Acne Basics: What is Acne?

Understanding acne basics is very important before choosing the best treatment for your acne.

Acne is the commonest skin disease. Acne is actually a disease of the hair unit of the skin involving the oil producing sebaceous glands, situated beside the hair and which discharge their secretions into the hair canal.

Androgen hormones act on the sebaceous glands at puberty and increase their size and sebum ( oil) production. The normal function of sebum is to keep the skin smooth and supple by providing an oily environment. Increased sebum secretion and the action of certain bacteria inside the hair canal are the root causes for the formation of acne. These products are mainly responsible for the changes seen in acne.

Acne Basics: Distribution of Acne

The acne lesions may develop on any hair bearing areas. However, certain areas are more prone for for acne like the face particularly cheeks, chin, nose, forehead), back of the neck, chest, shoulders, and upper back. Other less common sites for acne include the outer aspect of upper arm below the shoulder, the buttocks, and the front of the thighs.

Acne Basics: Signs and Symptoms of Acne

• Whiteheads and blackheads are the earliest lesions in acne. These are nothing but horny plugs of sebaceous debris in the hair orifice, known as closed and open comedones respectively.
• Greasy skin and dandruff usually coexist with acne.

The Basic Steps in Acne Formation

• When acne is severe, tender, inflamed red papules may develop from the blocked hair pores.
• Pus filled papules known as pustules may arise independently or from the inflammed papules that are already present. These present as red pimples with a yellowish top.
• In severe acne, these papules and pustules enlarge and grow deeper to form nodules. When the putty sebaceous debris inside the nodules undergo liquefaction, the nodules become cysts. These are seen as reddish bumps oozing pus and oily material at times.
• Severe acne or applied pressure on the inflammed acne lesions may cause the lesions to break into the dermis below and cause a foreign body reaction. This further worsens the situation.
• Inflammed papules and pustules form pock like, irregularly indented scars on the skin surface known as ice pick scars.
• The deeper and severe nodulocystic acne causes permanent damage to the skin in the form of thickened scars known as hypertrophic or keloidal scars.
• The acne lesions may be itchy while new lesions are erupting or because of topical irritating applications.

Further Reading

• Cause of Acne
• Acne Best Treatment Principles
• Acne Best Treatment General Advices
• Acne & Diet

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