Acne, What is It and Who Gets It?
July 29, 2008
When pores get blocked, and bacteria forms inside them, the result is the skin disease Acne. It affects almost everyone at some stage, particularly teens, and comes in a variety of forms. Sometimes, and inflamed, red bump forms, and can be painful, even the painless white pimples are unsightly.
In the surface of the skin are pores. Deeper inside the pore there are glands that produce sebum, a natural type of oil. This oil helps keep the skin flexible and protected. When the pores close, the natural secretion process is interrupted and that’s when bacteria forms inside them, resulting in acne.
The white pimples that sometimes form are usually a combination of dead skin cells, white blood cells and bacteria. The trapped pus often creates an inflamed, red area around it. The term ‘pus’ is an adaptation of ‘pustule’, a type of acne that results when the follicle wall bursts and the white blood cells rush into the area as part of a healing process.
While it’s good to know what acne is, being able to treat it is the most important thing, we next look at who gets acne.
Who Gets Acne? At some stage in life, almost everybody gets acne.
The start of puberty typically triggers the development of acne, usually in boys at 13 and in girls at 11.
The occurrence of acne and severity is greater for males. Boys produce more androgen hormones than females, and so they tend to develop a more severe case of acne.
As a young or mature adult, it is more likely that women are affected by acne than me.
Acne affects back and neck areas in one quarter of people, so it is not unusual if the acne spreads to more than your face.
Studies show that the monthly hormonal cycle of women has an effect on the occurrence of acne. Nearly 44% of women between the ages of 20-32 experience premenstrual related acne. According to one of the largest studies of the menstrual cycle’s effect on acne, the odds for women aged 33 and older are much higher.
Often acne is related to taking certain drugs. It can appear at age 50 or older, proving that it can occur at any age. Acne can have various causes, so the statement: “It is a teen disease” is thus not true.
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