About Acne

Acne is the term for plugged pores (blackheads and whiteheads), pimples, and even deeper lumps (cysts or nodules) that occur on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and even the upper arms. Acne affects most teenagers to some extent. However, the disease is not restricted to any age group; adults in their 20s - even into their 40s - can get acne. While not a life threatening condition, acne can be upsetting and disfiguring. Whether the acne is severe or mild, it can lead to serious and permanent scarring.

Cause of Acne

Medically, the formation of acnes are due to 4 causes:

1. Excess sebum:
   This is the main cause of acnes among all. In fact, acne prone patients tend to have more oily skin, it relates to the following factors:
   
   • Male Sex Hormones (or called androgens)
     This type of hormones enhances the secretion of sebum, which explains why men usually have more oily skin than women. However, they increase in both boys and girls during puberty and can cause the sebaceous glands to enlarge and make more sebum. Therefore, whether boy or girl, teenagers usually start to have their first acne in life. Beside puberty, pregnant women also face the hormonal change and there are over 30% of them claimed that more acnes appeared when they are pregnant.
   • Hot weather
     In the humid hot summer, our metabolism increase which also boosts the secretion amount of sebum in the skin, especially on our T-zone and chin area where have more active sebaceous glands.
   • Stress and Quality of Sleep
     Lack of rest, stressful living, unhealthy eating habit, and prolonged emotional tension, etc would induce the secretion of stress hormones which are also related to the active growth of acnes.
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2. Growth of Propionibacterium Acnes:
   Propionibacterium acnes is the name of a bacteria which is a normal inhabitant of the skin. It uses sebum as a nutrient for growth. Therefore, oily and acne prone person always have more Propionibacterium acnes than others. This bacteria not only induce an inflammatory response but also causes the formation of free fatty acids, increasing the inflammatory process in the follicles and resulting in the formation of comedones and acnes in the end.
   
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3. Inflammatory Response:
   As mentioned previously, when the Propionibacterium acnes grow, the wall of follicle would be damaged by the enzyme, which is induced by the bacteria. As the wall loses its protection, the contents of follicle are allowed to enter the dermis which cause some solid red bumps, or named as papules, pustules and nodules.
   
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4. External Factors:
   Exposure to stimulators like polluted air, dust, moist, UV light, birth control pills, bad cosmetics, etc, would also induce follicle inflammation and growth of acnes.