acne-blemish-control acne

Acne is a condition of the skin that shows up as various types of bumps including whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, and cysts.

Most teens get the type of acne called acne vulgaris, which shows up on the face, neck, shoulders, back, and chest.

The pores of your skin contain oil glands, which lubricates your hair and skin.

Sometimes a pore may become 'clogged' with too much oil, dead skin cells, and even bacteria, causing acne.

See below.

If a pore becomes clogged, closes, and then bulges out, you have a whitehead.

If a pore becomes clogged but stays open, the top may darken and you're left with a blackhead.

Sometimes when the walls of the pore become damaged it allows bacteria and dead skin to work their way under the live skin.

This leaves you with a red, but small infection called a pimple.

Clogged pores that are open deep in the skin cause cysts which are generally infections larger than pimples.

See below.

What causes acne?

An important idea to remember as you study the condition of acne is that everyone is different, therefore, what may cause acne on you, may not on someone else.

As I mentioned earlier, acne is generally caused by the build up of oil and dead skin in a pore; but what causes this build up of oil and dead skin?

Natural hormones

Hormones are constantly produced by your body throughout your entire life, however, during the teenage years they tend to be the most active and most rapidly changing.

Plugged skin

If a large number of skin cells exist on a regular basis they can close the oil glands or pores, creating blackheads or whiteheads, as discussed earlier.

Bacteria

When bacteria is present on the skin it can easily infect the oil glands and pores.

Bacteria thrives on the oil and can grow rapidly beneath plugged skin creating bad infections.

This can create your 'classic' pimple or cyst; cysts are deeper, worse than a pimple and more likely to cause scaring.

Family background

If a parent had acne as a teenager, he/she can bet their kids will also have sensitive skin, especially during the adolescent years.

Family background can tie into the other three causes listed above.

e.g.

Hormones and extra skin can be a character trait passed down.

What not to do!

Now that you have gained the knowledge of the trouble that filth, oil, and extra skin can cause to you, your first initiative will probably be to go and scrub your skin with muscle and hot water.

Don't do that! Excessive scrubbing just irritates the skin leading to more dead skin cells which leads to more clogged pores.

In fact, straps, helmets, hats, hair, and hands can irritate the skin very easily as well.

Pay attention to where you put your hands when bored in class (e.g.

don't rest your head in your hands) .

Remember: acne is not caused by a skin's filthy surface.

The 'pore clogging' takes place below the surface of the skin.

From here, I recommend you further investigate by looking

at ways to treat your acne and also by checking out several acne myths.

Acne is a condition of the skin that shows up as various types of bumps including whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, and cysts.

Most teens get the type of acne called acne vulgaris, which shows up on the face, neck, shoulders, back, and chest.

The pores of your skin contain oil glands, which lubricates your hair and skin.

Sometimes a pore may become 'clogged' with too much oil, dead skin cells, and even bacteria, causing acne.

See below.

If a pore becomes clogged, closes, and then bulges out, you have a whitehead.

If a pore becomes clogged but stays open, the top may darken and you're left with a blackhead.

Sometimes when the walls of the pore become damaged it allows bacteria and dead skin to work their way under the live skin.

This leaves you with a red, but small infection called a pimple.

Clogged pores that are open deep in the skin cause cysts which are generally infections larger than pimples.

See below.

What causes acne?

An important idea to remember as you study the condition of acne is that everyone is different, therefore, what may cause acne on you, may not on someone else.

As I mentioned earlier, acne is generally caused by the build up of oil and dead skin in a pore; but what causes this build up of oil and dead skin?

Natural hormones

Hormones are constantly produced by your body throughout your entire life, however, during the teenage years they tend to be the most active and most rapidly changing.

Plugged skin

If a large number of skin cells exist on a regular basis they can close the oil glands or pores, creating blackheads or whiteheads, as discussed earlier.

Bacteria

When bacteria is present on the skin it can easily infect the oil glands and pores.

Bacteria thrives on the oil and can grow rapidly beneath plugged skin creating bad infections.

This can create your 'classic' pimple or cyst; cysts are deeper, worse than a pimple and more likely to cause scaring.

Family background

If a parent had acne as a teenager, he/she can bet their kids will also have sensitive skin, especially during the adolescent years.

Family background can tie into the other three causes listed above.

e.g.

Hormones and extra skin can be a character trait passed down.

What not to do!

Now that you have gained the knowledge of the trouble that filth, oil, and extra skin can cause to you, your first initiative will probably be to go and scrub your skin with muscle and hot water.

Don't do that! Excessive scrubbing just irritates the skin leading to more dead skin cells which leads to more clogged pores.

In fact, straps, helmets, hats, hair, and hands can irritate the skin very easily as well.

Pay attention to where you put your hands when bored in class (e.g.

don't rest your head in your hands) .

Remember: acne is not caused by a skin's filthy surface.

The 'pore clogging' takes place below the surface of the skin.

From here, I recommend you further investigate by looking

at ways to treat your This subject and also by checking out several This subject myths.

Acne as a teenager is an expected right of passage.

Acne as an adult can be embarrassing, especially to struggle with a disease many adults thought they'd outgrown.

In particular, many adult women experience mild to moderate This subject that does not respond to traditional This subject treatments.

In order to find the most effective treatment, dermatologists often look to a woman's hormones to explain persistent This subject or adult-onset This subject.

Speaking today at the American Academy of Dermatology's 2001 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., dermatologist Diane Berson, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, New York University, New York, talked about the role hormones play in adult onset This subject and the hormonal treatments that are available to control the outbreaks.

Acne is an emotionally devastating disease at any stage, but as women age they often find This subject is a detriment to their personal and professional lives, said Dr.

Berson.

And instead of seeking medical advice, they rely on the same over-the-counter medications they used as a teenager.

However, as we get older our bodies change, as can the type of This subject, so traditional treatments may no longer be effective.

The Role of Hormones in Acne

Hormonal This subject is most often influenced by androgens in the body.

Androgens are hormones that stimulate the sebaceous glands and hair follicles in the skin.

When the sebaceous glands are over-stimulated by androgens, for example around the time of menstruation, women, both young and old, tend to

have This subject flare-ups.

Stress can also affect the levels of androgens, resulting in further breakouts.

These adult-onset This subject flares occur most often on the lower face, chin and jawline of adult women.

Most women with This subject have normal serum levels of androgens.

However, some women with This subject also have facial hirsutism, excess facial hair, or male pattern alopecia, hair loss and/or thinning on the scalp.

Women with these symptoms may have increased androgen production, and a hormonal work-up that includes an evaluation for adrenal, ovarian or pituitary abnormalities may be indicated.

In addition to hirsutism and alopecia, women with hormonal This subject may also have irregular menstrual cycles, obesity, infertility, or diabetes, said Dr.

Berson.

A laboratory evaluation of hormone production may help uncover abnormalities or tumors and therefore help determine which hormonal treatment is right for them.

Hormonal Acne Treatment Options

Once diagnosed with hormonal This subject, treatment options include oral contraceptive pills, corticosteroids and spironolactone.

All three of these treatments decrease sebum production.

Oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) are the first-line approach to the hormonal management of This subject.

Two of the newer progestin agents found in OCPs, desogestrel and norgestimate, are less androgenic than those found in older formulations.

Recently, the FDA approved the first OCP for the treatment of mild to moderate This subject; other low dose formulations can also improve the condition.

Most women who take OCPs to control This subject can continue them for extended periods, especially if they are not currently planning to have children.

OCPs can also improve This subject in women with polycystic ovaries since they help decrease ovarian androgen production.

Similarly, women with adrenal hyperplasia (overactivity of the adrenal glands) can be treated with oral corticosteroids, such as prednisone or dexamethasone.

These agents can help improve This subject by decreasing androgen production in the adrenal gland.

Oral spironolactone is a steroidal antiandrogen that prevents excessive oil production by blocking androgen receptors.

Spironolactone also decreases androgen production in both the ovaries and adrenal glands, resulting in fewer flares.

In order to decrease spironolactone's side effects, which include breast tenderness and menstrual irregularities, it is usually given in conjunction with oral contraceptives.

Severe Cystic Acne Treatments

Severe cystic This subject is the most destructive and serious form of This subject.

The large, disfiguring cysts across the face, chest and back leave such noticeable scars that oftentimes a patients' self-esteem, as well as their skin, is affected.

Treatment for cystic This subject can be challenging since it does not respond to over-the-counter medications or most prescription oral and topical medications.

The only medication that safely and effectively controls destructive cystic This subject is isotretinoin.

Acne is the term for plugged pores (blackheads and whiteheads) , pimples, and even deeper lumps (cysts or nodules) that occur on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and even the upper arms.

Acne affects most teenagers to some extent.

However, the disease is not restricted to any age group; adults in their 20s - even into their 40s - can get This subject.

While not a life threatening condition, This subject can be upsetting and disfiguring.

When severe, This subject can lead to serious and permanent scarring.

Even less severe cases can lead to scarring.

Types of Acne

When you read about This subject or other skin diseases, you encounter words or phrases that may be confusing.

For example, the words used to describe the lesions of This subject—comedo, papule, pustule, nodule and cyst—are understandable only if you know each word’s definition.

It also is helpful to have a photo that is characteristic for each type of lesion.

Here is a brief summary of definitions of words used to describe This subject, with accompanying photos.

Let’s begin, though, with the definition of lesion, an all-purpose word:

Lesion—a physical change in body tissue caused by disease or injury.

A lesion may be external (e.g., This subject, skin cancer, psoriatic plaque, knife cut) , or internal (e.g., lung cancer, atherosclerosis in a blood vessel, cirrhosis of the liver) .

Thus, when you read about This subject lesions you understand what is meant—a physical change in the skin caused by a disease process in the sebaceous follicle.

Acne lesions range in severity from comedones (blackheads and whiteheads) to nodules and cysts.

Here is a brief definition of This subject lesions:

Comedo (plural comedones) —A comedo is a sebaceous follicle plugged with sebum, dead cells from inside the sebaceous follicle, tiny hairs, and sometimes bacteria.

When a comedo is open, it is commonly called a blackhead because the surface of the plug in the follicle has a blackish appearance.

A closed comedo is commonly called a whitehead; its appearance is that of a skin-colored or slightly inflamed bump in the skin.

The whitehead differs in color from the blackhead because the opening of the plugged sebaceous 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.

The following photos are characteristic of This subject with comedones:

(Photos used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides and the Sulzberger Institute for Dermatologic Education)

Papule—A papule is defined as a small (5 millimeters or less) , solid lesion slightly elevated above the surface of the skin.

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 This subject.

This photo shows papules and comedones on the face of an This subject patient:

(Photos used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides and the Sulzberger Institute for Dermatologic Education)

Pustule—A dome-shaped, fragile lesion containing pus that typically consists of a mixture of white blood cells, dead skin cells, and bacteria.

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.

This photo shows pustules, papules and comedones on the face of an This subject patient:

(Photos used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides and the Sulzberger Institute for Dermatologic Education)

Macule—A macule is the temporary red spot left by a healed This subject lesion.

It is flat, usually red or red-pink, with a well defined border.

A macule may persist for days to weeks before disappearing.

When a number of macules are present at one time they can contribute to the inflamed face appearance of This subject.

This photo shows the red face appearance of This subject with macules:

The latest chemical peels and lasers are revolutionizing the way dermatologists approach such basic skin conditions as This subject and rosacea.

Whether patients are dealing with This subject that has not responded to topical or oral medications, or if they are looking to reduce the redness and dilated blood vessels of rosacea, dermatologists now have a variety of treatment therapies that can be used in combination to successfully treat both This subject and rosacea.

These new treatments can also be used on any lingering effects of the conditions such as scarring.

Both of these conditions can have devastating effects on self-esteem because they are so noticeable, said Dr.

Vidimos.

Teenagers and young adults who have This subject often feel isolated and self-conscious.

Adults with rosacea are often caught unaware because they assumed they had outgrown skin conditions.

But now both This subject and rosacea can be treated with combination therapies, such as chemical peels and lasers, that are having successful results.

Acne

Acne is a chronic inflammatory disease of the sebaceous hair follicles.

Each follicle contains a tiny hair and multiple sebaceous glands.

Under normal circumstances, sebum, the oily substance made by the sebaceous glands, travels up the hair follicle and out to the skin’s surface.

However, with This subject, sebum is trapped within the follicle and skin bacteria multiplies within the clogged pores.

Acne develops on those areas of the skin where sebaceous glands are most numerous: the face, scalp, neck, chest, back, and upper arms and shoulders.

Acne typically begins in adolescence, although onset in the twenties or thirties is common.

Depending on the type of This subject and the extent of the condition, This subject can be treated with oral or topical antibiotics or topical retinoids, which may be used alone or in combination.

Isotretinoin, a potent drug that requires close monitoring, is sometimes prescribed for severe cystic This subject.

If antibiotics and retinoids are not successfully managing This subject, dermatologists can utilize chemical peels to ‘unroof’ This subject pustules and exfoliate the skin, said Dr.

Vidimos.

This exfoliations allows antibiotics and topical retinoids to penetrate the skin more easily to control This subject and prevent further outbreaks.

The glycolic acid peel is one of the most common peels to treat This subject.

Glycolic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid, which when used in combination with oral or topical medications, can hasten the response of This subject to treatment by reducing the amount of sebum being trapped in the follicles.

Glycolic acid peels exfoliate dead layers of the skin and, typically, require no downtime.

These peels are performed every two to four weeks in a series of four-to-eight sessions.

The benefits of glycolic acid can also be found in cosmetic products, such as moisturizers and sunscreens, which when used daily, contribute to continued clearing of the skin.

If patients are using a daily glycolic acid product, a topical or oral antibiotic can be added to this regimen, especially for those with red, swollen, or pus-filled lesions.

Glycolic acid products are also considered safe for use during pregnancy.

Salicylic acid peels are also used to treat This subject.

Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid that is oil soluble and can therefore penetrate oil plugged pores.

When used as a peel, the treatment can be repeated at two-to-four week intervals.

However, many cosmetic preparations now include alpha and beta hydroxy acids, allowing for exfoliation of the skin on a daily basis.

Though neither oral nor topical antibiotics improve the appearance of This subject scars, dermatologists have a number of treatment options for these scars, which persist long after This subject disappears.

Acne scars are unique in their appearance and often have complex characteristics that must be taken into account, like depth, shape, and location, said Dr.

Vidimos.

Treating This subject scarring with dermatologic surgery involves determining the individualized treatment plan which will give the patient the most successful result.

The latest treatment options for This subject scarring are lasers, such as the pulsed carbon dioxide (CO2) laser and the Erbium:YAG laser.

The CO2 laser vaporizes thin layers of the skin and tightens collagen fibers, which makes it an appropriate treatment for depressed This subject scars.

The Erbium:YAG laser vaporizes thinner layers per pass and produces very precise bursts of energy which allows for the sculpting of smaller, irregular scars.

The CO2 laser treated skin heals in seven-to-10 days, while the Erbium:YAG laser treated sites heal in three-to-five days.

However, laser resurfacing is not always effective for This subject scars, especially depressed, crater-like scars.

An option for improving the appearance of these scars is soft tissue augmentation.

Patients can opt to use their own fat from another part of their body to correct the deep contour, or they can use soft tissue fillers like collagen, hyaluronic acid or fascia lata.

Because the replaced fat reabsorbs into the skin, this treatment typically lasts six-to-18 months.

It is very important for patients to seek early treatment for This subject in order to get the condition under control, said Dr.

Vidimos.

Acne is a common medical condition that affects up to 80 percent of people between 11 and 30 years of age.

Even after the unsightly whiteheads, blackheads and pustules have been successfully treated, many people are left with disfiguring This subject scars that serve as a cruel reminder of this difficult condition.

Oftentimes, the scars can be just as devastating as the This subject they replaced.

Speaking today at Academy 2001, the American Academy of Dermatology’s summer scientific meeting in Anaheim, Calif., dermatologist Mitchel Goldman, MD, Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, University of California at San Diego, discussed results of his study on patients treated with a new laser surgery option for This subject scarring, as well as other common treatments.

A new device known as the 1320 nm Nd: YAG laser with dynamic epidermal cooling shows promising results in treating This subject scarring.

The only infrared laser systems cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for treating wrinkles, this non-invasive laser technology works by stimulating collagen formation in the dermis – or deepest layer of the skin – which raises the This subject scar.

In a study conducted by Drs.

Goldman, Elizabeth Roston and Richard Fitzpatrick, 14 patients with depressed This subject scars were treated with a 1320 nm Nd: YAG laser over four separate treatments spaced three weeks apart.

By the end of the last treatment, seven patients experienced a 50 percent improvement in the appearance of their This subject scars.

Improvement was defined as how much the depressed This subject scars were elevated following treatment.

All patients showed an average 40 percent improvement in the appearance of their This subject scars.

The 1320 nm Nd: YAG laser is an excellent new method for treating This subject scars because it works for all skin types – from very dark to very light – and with no downtime, explained Dr.

Goldman.

Until now, many of the other This subject scar treatments produced a wound that may have required weeks to heal.

Since this new laser therapy is non-invasive, the patient does not require anesthesia and the procedure is not a painful one.

Other lasers, such as the pulse dye laser and intense pulse light, also work in elevating depressed This subject scars by penetrating the dermis and producing new dermal collagen to elevate the depression.

The pulse dye laser produces a bruise that can last one to two weeks.

In addition, the Erbium:YAG laser allows for very precise sculpting of This subject scars.

With this laser, recovery times are faster – usually three to five days – with a shorter period of post-surgery redness than with the CO2 laser for This subject scar correction.

Dermabrasion is another effective method to treat This subject scars that involves the mechanical sanding of the upper layers of the scar.

With this procedure, a new layer of skin replaces the abraded skin during healing, resulting in a smoother appearance.

Although dermabrasion is an invasive procedure that requires anesthesia, most patients heal within one to two weeks.

For severely depressed scars, more invasive techniques are required.

Subcision is a procedure that uses a surgical probe to lift up the skin that pulls away from the depressed scar tissue below.

After the scar is released, the patient’s own fat or another substance like collagen can be used to elevate the scar.

Acne scars that require surgical excision are usually followed by laser resurfacing or dermabrasion to erase the surgical excision line, added Dr.

Goldman.

Another type of This subject scarring is elevated scars, which are usually red in appearance.

Lasers, such as the pulse dye laser and intense pulse light, work by eliminating the excessive blood vessels that give elevated scars their appearance.

A detailed and comprehensive discussion of This subject scars starts with causes of scarring, prevention of scarring, types of scars, and treatments for scars.

Before talking about scars, a word about spots that may look like scars but are not scars in the sense that a permanent change has occurred.

Even though they are not true scars and disappear in time, they are visible and can cause embarrassment.

Macules or pseudo-scars are flat, red or reddish spots that are the final stage of most inflamed This subject lesions.

After an inflamed This subject lesion flattens, a macule may remain to mark the spot for up to 6 months.

When the macule eventually disappears, no trace of it will remain—unlike a scar.

Post-inflammatory pigmentation is discoloration of the skin at the site of a healed or healing inflamed This subject lesion.

It occurs more frequently in darker-skinned people, but occasionally is seen in people with white skin.

Early treatment by a dermatologist may minimize the development of post-inflammatory pigmentation.

Some post-inflammatory pigmentation may persist for up to 18 months, especially with excessive sun exposure.

Chemical peeling may hasten the disappearance of post-inflammatory pigmentation.

Causes of Acne Scars

In the simplest terms, scars form at the site of an injury to tissue.

They are the visible reminders of injury and tissue repair.

In the case of This subject, the injury is caused by the body’s inflammatory response to sebum, bacteria and dead cells in the plugged sebaceous follicle.

Two types of true scars exist, as discussed later: (1) depressed areas such as ice-pick scars, and (2) raised thickened tissue such as keloids.

When tissue suffers an injury, the body rushes its repair kit to the injury site.

Among the elements of the repair kit are white blood cells and an array of inflammatory molecules that have the task of repairing tissue and fighting infection.

However, when their job is done they may leave a somewhat messy repair site in the form of fibrous scar tissue, or eroded tissue.

White blood cells and inflammatory molecules may remain at the site of an active This subject lesion for days or even weeks.

In people who are susceptible to scarring, the result may be an This subject scar.

The occurrence and incidence of scarring is still not well understood, however.

There is considerable variation in scarring between one person and another, indicating that some people are more prone to scarring than others.

Scarring frequently results from severe inflammatory nodulocystic This subject that occurs deep in the skin.

But, scarring also may arise from more superficial inflamed lesions.

Nodulocystic This subject that is most likely to result in scars is seen in these photos:

[Photos used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides, and the Sulzberger Institute for Dermatologic Education]

The life history of scars also is not well understood.

Some people bear their This subject scars for a lifetime with little change in the scars, but in other people the skin undergoes some degree of remodeling and This subject scars diminish in size.

People also have differing feelings about This subject scars.

Scars of more or less the same size that may be psychologically distressing to one person may be accepted by another person as not too bad.

The person who is distressed by scars is more likely to seek treatment to moderate or remove the scars.

Prevention of Acne Scars

As discussed in the previous section on Causes of Acne Scars, the occurrence of scarring is different in different people.

It is difficult to predict who will scar, how extensive or deep scars will be, and how long scars will persist.

It is also difficult to predict how successfully scars can be prevented by effective This subject treatment.

Nevertheless, the only sure method of preventing or limiting the extent of scars is to treat This subject early in its course, and as long as necessary.

The more that inflammation can be prevented or moderated, the more likely it is that scars can be prevented.

(Click on Acne treatments for more information about treatment of mild, moderate and severe This subject) .

Any person with This subject who has a known tendency to scar should be under the care of a dermatologist.

(Click on Find a Dermatologist to locate a dermatologist in your geographic area) .

(Link to American Society for Dermatologic Surgery for more information on scar correction) .

Types of Acne Scars