 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Teen Acne
Acne can be an unpleasant, disfiguring and confidence draining condition to live with-we explore the cause, treatments and self cures available to you and supply all the up to date information that you may need to become acne free. Visit our blog Teen Acne BlogWhat is acne?
What is acne?
Acne is a term used to describe clogged inflamed pores commonly known as blackheads and whiteheads, pimples, and even cysts or nodules, occur on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and upper arms. Follicles get blocked with sebum (oil), which normally drains to the surface, and bacteria propionibacterium acnes, begins to grow. Both whiteheads and blackheads start out as a "microcomedone" which then become skin blemishes called comedones found at the opening of a sebaceous follicle. Acne can be distressing, disfiguring, and can sometimes lead to permanent scarring and disfigurement. Socially it can be a nightmare for sufferers, their self confidence plummeting and therefore affecting every aspect of their lives! Acne does not just affect teens and it comes in many forms. Women with fluctuating hormones levels who suffer from such conditions as polycystic ovaries may also be affected by severe acne. Closed comedo, or whitehead. If the plugged follicle stays below the surface of the skin, the lesion is called a closed comedo, or whitehead. They usually appear on the skin as a small, whitish lumpy bump. Open comedo, or blackhead. If the plug enlarges and pushes through the surface of the skin, it's called an open comedo, or blackhead. The plug's dark appearance is not due to dirt, but rather to a buildup of melanin, the skin's darker pigment. Papule. The mildest form of inflammatory acne is the papule, which appears on the skin as a small, firm pink lump. These can be merely tender to the touch or downright painful! Pustule. Like papules, pustules are small round lesions; unlike papules, they are clearly inflamed and contain visible pus. They may appear red at the base, with a yellowish or whitish center. Pustules do not commonly contain a great deal of bacteria; the inflammation is generally caused by chemical irritation from sebum components such as fatty free acids. Nodule or Cyst. Large and usually very painful, nodules are inflamed, pussy lesions deep within the skin. Nodules develop when the contents of a comedo have spread into the surrounding skin and the local immune system responds, producing pus. The most severe form of acne lesion, nodules may persist for weeks or months, their contents hardening into a deep cyst. Both nodules and cysts often leave deep scars. This can be particularly distressing Acne conglobata. This rare but serious form of inflammatory acne develops mostly on the back, rump and the chest. In addition to the presence of pustules and nodules, there may be severe bacterial infection in these areas. Dead skin cells, and bacteria can make Acne worse. Even when a flare up is calming down spots left called macules which are red or pinkish, with defined borders that can persist for days to weeks. A number of macules can contribute to the "inflamed face" appearance of acne. A nodule is a solid dome-shaped or irregularly shaped lesion, characterized by pain, inflammation and extending into deeper layers of the skin. It may cause tissue destruction resulting in severe scarring also. Who gets acne? Teenagers, but it can occur in adults of all ages too. Acne may start at eleven to thirteen years old, or occur in adult hood, in pregnancy or in times of stress for the very first time in adulthood. No one is entirely sure of the causes in all cases; however there does seem to be a distinct hormonal link. Teens start to suffer as the hormone levels rise, women can suddenly develop it in pregnancy, and again due we think to hormonal fluctuations, and stress seems to be a great trigger and stress affects hormone levels too; so hormones do seem to be the main culprit! Acne is NOT caused by bad hygiene! As hormones seem to be the cause, it is also sensible to assume that bad diet etc. may be detrimental however many acne suffers have found that no matter what they do with their diet, it seems to help very little. We will discus the various treatments and cures and try to give you as much information as possible on this site.Next Page
Do acne cures work? What are the options available to treat acne? All you need to know about acne, acne cures, treatment prevention, causes and information on treating acne scarring.
LATEST POSTS FROM OUR BLOG: