WOMEN’S HEALTH: ACNE
Acne is a very common disorder of the oil (sebaceous) glands of the skin. It affects about eight out of ten of us at some time during our lives, mostly between the ages of 15 and 30 years. Acne describes everything from the occasional blemish through the spectrum of whiteheads, blackheads and pimples to its severest form, which affects about one in twenty people.
Most adults don’t take acne seriously enough. It’s often dismissed as a harmless disorder of young people that they’ll ‘grow out of in their twenties, but there are few diseases that cause so much misery. It occurs at a time of life when you have enough adjustments to make to your body image and ego without having to worry’ about a spotty face. At any time of life, but especially during adolescence, acne can make you feel self-conscious, ugly, inferior, insecure, guilty (‘Is it punishment for something I’ve eaten or done?’) and unwanted. Severe acne can be psychologically devastating.
You’ll probably think your acne is worse than anyone else does. Most young people can’t keep away from peering at their faces in the mirror to see what new horror has broken out. With such close scrutiny, you’re bound to find things that other people don’t notice. This may make you think that your parents or others are making light of something that worries you terribly when in fact it’s the whole you they see, not just your spots.
All acne – from a few blackheads to most severe – can be helped by proper treatment. Don’t think that you have put up with it until you grow out of it. Do something! Here’s some informal to help you understand and conquer the demon.
What causes acne?
Every hair on our bodies has a sebaceous gland just above its root. These glands produce a pale, oily section (sebum) that keeps the hair and I rounding skin soft and supple. At puberty
the sebaceous glands on the face, ne and front and back of the upper chest stimulated by androgens: the male hormones that are produced in increasing amounts by both males and females fro around 10 years of age.
Androgens cause the glands to increase the amount and change the composition of the sebum they make. These hormones also make the skin that lines the sebaceous ducts thicken. Hence the duct rows so that it’s harder for the sebum get out. If the skin closes completely over the duct the sebum builds up behind, forming the lump known as a whitehead. The sebaceous duct can also be blocked by a plug of thickened sebum. The surface of this plug darkens on exposure to air, resulting in a blackhead. When a gland with a blocked duct continues to produce sebum, it can be forced through the natural boundary of the gland into the surrounding tissue. Then bacteria normally present in the skin (and harmless under other circumstances) cause the sebum to break down into irritant chemicals that will inflame nearby skin; the result is a tender red lump we call a pimple. The pus formed by the inflammation usually pushes towards the surface to form a ‘head’ that breaks through the blockage of the duct, and the pimple quickly drains and disappears, leaving no scar. If the duct is very tightly plugged, the inflammation can spread to deeper layers of the skin, forming a ‘blind’ pimple. In the most extreme cases of sebum overproduction, cysts may form deep in the skin and raise purplish lumps that can take months or years to heal. This cystic acne is the most severe form of acne, and almost always results in some pitting and scarring.
Why is acne worse for some than others?
We all produce these hormones, but some people’s sebaceous glands are more sensitive to hormones than are others. Acne in teenagers is rarely caused by an excess of male hormone: the skin is just overreacting to the normal amount. This sensitivity seems to be inherited. Also, males produce more androgens than females, which is why boys often have more acne than girls.
Excess male hormone is only likely to be a cause in women who develop acne (or worsening of it) when they are well past puberty. In such cases there are usually other signs of masculinisation.
What else aggravates acne?
• Hot, humid weather, which causes skin cells to swell and thus increases the chance of blocked ducts. This is why face-steaming treatments are useless or harmful.
• Anything that stimulates extra growth of skin cells, such as rough scrubs, can block ducts.
• Emotional or physical stress can provoke an outbreak by increasing the output of androgens from the adrenal gland. This might explain why ‘whoppers’ tend to break out when you’re upset, doing exams, excited about a special date, or ill.
• Some women notice a breakout before periods, probably due to female hormones being converted in the body to androgens.
• Oily applications to affected skin usu-1 ally worsen the condition.
*58/31/5*
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.