ninety percent of male teenagers and eighty percent of female teenagers. However, people who are in their twenties and forties can also get acne. For the majority of people, acne will begin when they are between ten and thirteen years old. It will usually continue on for the next five to ten years and go away by their twenties. Acne will most likely be found on the face. But it may also occur on the legs, neck, chest, back and shoulders. There are many young people who can treat their acne with over-the-counter medications. But more than forty percent of teenagers will have to seek treatment from a doctor because of the severity of their acne.
Different types of bumps that appear on your skin characterize acne. Acne may occur if there is a problem with your hair follicles. Sebaceous glands are located on your hair follicles. They are primarily located on the chest, back, neck and face. The sebaceous glands manufacture sebum. Sebum is an oily substance that is responsible for maintaining the moisture of your skin and hair. As long as the sebaceous glands produce the right amount of sebum, there will not be any problems. However, there are hormonal changes that will cause the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum. These hormonal changes occur when children go through puberty.
The hormones most responsible for the increased production of sebum are androgens. Androgens are male hormones that are more prevalent in men than women. Also, during puberty, people have more dead skin cells from their hair follicles. When the sebum and dead skin cells mix together, they can block the openings of the hair follicles. In these blocked hair follicles, bacteria can develop. These bacteria can then manufacture substances that can result in acne. The acne can spread if the hair follicle wall breaks down.
The different types of acne bumps include whiteheads, blackheads, papules, pustules, nodules and cysts. A hair follicle that is clogged with sebum, dead skin cells and bacteria is called a comedo. A non-inflammatory comedo that is closed and has a white center is called a whitehead. If a non-inflammatory comedo is open and looks black, it is called a blackhead. If you have either a whitehead or blackhead, you should not try to pick it open. If you do, skin bacteria can infect it. You should see a dermatologist to have it removed. A papule is an inflammatory comedo that is similar in appearance to a solid, red bump. The size of a papule is five millimeters or less. A pustule is an inflammatory comedo that is similar in appearance to a whitehead.
It is shaped like a dome and is fragile. A pustule will not leave a scar as long as it does not become a cyst. A nodule is a deep, solid, inflamed bump. It has a dome shape. It can cause scarring and can be painful. It can usually only be treated with isotretinoin. A cyst is a deep, large, pus-filled bump that is similar in appearance to a boil. It can also result in scarring and can be painful. It is bigger than a pustule. There is a severe form of acne called nodulocystic acne where nodules and cysts occur together. The color of this acne can be dark red or purple. The only effective treatment for this type of acne is isotretinoin. You will most likely see scars after the acne has healed.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Acne [http://acne-guideto.com]