OverviewAcne is a common skin condition in which the hair follicles become clogged with sebum.
The hair follicles are the openings around the hair shaft, and sebum is the oil produced by the glands within the follicle. The clogged follicles cause pimples and inflamed infected abscesses, that is, collections of pus.
What is going on in the body?Acne tends to develop in teenagers because of an interaction among hormones, sebum, and bacteria. During puberty, the glands in the skin produce excessive sebum. In acne-prone skin, the sebum and dead skin cells clog the hair follicles and form comedones, or clogged pores.
What are the signs and symptoms of the condition?Acne may occur on a person's face, neck, chest, back, shoulders, scalp, and upper arms and legs. Comedones, that is, clogged pores, are the first signs of acne.
There are 2 types of comedones:
• blackheads, which are incompletely clogged pores capped with blackened dust or debris
• whiteheads, which are completely clogged pores
A comedone may also break through the pore wall underneath the skin and release its contents. This causes a pimple or pustule. If this substance is released deep into the skin it will cause a cyst, which is a small, pus-filled bump beneath the skin.
What are the causes and risks of the condition?
Acne is caused by 4 factors: hormones, particularly the hormone called androgenincreased production of sebum, the oily substance within the hair follicleschanges in the lining of the hair folliclesbacteria, including organisms that normally live on the skin surface. When these bacteria are trapped within the hair follicles, they can cause infections and inflame the follicles.
What can be done to prevent the condition?
Measures to prevent or minimize acne include the following: washing the face twice a day with a mild soap and patting it dryavoiding any picking, squeezing, or popping of comedones, pimples, pustules, and cysts. This type of manipulation actually makes the acne worse.selecting skin care products labeled as noncomedogenic, which means they do not clog pores. Look for the noncomedogenic label on makeup, foundation, moisturizers, and creams.avoiding prolonged exposure to oil and grease in settings such as fast-food restaurants and automotive shopsavoiding unnecessary friction from hair, clothing, or sporting equipment
How is the condition diagnosed?
Acne is diagnosed when blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, pustules, or cysts are seen on the skin.
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