Acne Vulgaris- Causes and cures
Acne has always been a headache for teenagers. Even one breakout can cause so much depression, than what will face full of breakouts will cause, is beyond imagination. But there are some adolescents who suffer from acute acne problem. In adolescence, acne is usually caused by an increase in testosterone, which people of both genders accrue during puberty.
Acne affects mostly skin with the densest population of sebaceous follicles; these areas include the face, the upper part of the chest, and the back. Severe acne is inflammatory, but acne can also manifest in no inflammatory forms. The lesions are caused by changes in pilosebaceous units, skin structures consisting of a hair follicle and its associated sebaceous gland, changes that require androgen stimulation.
There are many types of Acne:
• Whiteheads – remain under the skin and are very small.
• Blackheads – clearly visible, they are black and appear on the surface of the skin. A blackhead is not caused by dirt so scrubbing your face vigorously when you see blackheads will not help.
• Papules – visible on the surface of the skin. They are small bumps, usually pink.
• Pustules – clearly visible on the surface of the skin. They are red at their base and have pus at the top.
• Nobules – clearly visible on the surface of the skin. They are large, solid pimples. They are painful and are embedded deep in the skin.
• Cysts – clearly visible on the surface of the skin. They are painful, and are filled with pus. Cysts can easily cause scars.
Acne develops as a result of blockages in follicles or sebaceous gland. Causes of Acne Vulgaris are:
• Genetic: The tendency to develop acne runs in families. For example, school aged boys with acne often have other members in their family with acne. A family history of acne is associated with an earlier occurrence of acne and an increased number of retentional acne lesions.
• Diet: high glycemic load diet is associated with worsening acne. There is also an association between the consumption of milk and the rate and severity of acne. Other associations such as chocolate and salt are not supported by the evidence. However, products with these ingredients often contain a high glycemic load.
• Hormonal: Hormonal activity, such as menstrual cycles and puberty, may contribute to the formation of acne. During puberty, an increase in male sex hormones called androgens causes the follicular glands to grow larger and make more sebum. True Acne Vulgaris in adult women may be a feature of an underlying condition such as pregnancy and disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome or the rare Cushing’s syndrome. Menopause-associated acne occurs as production of the natural anti-acne ovarian hormone estradiol fails at menopause.
• Psychological: increased stress levels can also increase acne problem.
Treatment of mild acne is possible by using products containing following active ingredients:
• Resorcinol
• Benzoyl Peroxide
• Salicylic acid
• Sulfur
• Retin-A
• Azelaic acid
But you should definitely go and see a good dermatologist or a skin specialist for proper diagnose of your problem. Some mild acne becomes severe in later stage so you should consult dermatologist for proper treatment before it gets worse.
The writer of this article is associated with BookMyDoctor.com and writing about the various diseases since a long time, in this article the writer mainly focused on the Symptoms of Acne and Causes of Acne and at advising about various experienced Treatments of Acne that will be very helpful for the patient.