Understanding
the mystery of acne vulgaris.
The
most common form of acne is known
as "acne vulgaris", meaning
"common acne."
Although
the precise cause of acne Vulgaris
remains a mystery, its appearance
seems to be a part of puberty. The
body increased production of sex
hormones during this period is thought
to play an important role. The main
culprit in this scenario is the
hormone androgen, produced in large
amounts by the testes in the males,
in small amounts by the ovaries
in females, and in relatively equal
small amounts by the adrenal glands
in both sexes.
Acne
Eruptions
Androgen
stimulates sebaceous, or oil glands
that are largest and most dense on
the face upper back & chest, the
most common places for acne eruptions.
The oil they secrete, sebum travels
to the skin’s surface. These
are ducts and are also where keratinizing
process by which hair strands are
formed. Not only does sebum production
increase dramatically in adolescence
but keratinization increases during
this time as well.
Blackheads
The
excess keratin and sebum, when they
are combined with bacteria breaks
down sebum into fatty acids to form
a comedo or plug in the follicle duct.
A blackhead forms when contents reach
the skins surface and darken from
contact with the air. Blackheads do
not contain dirt as we once thought.
The color from the skin pigment combined
with other elements in the plug in
the presence of air. A whitehead or
closed comedo, pop up when the sebum
and it’s contents get trapped
below the skin surface.
Cystic
Acne
Duct
walls can rupture by pressure from
the buildup of oil, & dead skin
cells that are usually shed through
the same duct and bacteria that normally
live in the duct can cause inflammation
in the form of varying small red bumps.
When these rupture they leak into
the surrounding skin causing a larger
yellowish eruption. A leak that does
not drain completely may cause swelling
and produce the most sever form of
acne causing cystic acne. As they
heal leave bumps that last for months
or scars.
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