Acne

Acne is a skin condition characterized by plugged pores, inflamed pimples and deeper lumps that can appear on the face, neck, chest, back and shoulders. The disorder is most common throughout the teenage years when appearance is of particular importance. Acne is rarely a serious medical condition, but it often causes emotional distress and can be upsetting to the patient.

The reason acne occurs is the sensitivity of the body towards the increased level of the male hormone testosterone, which is present in both males and females. This stimulates the oil (sebaceous) glands of the skin to enlarge and produce and excess amount of sebum (oil) – natural substance, which lubricates and protects the skin.

At the same time, acne occurs when hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells that dissociate from the inside surface of the sebaceous glands. The sebum produced by these glands accumulates with the dead skin cells in the follicle and solidify as a soft plug. This plug may cause the follicle to bulge and produce a whitehead or it may be open to the surface and darken,
causing a “blackhead”. The sebum stimulates bacteria, which live on everyone’s skin and generally cause no problems, to multiply and cause surrounding tissues to become inflamed. Inflammation near the skin’s surface produces a pustule; deeper inflammation results in a papule (pimple); deeper blockages and inflammations inside follicles produce lumps beneath the surface of the skin called cysts.


Certain medications, such as oral contraceptives, antibiotics and corticosteroids can aggravate the condition of the acne. For some women, acne can be an indication of the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or hormonal imbalance, which can lead to abnormal menstrual periods, sterility, excess hair-growth and overweight.