Acne – Causes and types
More than seventeen million Americans suffer from acne. Acne affects approximately 90 percent of teenage boys and 80 percent of teenage girls. However, people in their twenties and forties can also get acne. For most people, acne will begin when they are between the ages of ten and thirteen. It will usually continue for the next five to ten years and will go away in twenty years. Acne is most likely to be found on the face. But it can also occur in 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 teens will need to seek treatment from a doctor because of the severity of their acne.
The different types of bumps that appear on the skin characterize acne. Acne can occur if there is a problem with the hair follicles. Sebaceous glands are found in hair follicles. They are located mainly on the chest, back, neck and face. The sebaceous glands make sebum. Sebum is an oily substance that is responsible for maintaining moisture in the skin and hair. As long as the sebaceous glands produce the proper amount of sebum, there will be no problem. However, there are hormonal changes that will cause the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum. These hormonal changes occur when boys go through puberty.
The hormones most responsible for increased sebum production are androgens. Androgens are male hormones that are more prevalent in men than in women. Also, during puberty, people have more dead skin cells from their hair follicles. When sebum and dead skin cells mix, they can block the openings of the hair follicles. In these blocked hair follicles, bacteria can grow. These bacteria can make substances that can cause acne. Acne can spread if the hair follicle wall breaks.
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 comedone that is closed and has a white center is called a whitehead. If a non-inflammatory comedo is open and appears black, it is called a blackhead. If you have a whitehead or blackhead, you should not try to open it. If you do, bacteria on your skin can infect you. You should see a dermatologist to have it removed. A papule is an inflammatory comedo that looks similar to a solid, red bump. The size of a wheal is five millimeters or less. A pustule is an inflammatory comedo that looks similar to a whitehead.
It is dome-shaped and fragile. A pustule will not leave a scar until it turns into a cyst. A nodule is a deep, solid, swollen lump. It is dome shaped. It can cause scarring and can be painful. It can usually only be treated with isotretinoin. A cyst is a deep, large, pus-filled lump that looks similar to a boil. It can also cause 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.