Author: Wilhelm Greffrath
Source: ezinearticles.com
Acne vulgaris affects more than 80% of us to varying degrees as some point in our lives. It is a condition that all would prefer to be without not only because of the physical pain and discomfort, but also the social and cosmetic complications it holds. But what exactly is acne and why do people get it? In this article we’ll have a look at the causes, symptoms and possible treatment options of acne.
Acne vulgaris is not exclusively limited to a particular group of people. The occurrence between blacks and whites are pretty equal. It affects females during puberty more than males and during adulthood males are affected more than females.
There are a few factors that contribute to cause acne to manifest. The first is what is called the hyperproliferisation of the follicle epithelium which causes the hair follicle to get plugged up. It is one of the first signs of acne and possible reasons for this happening may be the effect of androgen hormones, inflammation and a dilution of lipids (like linoleic acid) in the skin because of excess sebum production. Excess sebum production by sebaceous glands in the skin is another culprit. Androgen hormones in particular promote the production of sebum which makes the skin very oily. The next factor that contributes to the formation of acne is a bacteria call Propionibacterium acnes. The bacteria are present in the more advanced stages of acne and its presence cause inflammation which makes the acne lesions so swollen and red.
The areas of the body where acne lesions typically occur is the skin of the face, chest and upper back. There are different kinds of acne lesions and they can be described as follow:
• Closed comedones (whitish lump in the skin due to a clogged sebaceous gland).
• Open comedones (black tipped plugging of the pores of the skin).
• Papules (elevated and inflamed are of the skin without pus).
• Pustules (elevated and inflamed area of the skin containing pus).
The severity of the acne will be judged on the amount of lesions and the degree of inflammation in the comedos, papules and pustules.
From this one can infer what needs to be done to treat acne vulgaris. Skin needs to be cleaned to unblock pores, sebum secretion needs to be minimised and Propionibacterium acne needs to be eradicated. Consult with your pharmacist for an appropriate remedy for your acne. If your acne is too severe for over-the-counter medicines to treat, you will be referred to a doctor or specialist for something more potent.
Wilhelm Greffrath is the founder of project-33.com and a practicing community pharmacist in South Africa who has a grievance with bombastic medical explanations for simple things. Visit his website and learn how to become acne free in three days.
