Acne

Acne is a condition developed in the hair follicles which appears as a consequence of the interactions among the grease, dead cells and present bacteria in the skin.?The process initiates when the sebaceous glands present in the dermis produce an increment in the flow of grease; there after, when the excess of grease combines with the dead cells that are lost regularly as a normal process of the skin, a blockade is produced in the sebaceous gland inside the follicle.

The result is the production of blackheads, which, eventually will be infected and will produce pimples or shins, that are not but blackheads infected with present inflammation.

Causes and Risk Factors

The bacteria that causes the acne is the Propionibacteria acnes and is present in all types of acne.

During adolescence, the increase in production of hormones, causes a raising in?the production of grease at the sebaceous glands and also in the frequency which the skin cells are renewed, what allows the process previously described.

Because its relation with hormonal levels, is not rare that Acne also affect at intervals of improvement and deterioration to the young women during their menstrual cycle.? In spite of this, adults and children of 5 years old, can present this condition.

As factors of risk, also we find:

• Stress
• Genetic Predisposition

Symptoms and Findings

The Blackheads are the first indication of acne and they are pre determinant for this condition, since the bacteria develop quickly inside them.?Their apparition extends to?the face, chest, shoulders and even the back.

Once they get infected, pain, inflammation and presence of pus occur.?Generally, it lasts a few days and they eventually diminish their size.?Otherwise, a painful cyst is formed, called "Acne cyst", product of the migration of white blood cells to the infection site, which, when it heals, could produce a permanent depression in the skin as a result of the scar formation. This is the reason why medical advice is recommendable the in these cases.

When a scar occurs, the possibility to carry out dermabrassion currently exists, which consists in the skin correction with laser or the injection of materials as collagen or a synthetic one.

It is important to eliminate myths about acne. The most generalized one is about a correlation among the ingestion of fat rich food like oils and chocolates with the apparition of the acne.?This theory has not been shown and we should say that there is not relation between poor quality food (greasy) and acne.