What Is Acne

Acne Vulgaris, or acne, starts when oil and dead skin cells clog up your pores. Everyone has thousands of pores over their bodies. The pores are created with glands that produce oil, for the care of the skin and hair. When these pores get clogged, you can have what some people call blackheads, (comedomes) blemishes, whiteheads, pimples, or zits. When you have just a few red spots, or pimples, you have a mild form of acne. Severe acne can mean hundreds of pimples that can cover the face, neck, chest, and back. Or, it can be bigger, solid, red lumps that are painful (cysts).

Most young people get at least mild acne. It usually gets better after the teen years. But many adult women do have acne in the days before their menstrual periods.

How you feel about your acne may not be related to how bad it is. Some people with severe acne are not bothered by it. Others are embarrassed or upset even though they have only a few pimples.

You don't have to live with the embarassment of acne, there are many good treatments that can help you get acne under control.

What causes acne?

Acne starts when oil and dead skin cells clog the skin's pores. If germs get into the pores, the result can be swelling, redness, and pus. This doesn't necessarily mean that one does not have good hygiene.

For most people, acne starts during the teen years. This is because hormone changes make the skin more oily after puberty starts. The over abundance of oil can create problems with the secretion through the pores.

You do not get acne from eating chocolate or greasy foods. But you can make it worse by using oily skin products that clog your pores. Over stimulating the skin can worsen acne by too harsh of chemicals when cleaning your skin. The worse method of trying to rid the pustules on the skin is picking or squeezing. This only results in scaring and can encourage a worse infection.

Acne can run in families. If one of your parents had severe acne, you are more likely to have it.

What are acne symptoms?

Symptoms of acne include redness of the skin along with whiteheads, blackheads, and pimples. There can be pustules or not. These can occur on the face, neck, shoulders, back, or chest. Pimples that are large and deep are called cystic lesions. These can be painful if they get infected. They also can scar the skin.

How is acne treated?

To help control acne, keep your skin clean. Avoid skin products that clog your pores. Look for products that say "noncomedogenic" on the label. Wash your skin once or twice a day with a gentle soap or acne wash. Try not to scrub or pick at your pimples. This can make them worse and can cause scars.

If you have just a few pimples to treat, you can get an acne cream without a prescription. Look for one that has benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. These work best when used just by following the directions. There are a few good home remedies that one can try also. Vinegar washes have worked for many troubled with acne.

It can take time to get acne under control. Keep using the same treatment for 6 to 8 weeks. You may even notice that it gets worse before it gets better. If your skin is not better after 8 weeks, try another product, or this might be the time to seek help with a physician.

If your pimples are really bothering you or are scarring your skin, see your doctor he may want to refer you to a Dermatologist. A prescription gel or cream for your skin may be all you need. Your doctor may also order antibiotic pills. A mix of treatments may work best. If you are female, taking certain birth control pills may help (such as Accutane) works very well, but it can cause birth defects. And using Accutane may be associated with depression. Let your doctor know if you have had depression before taking this medicine. And if you are female, you must protect against pregnancy by using two forms of birth control. Even one dose of this medicine can cause birth defects if a woman takes it while she is pregnant. You cannot take isotretinoin if you are breast-feeding.

What can be done about acne scars?

There are skin treatments that can help acne scars look better and feel smoother. Your Doctor can advise you about this. The best treatment for you depends on how severe the scarring is. You can have scar tissue removed or have an injection of collagen. Collagen smoothes a pitted scar by plumping up the skin underneath. You may get the best results with a combination of treatments. Just having the skin disorder of acne can leave your skin scarred, even with the best care and refraining from picking and squeezing.