Acne begin
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Acne affects about 80% of all adolescents.
Acne begins with the inflammation of tiny
oil-producing glands in the skin. These glands are called Sebaceous glands and produce an oil named "sebum".
Sebum is responsible for keeping the skin and skin hair supple and healthy. During puberty, sebaceous glands grow and produce more sebum due to an increase in Androgen hormones. This may also occur in early adulthood rather than in your teens.
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The sebaceous glands produce oil (sebum) which normally travels via hair follicles to the skin surface. However, skin cells can plug the follicles, blocking the oil coming from the sebaceous glands. When follicles become plugged, skin bacteria (called
Propionibacterium acnes, or
P. acnes) begin to grow inside the follicles, causing inflammation.
Acne progresses in the following manner:
Incomplete blockage of the hair follicle results in blackheads (a semisolid, black plug). Complete blockage of the hair follicle results in whiteheads (a semisolid, white plug). Infection and irritation cause whiteheads to form.
Eventually, the plugged follicle bursts, spilling oil, skin cells, and the bacteria onto the skin surface. In turn, the skin becomes irritated and pimples or lesions begin to develop. The
basic acne lesion is called a
comedo. Acne can be superficial (pimples without abscesses) or deep (when the inflamed pimples push down into the skin, causing pus-filled cysts that
rupture and result in larger abscesses). |
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