acne skin care

Every talk about acne includes terms such as whiteheads and black heads. What are they and why are they called so? Let us find out.

Acne develops on the hair follicles that have sebaceous glands attached to them. These glands produce an oil called sebum. Because of certain reasons the sebum changes in quality and quantity giving rise to scales on the hair follicle. This blocks the skin pore causing acne. This blockage is the beginning of acne.

The first stage of this blockage shows as blackheads and whiteheads. These are also called as comedones. A comedone is a sebaceous follicle that is plugged and filled with sebum, dead cells etc. An open comedone is called a blackhead because of its blackish appearance. A blocked comedone is referred as white head, which is a small bump in the skin with skin like color. A whitehead has closed mouth and the blackhead has an open mouth.

What to do if you have blackheads or whiteheads- do not squeeze them yourself. That may leave permanent scars and also infection. Best is to approach a dermatologist who will pick them open if required under sterile conditions. Please note that acne scars can permanently disfigure you.

As far as basic care is concerned, wash your face gently with slightly warm water and mild soap to remove excess sebum and dead skin. Do not be harsh on the skin. Please note that acne takes time to clear. Apply any topical cream that may be prescribed by your dermatologist. Acne treatment requires patience. Many of us hurry to get rid of acne and create further inflammation.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article

Acne forms near the opening of the sebaceous glands that have hair follicle in them. In normal circumstances, the cells that form the wall of the gland should exfoliate from the pore opening. In certain circumstances these cells become dysfunctional and instead of exfoliating normally, block the pore opening.

In the meantime, the glands keep producing sebum and if hormonal disturbance is present the glands produce sebum at a higher rate. This sebum keeps filling the gland sack and the bacteria called Proprionobacterium acnes (P. acnes) thrive in the atmosphere that is full of sebum and no air. As the bacteria flourishes, the gland gets infected.

At this stage when the bacteria are flourishing and causing inflammation, the gland is producing more sebum and the pore is blocked, the gland becomes very infective and full of dead cells, bacteria, pus and dead skin. This is what we call as a papule or a cyst. The acne grows through different stages and this is the last stage after which the gland ruptures.

Thus acne is not a single stage disease but many causes join together to progressively increase the intensity of acne formation. Teenagers get more acne because the hormonal balance of their body changes during that period. The hormone androgen is normally responsible for accelerating the production of sebum.

Doctors try to intervene during the process of formation of acne and its growth and try to prevent formation of cyst that may scar the skin forever. The same hormonal disturbance is responsible for acne outbreak in some women during their menstrual cycles.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article