Health Guide: Acne Cause and Symptoms

Definition

Acne is a common skin disorder normally found on the face and the upper torso. This is a cause of embarrassment to most people but it is seldom serious. Acne is caused by an interaction between hormones, skin oils, and bacteria that results in the inflammation of the hair follicles.

Majority of the cases responds pretty well with personal care. With combination of personal hygiene, over-the-counter acne treatments and alternative remedies, you may have a clearer and fairer skin.

Acne is in the form of pimples, cysts and sometimes abscesses. Cysts and abscesses are pus-filled pockets of skin where the hair follicles grow. Hair follicles are connected to the sebaceous gland that are located in the middle layer of the skin or the dermis, these glands secretes an oily substance called sebum that the body uses to keep the skin from drying.

Symptoms

Mild acnes are mostly superficial, this is characterized with the development of few noninflammed blackheads or a moderate number of small mildly irritated pimples. Blackheads appear as tiny black dots at the center of the small swelling of normal colored skin. Pimples on the other hand have white centers surrounded with moderately reddened skin. Pimples are moderately uncomfortable and irritating. Mild acnes rarely leaves scars on the skin.

Severe acne is when several large, red, painful pus-filled lumps (nodules) develops on the skin. These are usually deep and cystic. At times these lumps join together under the skin forming a giant lump where it ruptures and oozes abscesses. Severe acnes usually leaves scar in the skin depending on the depth of the acne. Scars maybe tiny deep holes (ice pick scars), wide pits of varying depths or large irregular identations. Scars resulting from severe acnes lasts a lifetime. To some people this is cosmetically disturbing and a source of psychologic stress.