What Is Acne ?

Acne defined, what is it and where does it come from?

According to Beaumont Hospitals it is:

 "a chronic disorder of the hair follicles and sebaceous glands. Acne is characterized by black heads, pimple outbreaks, cysts, infected abscesses, and (sometimes) scarring"

The National Institute of Health prefers this definition:

"Acne is a disorder resulting from the action of hormones on the skin's oil glands (sebaceous glands), which leads to plugged pores and outbreaks of lesions commonly called pimples or zits. Acne lesions usually occur on the face, neck, back, chest, and shoulders. Nearly 17 million people in the United States have acne, making it the most common skin disease. Although acne is not a serious health threat, severe acne can lead to disfiguring, permanent scarring, which can be upsetting to people who are affected by the disorder."

Yes that's right, you're not alone, 17 million in the US alone have acne. Wish I'd known that when I was a teenager. It's not particularly dangerous then, at least not physically except in extreme cases. The psycholoigical effects can be more ruinous however.

For most people it starts when you are a teenager, this is when the body starts to produce the hormone Androgen

This hormone causes the over stimulation and enlargement of oil glands. This excess of oil then mixes with dead skin and bacteria and thus blocks pores. With those pores well and truly blocked, bacteria starts to breed and multiply and we have that most annoying of skin ailments, the spot!

Mainly because teenagers have a large amount of Androgen, acne is usually perceived as a teenagers problem. Funnily enough 25% of adult males and 50% of adult females suffer from acne.

This skin disease is not deadly or harmful (bar scarring if it gets really bad) but it's the psychological effects that are the most damaging. Acne tends to hit during your teens and this of course is when we are at our most tender psychologically. Cries of "spotty" or "pizza face", while seemingly just a joke to the offending schoolkid can in fact give years of lasting damage to the recipient. Even in later life when the acne has seemingly cleared up it is difficult to shake feelings of inferiority brought about by such name calling.

It's vital then for our mental as well as our physical health to understand not only what is going on outside the body but inside the mind too. For an effective guide on clearing up acne please click here.