What is acne?

At some time during their teenage years, most young adults are affected by acne, but about 5% of women and 1% of men continue to be affected up to the age of forty years. If society was more forgiving, this would not be a problem. Acne is not a contagious disease. Other people are not at risk. Yet such facts are not relevant. There is an unfortunate streak of cruelty in people who celebrate visible difference in a negative way. Over a short period, this a a rite of passage into adulthood and most emerge without long-term psychological damage. But there will always be some who are more relentlessly bullied and victimized. The damage to their self-esteem leaves long-term psychological scars.

What causes acne?

The surface layer of the skin is covered by sebaceous glands that release an oil into the skin. This oil both preserves the smooth flexibility of the skin and keeps it waterproof. The oil comes to the surface through the system of pores associated with hair follicles. Under normal circumstances, this is not a problem. But, if too much oil is released and it builds up in the follicles, it can trap dead skin cells and block up the pores which become a perfect breeding ground for a bacterium called propionibacterium acnes to grow. This bacterium lives on everyone’s skin but, when it finds the right conditions, it can grow fast. In turn this triggers your body’s immune system to react and spots are created. Over time, some spots become inflamed and develop into the more severe forms of acne which may leave permanent scars.

The appearance of acne has nothing to do with what you eat nor how often you wash. You will make the problem worse if you pick at the spots. Similarly, using heavy make-up in an attempt to hide the spots and cysts will also block the pores and aggravate the problem. It’s probably caused by an excess of testosterone, a hormone found in both sexes, but it’s also a side effect from some medications including steroids.