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What is acne? Acne is a common skin condition that occurs when hair follicles under the skin become clogged. Sebum (oil that helps keep skin from drying out) and dead skin cells plug the pores, which leads to lesions commonly called pimples or zits. Most often, the acne occurs on the face but it can also appear on the back, chest, and shoulders. Acne is an inflammatory disorder of the skin. Skin has sebaceous oil glands that connect to the hair follicle, each of which contains a fine hair. With healthy skin, these sebaceous glands make sebum that empties onto the skin surface through the pore, which is an opening in the follicle. Keratinocytes, a type of skin cell, line the follicle. As the body sheds skin cells, the keratinocytes rise to the surface of the skin. However, when someone has acne, the hair, sebum, and keratinocytes stick together inside the pore. This prevents the keratinocytes from shedding and prevents sebum from reaching the surface of the skin. The mixture of oil and cells allows bacteria that normally live on the skin to grow in the plugged follicles and cause inflammation—swelling, redness, heat, and pain. When the wall of the plugged follicle breaks down, it spills the bacteria, skin cells, and sebum into nearby skin, creating lesions or pimples. What causes acne? Doctors and researchers believe that one or more of the following can lead to the development of acne: excess or high production of oil in the pore, buildup of dead skin cells in the pore, and growth of bacteria in the pore.
TYPES OF ACNE Comedonal Acne
These factors may increase your risk for acne:
Hormones. An increase in androgens, which are sex hormones, may lead to acne. These normally increase in both boys and girls during puberty and cause sebaceous glands to enlarge and make more sebum. Hormonal changes related to pregnancy can also cause acne. Family history. Researchers believe that you may be more likely to get acne if your parents had acne. Medications. Certain medications, such as those that contain hormones, corticosteroids, and lithium, can cause acne. Age. People of all ages can get acne, but it’s most prevalent in teens.
This type of acne is characterized by the presence of blackheads and whiteheads. It occurs when dead skin cells and excess oil clog hair follicles. Inflammatory Acne This type of acne includes papules, pustules, and nodules and is caused by an immune system response to bacteria within clogged hair follicles. Cystic Acne This is a severe form of inflammatory acne that causes large, painful, and deep cysts to form under the skin.
TYPES OF BLEMISHES Blackhead
Blackeads develop when excess oil and dead skin cells build up inside the pore. As the buildup accumulates, it widens the opening of the pore and appears black on the skin’s surface. Blackheads are known as open comedones because the head of the pore remains open while the rest of the pore is clogged. Whitehead Whiteheads, also known as closed comedones, happen when pores are clogged all the way through. The length of the pore and the head of the pore are closed, creating a little white bump on top of the skin. Whiteheads can’t be removed or fixed by squeezing, so don’t try to pop them on your own! Papule Papules are small, inflamed red bumps that form when oil or excess skin cells block a pore and mix with bacteria on your skin. The contents of the clogged pore spills out, allowing bacteria to escape into the surrounding skin tissue.
The following don’t cause acne—but they can make the condition worse: • A poor diet. Some studies show that eating certain foods may make acne worse. Researchers are continuing to study the role of diet as a cause of acne. • Short-term or long-term stress. • Pressure from sports helmets, tight clothes, or backpacks. • Environmental irritants such as pollution and high humidity. • Squeezing or picking at blemishes. • Scrubbing your skin too hard.
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MAY 2023 | MELALEUCA.COM 51
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