How acne forms
By: Mary GoodsTotal Views: 69, Word Count: 481,
The science behind acne makes interesting reading. “How acne forms?” is an interesting question and many people would be willing to know the hows and whys of it. After all, more than 90% people have a bout of acne between the ages of 15-25. Some still get pimple break-outs after they are 30 years old.
What causes acne?
Our skin is made up of millions of pores. Each pore is connected to a hair follicle beneath the skin surface. Inside the hair follicle there are sebaceous glands that produce sebum or oil onto the surface of the skin. Through this mechanism, our skin remains soft and supple.
The excess oil is periodically removed from the skin surface. However, sometimes the pores of the skin may get clogged by excess production of sebum and dead cells.
- Acne breakouts are most common during teenage because hormonal imbalances occur during that time. As a result, excess production of sebum takes place and the pore sizes on the skin also become large.
- Acne is also heredity. If it was seen in your parents, you are most likely to get pimple breakouts too!
- Excessive washing can not prevent acne. Instead the skin gets drier and the body would produce more sebum to soften it.
What are whiteheads and blackheads?
When these pores get blocked as a result of excess production of sebum and dead cells, they may not get inflamed immediately. It might happen that the pore may be covered by the skin as happens in whiteheads or the pores may get open to the air outside. When the pores open, the sebum reacts with the oxygen outside and turns brown or black in color. These are then called as blackheads.
How are pimples formed?
Sometimes the clogged hair follicles get infected by skin bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes. This inflamed hair follicle appears as a pink pimple and may even hurt. This is the papule stage.
Why is there pus in a pimple?
The moment bacterial infection sets in the skin pore, our body sends in a swarm of white blood cells in and around the inflamed hair follicle. Soon, the dead skin cells, hardened sebum, dead white blood cells and bacterial debris cluster at the tip of the papule and then it is called as pustule or a “pus head”.
Remedy from acne
There are innumerable over-the-counter creams in shops that have benzoyl peroxides and salicylic acids as their major ingredient. Apart from these, there are excellent topical application of creams which not only prevent acne, but even treat them as well as remove the scars. One can also make use of home-made tricks to treat and prevent acne.
About the Author
Mary Goods is a researcher in skin problems and their treatments. She is currently involved in the study of acne, their causes and how to effectively treat them. She is also involved in publishing a series of papers dealing with the effect of acne and pimple scars on the behavior of teenagers. She recommends topical application of skin creams to get rid of acne, blemishes and even whiteheads and black heads.
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