Overview

• Acne is a skin condition that occurs when your hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells, also commonly known as pimples. It often causes whiteheads, blackheads or pimples, and usually appears on the face, forehead, chest, upper back and shoulders. Acne is most common among teenagers, though it affects people of all ages.
• Effective treatments are available, but acne can be persistent. The pimples and bumps heal slowly, and when one begins to go away, others seem to crop up.
• Depending on its severity, acne can cause emotional distress and scar the skin. The earlier you start treatment, the lower your risk of such problems.

Symptoms

Acne signs and symptoms vary depending on the severity of your condition:

• Whiteheads (closed plugged pores)
• Blackheads (open plugged pores)
• Small red, tender bumps (papules)
• Pimples (pustules), which are papules with pus at their tips
• Large, solid, painful lumps beneath the surface of the skin (nodules)
• Painful, pus-filled lumps beneath the surface of the skin (cystic lesions)

Causes

• Human skin has pores that connect to oil glands under the skin. Follicles connect the glands to the pores. Follicles are small sacs that produce and secrete liquid.
• The glands produce an oily liquid called sebum. Sebum carries dead skin cells through the follicles to the surface of the skin. A small hair grows through the follicle out of the skin.
• Pimples grow when these follicles get blocked, and oil builds up under the skin.
• Skin cells, sebum, and hair can clump together into a plug. This plug gets infected with bacteria, and swelling results. A pimple starts to develop when the plug begins to break down.
• Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) is the name of the bacteria that live on the skin and contributes to the infection of pimples.
• Research suggests that the severity and frequency of acne depend on the strain of bacteria. Not all acne bacteria trigger pimples. One strain helps to keep the skin pimple-free.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of acne is based on the history and physical examination. Lesions most commonly develop in areas with the greatest concentration of sebaceous glands, which include the face, neck, chest, upper arms, and back

Treatment

• Treatment depends on how severe and persistent the acne is.
• Mild acne can be treated with over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as gels, soaps, pads, creams, and lotions, that are applied to the skin. A skin specialist, or dermatologist, can treat more severe cases.

Resources

• https://www.aafp.org/afp/2004/0501/p2123.html.last accessed on 30/08/19
• www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107146.php.last accessed on 30/08/19
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107146.php.last accessed on 30/08/19
• https://www.aafp.org/afp/2004/0501/p2123.html.last accessed on 30/08/19
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acne/symptoms-causes/syc-20368047.last accessed on 30/08/19