For a great deal of time now acne has been the bane of both sexes during their teenage years, and, a subject not readily discussed. Folk who are plagued with acne have been heartlessly ridiculed and tormented, plus shockingly christened with a name such as zit face. Only those who have sadly suffered from the disease can truly understand how heartlessly cruel such name throwing can really be. Over the years exciting enigmas have been unraveled in the causes and symptoms of acne which have also led to more effective treatments.

An Introduction to Acne

Acne is the name of an inflammatory disease of the skin commonly presenting itself in teenagers. It displays itself by the production of excess sebum by the sebaceous glands in the hair follicles which commonly become blocked. Acne can effect the follicles and pores in the skin of the arms, back and chest as well as the face. The blocked pores and follicles are medically known as comedo.

The comedone are those the plugs which block the pores which consists of sebum and keratin. A comedo is referred to as being open or closed. An open comedo is what most people call a 'blackhead', and the closed comedo is what most people call a 'whitehead'.

Once a comedone has formed it is usually followed by the most unpleasant and noticeable symptom of acne - spots. First the comedone becomes infected and with this comes redness and inflammation of the skin, which then leads to an outbreak of zits. The spots usually become filled with pus and the skin surrounding the pimple looks incredibly red and is sore to the touch.

There are two types of bacteria responsible for the infectiona and inflammation in acne, these are called Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes. As well as being responsible for the formation of pus filled pimples, acne abcesses and cysts can occur.

Causes of Acne

Even though Scientists have made great advances in the understanding of the processes involved in the creation of, and the management of, acne. Astonishingly there has been few advances in the comprehension of the causes of acne. Today, it is usually accepted thata selection of factors, such as stress, diet and hormone levels can all play a role in the development of acne.

Large numbers of scientists are currently investigating genetic theories in relation to acne. In the long term we will all benefit from this ongoing interest in acne as it should continue to provide more effective acne treatments.