Acne - Symptoms & Treatment

Acne is a common skin disease that causes pimples. Pimples form when hair follicles under your skin clog up. Most pimples form on the face, neck, back, chest and shoulders. Acne affects most teenagers to some extent.  However, the disease is not restricted to any age group; adults in their 20s - even into their 40s - can get acne. While not a life threatening condition, acne can be upsetting and disfiguring.  When severe, acne can lead to serious and permanent scarring. Some adult women experience mild to moderate acne due to hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, their menstrual cycles, or starting or stopping birth control pills. Acne usually develops when the sebaceous glands and the lining of the hair follicle begin to work overtime, as they do in adolescence. Normally, the lining of the hair follicle sheds cells that are carried to the surface of the skin by the sebum. When the follicle is overworked and clogged, cells and sebum accumulate, forming a plug (comedo). If the plug stays below the surface of the skin, it is called a "closed" comedo or whitehead. If the plug enlarges and pops out of the duct, it is called an "open" comedo or blackhead because the top is dark. This is not dirt and will not wash away. The discoloration is due to the way light is absorbed by the skin cells within the opening.

Acne is a disorder resulting from the action of hormones and other substances on the skin's oil glands (sebaceous glands) and hair follicles. These factors lead to plugged pores and outbreaks of lesions commonly called pimples or zits. The condition is most common in puberty . It is considered an abnormal response to normal levels of the male hormone testosterone . The response for most people diminishes over time and acne thus tends to disappear, or at least decrease, after one reaches his or her early twenties. There is, however, no way to predict how long it will take for it to disappear entirely, and some individuals will continue to suffer from acne decades later, into their thirties and forties and even beyond. Acne is rarely a serious medical condition, but it often causes emotional distress and can lead to scarring of the skin. With the right treatment, you can often keep acne under control. Measures also can be taken to reduce scars left by acne.

Causes of Acne

Find common causes and risk factors of Acne :

• It may be caused by overproduction of oil by skin.oily skin tends to have more acne problems.
• Heredity : With the exception of very severe acne, most people do not have the problem exactly as their parents did. Almost everyone has some acne at some point in their life.
• It also caused by build up of bacteria in skin.
• Some people have more oily skin than others. Dirt make the condition worse. Although sweat do not cause acne.
• Acne can be a side effect of drugs including tranquilizers, antidepressants, antibiotics , oral contraceptives , and anabolic steroids.
• Certain medicines, such as those used to treat epilepsy and types of depression.
• Exposure to oils and greases, polluted air, and sweating in hot weather aggravate acne.
• Family history. If other people in your family have acne, there is a greater chance you will have it.

Signs and Symptoms of Acne

Sign and symptoms may include the following :

• Blackheads.
• NHodules (solid, raised bumps).
• Pustules.
• Cysts.
• Pimples.
• Redness around the skin eruptions.
• Crusting of skin eruptions.
• Whiteheads: These are created when the openings of hair follicles become clogged and blocked with oil secretions and dead skin.

Treatment for Acne

Treatment may include:

• Just go for a nonprescription acne medicine and apply regularly. Drugs may be containing sulfur, resorcinol, salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide.
• Hormonal medications like oral contraceptives.
• Cosmetic surgery : Doctors may be able to use cosmetic surgery to diminish scars left by acne.
• Acne lotions may dry up the oil, kill bacteria and promote sloughing of dead skin cells.
• Over-the-counter acne medications can be used either at bedtime or during the day. Always follow the directions on any acne product.
• Retinoids (vitamin A derivatives) - such as Retin-A, Differin, and Tazorac - are comedolytic, meaning they lyse or "break up" comedones (blackheads and whiteheads), the first lesions of acne.