Acne is the term for plugged pores such as blackheads and whiteheads, pimples, and even deeper cysts that occur on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and even the upper arms. While not a life threatening condition, acne can be upsetting and disfiguring. When severe, acne can lead to serious and permanent scarring. Sometimes even less severe cases can lead to scarring. There are many types of acne. The most common is called acne vulgaris.
Just beneath the surface of the skin lie hundreds of tiny glands called sebaceous glands. Their function is to collect and excrete an oily substance through tiny pores to keep the skin healthy. These tiny pores often become clogged, and a bacterium called p. acnes grows inside. In a short time, the area swells up, and forms a pimple on the skin. At certain times of life, this process becomes very active, troublesome and hard to control.
Who gets acne?Acne affects most teenagers to some extent. Almost everyone goes through a period of acne at one time or another. The disease is not restricted to any age group. Many of people are able to manage their acne with over-the-counter nonprescription treatments. For some, however, acne is more serious. In fact, by their mid-teens, more than 40% of adolescents have acne severe enough to require some treatment by a skin care professional.
In most cases, acne starts between the ages of ten and thirteen and usually lasts for five to ten years. It normally goes away on its own sometime in the early twenties. However, acne can persist into the late twenties or thirties or even beyond. Some people get acne for the first time as adults.
Acne affects young men and young women; however men are more likely than women to have more severe, longer lasting forms of acne. In contrast, women are more likely to have intermittent acne due to hormonal changes associated with their menstrual cycle and acne caused by cosmetics. These kinds of acne may afflict young women well into adulthood.
© Copyright 2007 - Amarillo Laser Vein Clinic