For a ridiculous number of years acne has been the torment of an enormous number of teenage lives, and, a topic avoided in conversation. Folk who have suffered with acne have been heartlessly tormented and ridiculed, and shockingly christened with a name such as crater face. Only those who have unfortunately suffered from the disease can empathize how hurtful and cruel such name calling can really be. Over time exciting puzzles that have been solved in the symptoms and causes of acne which have also aided the creation of effective treatments.

A Short Intro To Acne

Acne is the name of an inflammatory disease of the skin often found in teenagers. Acne reveals itself by the excess production of sebum from sebaceous glands in the hair follicles which eventually become blocked. it can cause a malfunction in the follicles and pores in the skin of the arms, face and chest as well as the back. Those pores and follicles which have become blocked are medically known as comedo.

The comedone are the blockages in the pores which is made up of sebum and keratin. A comedo can be either closed or open. An open comedo is commonly referred to as a ‘blackhead’, and the closed comedo is what we commonly refer to as a ‘whitehead’.

Once a comedone has formed it is usually followed by the most noticeable and unpleasant symptom of acne - spots. First the comedone becomes infected and with this comes redness and inflammation of the skin, which then leads to an outbreak of spots. The spots commonly become filled with pus and the skin surrounding the spot looks incredibly red and is sore to the touch.

There are two types of bacteria responsible for the inflammation and infection in acne, these are called Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes. As well as being responsible for the formation of pus filled pimples, acne abcesses and cysts can occur.

The Causes of Acne

Amazingly our Scientists have made great strides forward in the knowledge of the process of formation of, and the management of, acne. Shockingly there has been few advances in the comprehension of the causes of acne. However, it is usually accepted thata variety of factors, such as hormones, diet and stress can all play a role in the development of acne.

There are countless numbers of scientists attempting to see if genetics play a role in acne too. In the long term we will all benefit from this ongoing interest in acne as it should continue to provide more effective acne treatments.