Anti Aging Skin Care » Basic Understanding of Acne

Acne a Basic Understanding

Acne affects all sexes, genders and ages making it a widespread skin disorder. Though it is a form of skin disease, it is not transmittable.

Acne can spread to the whole face and can severely affect all the skin tissues that have pilosebaceous units, though it is not contagious. Acne affects only those going through puberty is not true. Individuals over their forties or even the infants can develop this skin disorder. Acne rosacea is the term used for middle-aged people, while Acne infantilis is the term used for acne that grows on newborn babies.

According to the severity of the infection, acne has different classifications:

Red swelling or small lesions on your skin characterize comedo. It is the form where all severe acne cases originate. The two forms of comedo are whiteheads and blackheads. On the contrary, blackhead is an open comedo.Due to the addition of dark skin pigments called melanin, plus hardened sebum and other skin debris and particles it is colored. Whiteheads are colourless and deeply situated into the skin layers.

On the surface of your forehead, chin, cheeks, and around the tissue of your mouth if you have sandpaper-like skin, then you probably, have papules. Pustules are also termed as pus-filled lesions. Due to inflammation, it may develop your pustules into containing semi-liquid or liquid materials composed of dead skin cells, active or inactive bacteria and white blood cells. These white blood cells are dead due to the acne -infecting bacteria named as Propionibacterium acnes. This can result into acne cysts, which are more serious acne.The assistance of a skin dermatologist, or physician is needed in such a situation.

To exactly determine the cause of acne is quite difficult, as reasons may differ case to case. Research signifies that skin disorder may have been brought about by several factors, including stress, diet, weather elements and hormone changes or may be influenced genetically.

In medical terms, acne begins from the formation of oily substance or hardened sebum secreted to the skin through sebaceous glands. This will be attacked with acne-infecting bacteria, which in return will trigger the immune system to release white blood cells to block the bacterial attack. The dead white blood cells and bacteria will gather in the follicles of hair mixed with debris of skin and dead particles of the skin, which then will inflame the lesions.

Over the counter acne medications may be used to treat most mild cases of acne. They are usually the topical drugs, which you apply on your skin for the treatment of acne. They either come in the form of lotions, soaps, gels and creams. On the other hand, systematic acne medication of which the most common are the antibiotics, are orally taken.

There will always be new research and new products coming on stream to help you fight against acne.