Health Articles : Skin Care : Acne
Acne Treatments : Acne
Treatments For Adult AcnePeople tend to think that wrinkles and acne are mutually exclusive skin problems, and acne is resolved long before wrinkles appear. Just not ..... Acne is a condition which is the bane of teenagers and young adults mostly, but it can also target babies and children, cats and mature adults. Acne appears as minor skin eruptions due to inflammation of the sebaceous glands. These little glands, located on hair shafts all over the body, produce sebum, a thick, oily substance that lubricates the skin.. A hormonal imbalance—common during adolescence, menstrual periods, pregnancy, or when first using oral contraceptives—may trigger over activity of the sebaceous glands.
Male hormones (androgens) stimulate sebum production, and when sebum is secreted faster than it can exit through the pores, it may plug the hair follicle and produce a white head.
If the follicle is not plugged completely, skin pigments may oxidize and darken, forming a blackhead. Bacteria normally found on the surface of the skin may then infect the whitehead or blackhead and produce pus that causes pimples or, in more severe cases (known as cystic acne), boils.
Except in cases that cause widespread skin eruptions and scarring, acne is generally harmless and responsive to treatment.
It is most common during adolescence and can cause considerable psychological distress. Eruptions tend to wane by one's 20's, but may persist in some. Among women, acne may first appear in the 20s and 30s. Unexplained outbreaks of acne in older adults may be a sign of a more serious underlying problem.
Treatments For AcneThe human lifetime is basically divided into three stages: Childhood, Adult, and Old age. It is during the transition from being a ..... Symptoms
* Pimples or skin eruptions (blackheads and whiteheads) most prominent on the face, but also found on the neck, shoulders, back, chest buttocks, and more rarely, the upper arms and thighs.
Cystic AcneCystic acne is an alternative term for acne. It is also called acne vulgaris. The condition occurs when tiny holes on the surface of ..... * Clusters of red, inflamed cysts in more severe cases (cystic acne)
* Thick, firm painless lumps below the surface of the skin (sebaceous cysts).
* Pockmarks and scarring from chronic acne
What Causes Acne?
* Hormonal changes (especially excessive androgen secretion) resulting in increased sebum production.
* Hereditary factors
* Certain drugs or compounds, including oral contraceptives, corticosteroids, or other hormones, as well as barbiturates, iodides, bromides, vitamin B12, anti-seizure drugs, and lithium.
* Grease, tar, heavy oils, cosmetics, tight clothing, or anything else that can physically block the pores.
* In adults, underlying medical conditions, including ovary or adrenal gland dysfunction, such as polycystic ovary disease and Cushing's syndrome
* Other factors including climate changes, stress, and exposure to dioxin.
Prevention
* There is little evidence that dietary modifications will reduce the incidence of acne in those predisposed, although good hygiene may reduce severity
* Picking or squeezing acne lesions may increase the danger of infection and scarring.
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