Acne – In Depth Questions and Answers

May 31, 2009 by admin  
Filed under Acne

acne
Corbin Newlyn asked:


Acne is a commonplace skin problem for the majority of adolescents and also afflicts a portion of the adult population. People of all different age groups and backgrounds have had to deal with acne at one point or another. Thus, there has long been a long standing desire to prevent it or even cure it.

We will take a look at some of the various causes of acne in addition to some of the various ways in which people are treated. Our hope with this article is that you will gain a better understanding as to the reasons why people get acne and what they can do for prevention and treatment.

What is acne?

For many thousands of years, people have wrestled with acne. Acknowledged in some cultures as a kind of curse from the gods for immoral behavior, acne has mostly been misunderstood. Only within roughly the past century has the medical field been able to distinguish the true causes of acne. As some might expect, this has permitted those who are afflicted with blemishes to gain a certain sense of relief.


An inflammatory disease of the skin, acne is the consequence of serious changes in the skin’s structure. Acne is considered to be the body’s unique response to a relatively natural production of testosterone, a male hormone.

Instead of a sign that one’s skin is not clean, acne is more closely related with the hormonal and bacterial activity underneath the skin, which finally leads to the irritation of the skin. The end result is the red swelling that we know as acne.

What is The Most Common Type of Acne?

One may think that all acne is the alike, but in fact it is not. As with all irritations of the skin, there are several forms involved. Some are believed more serious and harder to eliminate than others. The most usual kind is acne vulgaris, which only means “common acne,” ordinarily signified by a red swelling of the skin. Soon after the initial signs, the white or yellow pus that people associate with acne becomes evident.

This is the type of acne that the majority of teenagers get, caused when excessive amounts of oil from the sebaceous gland combine with dead skin cells to end up clogging the pores of the skin. Since the skin’s pores are blocked, oil continues to build up, hence permitting bacteria and yeast to spread. This surplus of bacteria and yeast is what finally does tons of damage to a persons skin.

What Are The Mental Effects of Acne?

Acne might show a body’s failure to properly deal with hormonal changes. Acne can suggest that a person is not handling stress in an effective manner. It might be an indication of a potentially serious allergic reaction to a medication or other type of element. It is not these effects of acne that tend to do the most damage, though.

Acne is more than a health issue, acne is known to cause people (mainly teens) a sense of shame as well as embarrassment. Acne is incorrectly associated with being unclean. Clear, healthy skin is associated with cleanliness, while severe forms of acne are frequently thought to be the effect of sanitary neglect.

Not just that, acne can be ugly and turn people away. The majority of people who experience severe acne are emotionally scarred by the social rejection, contributing to adolescent emotional insecurity and a sense of self-doubt. Because of this, acne should be treated as rapidly and as thoroughly as possible.

Isn’t it True That Staying Clean Helps Prevent Acne?

It is always a healthier alternative to rid your skin of toxins as well as dirt that accumulate throughout your normal daily routine. So yes, to some extent, it is true that washing your skin can help prevent or decrease acne.

Acne is a chemical element, and it is something that occurs beneath the surface of the skin to a greater degree than on the skin itself. Both cleansing on a daily basis as well as care of one’s skin will help in reducing the bacteria that resides on the surface of the skin, but these actions cannot decrease the testosterone levels below the surface of the skin that help to create acne.

Recognizing this underlying fact should help to reduce some of the stigma that is accompanied with acne. It should also allow people who are enduring their acne to take some degree of comfort in understanding that they are not necessarily less clean than other people. The truth is that they have very little actual control over what is going on beneath their skin.

What Are Some of The Other Elements Involved That Increase the Probability of Getting Acne?

That is a good question, and one that is likely on everyone’s mind. The tough part about acne is that there is not one single element that can prompt it. Several factors help cause acne. Some of them can be circumvented, while others cannot. For instance, one cannot change their family history, but this is one very important factor in influencing the development of some form of acne.

Hormonal activity is another. Women who are pregnant or who are menstruating have been known to abruptly acquire bad cases of acne. Other elements, such as stress and certain medications, can also bring about acne.

Bear in mind, acne is based on the hormonal changes that occur within the body. Any life-changing or stress-inducing occurrence is likely to alter a person’s chemical makeup. Lastly, the accumulation of dead skin cells often contributes to increased acne.



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Acne Vulgaris – Definition, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

May 22, 2009 by admin  
Filed under Diseases And Conditions

acne
Juliet Cohen asked:


Acne vulgaris and acne is a skin problem. Some people call it blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, or zits. Acne vulgaris is an inflammatory disease of the skin.. Acne has been implicated in psychiatric and psychological processes more than most other dermatological conditions. Most young people get at least mild acne. It usually gets better after the teen years. But many adult women do have acne in the days before their menstrual periods. Acne is most common in teenagers, but it can happen at an age, even as an infant. Three out of four teenagers have acne to some extent, probably caused by hormonal changes that stimulate oil production. However, people in their 30s and 40s may also have acne. Acne vulgaris affects the areas of skin with the densest population of sebaceous follicles; these areas include the face, the upper part of the chest, and the back The condition is most common in puberty. It is considered an abnormal response to normal levels of the male hormone testosterone. The response for most people diminishes over time and acne thus tends to disappear, or at least decrease, after one reaches his or her early twenties. There is, however, no way to predict how long it will take for it to disappear entirely, and some individuals will continue to suffer from acne decades later, into their thirties and forties and even beyond.


Inflammatory acne is the result of the host response to the follicular inhabitant Propionibacterium acnes. Symptoms of Acne Vulgaris include whiteheads, blackheads, and pimples. Redness around the skin eruptions and Scarring of the skin. Pimples that are large and deep are called cystic lesions. These can be painful if they get infected. Acne vulgaris affects 85-100% of people at some time during their lives. Acne vulgaris may be present in the first few weeks and months of life when a newborn is still under the influence of maternal hormones and when the androgen-producing portion of the adrenal gland is disproportionately large. This neonatal acne resolves spontaneously. Acne starts when oil and dead skin cells clog the skin’s pores. If germs get into the pores, the result can be swelling, redness, and pus. See a picture of how pimples form. Adolescent acne usually begins prior to the onset of puberty, when the adrenal gland begins to produce and release more androgen hormone.

Acne vulgaris is caused oil and dead skin cells clog the skin’s pores. Acne vulgaris may also be influenced by genetic factors. Hormone-driven over-production of sebum as the main contributing factor of acne. Some cosmetic agents and hair pomades may worsen acne. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, polycystic ovary syndrome, and other endocrine disorders with excess androgens may trigger the development of acne vulgaris. Medications that can promote acne include steroids, lithium, some antiepileptics, and iodides. Seafood often contains relatively high levels of iodine. Iodine is known to make existing acne worse but there is probably not enough to cause an acne outbreak. Still, people who are prone to acne may want to avoid excessive consumption of foods high in iodine. Chocolate, french fries, potato chips and sugar, among others, affect acne. A high GI (glycemic index) diet that causes sharp rises in blood sugar worsens acne. Masturbation causes acne and, conversely, that celibacy can cure it. True acne vulgaris in adults may be a feature of an underlying condition such as pregnancy and disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome or the rare Cushing’s syndrome.

Acne treatment depends on whether you have a mild, moderate or severe form. There are many treatment of Acne vulgaris. Azelaic acid was originally used to treat brown spots/hyperpigmentation. It is useful for comedonal acne as well as mild to moderate inflammatory acne. Erythromycin and clindamycin are excellent topical antibacterial medications that are available as pads, solutions, lotions, and gels. Benzoy peroxide products are also effective against P acnes. Oral antibiotics (taken by mouth) such as minocycline, doxycycline, and tetracycline and hormonal therapies including oral contraceptives are also be used effectively. Speaking successful treatments give little improvement within the first week or two; and then the acne decreases over approximately 3 months, after which the improvement starts to flatten out. Treatments that promise improvements within 2 weeks are likely to be largely disappointing. Short bursts of cortisone, quick bursts of antibiotics and many of the laser therapies offer a quick reduction in the redness, swelling and inflammation when used correctly, but none of these empty the pore of all the materials that trigger the inflammation.



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