ANGLEŠKO

ACNE

WHAT IS ACNE?

Acne is an illness of the sebaceous glands, located in one of the lower skin layers and reaches all the way to the skin’s surface. Normally the fat (sebum) produced by the sebaceous glands around the hair follicles, simply flows on the skin surface. Acne occurs when the cap of hard fat clogs the opening of the sebaceous gland and slows down or even stops the clearing up of the sebaceous gland.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN REASONS FOR ACNE OCCURING ON YOUNG PEOPLE’S SKIN?

In puberty acne is certainly one of the most common skin changes. The main reason for this is overproduction of the male hormone – testosterone, which is formed in men’s testicles and women’s ovaries and suprarenal glands. This hormone changes the characteristics of the fat (sebum), the colour, density, structure and also increases the production of it, which can, already from far, be seen as a shiny fatty / oily skin. This is how a non-inflammatory acne is formed, the so-called blackheads or comedones. A black head is typical for them.The bacterium exists also on the skin of healthy people. When acne is being formed and a large amount of fat (sebum) comes out, the bacterium settles in the sebaceous glands, it multiplies there and causes various processes of inflammation. A redness appears on the acne spot, which often festers and changes colour, becoming yellow. If you are prone to a misfunction of sebaceous glands, this may contribute to the development of acne.

WHAT KIND OF ACNE DO WE KNOW?

The most common form of acne is Acne vulgaris, typical for adolescents. We also know acne which occur in other age groups as a consequence of taking certain types of medicine, a long or too frequent use of some cosmetic products, the reason could also be in the exposure to not and damp air. A special form of acne occurs if we are exposed to a certain oil derivative, such as tar, pitch and some chemicals, especially chlorine compounds. Especially adult women have problems with rosacea, a sort of acne which is connected with indigestion problems and the function of endocrine glands.

WHICH FACTORS INFLUENCE THE CONDITION OF ACNE?

Most women experience a change for the worse a few days before their menstruation, due to the changed hormonal structure, only rarely a change for the better occurs at that time. Adolescents experience a change for the worse when they are taking certain medicine curing epilepsy. The influence of food on the formation of acne has not been proven yet, but some people have concluded that oversalted food, fatty food (e.g. chocolate) and spices or sour drinks make the situation worse. Cleaning your skin with different products and washing the affected parts will not prevent acne from forming but it will prevent the spreading. We must follow the instructions for use of the antiseptic products carefully. Sunbathing in some cases improves our condition, but about one fourth of people notice an extreme worsening. Nervousness influences acne directly. People in the stressful situations often scratch themselves and in this way provoke the aggravation of the situation.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE ACNE?

If you only have pimples, you can treat yourself. If the situation does not get better or even becomes worse, or if you have a severe form of acne you should consult your doctor. It is important to know that acne is not dangerous it is usually just unpleasant. It is dangerous to scratch or squeeze acne because it may lead to an infection and even scars become worse.

HOW TO TREAT ACNE?

Treatment of acne is quite complicated and usually long lasting. Some medicine for the treatment of acne are for local use and are applied to the skin, others are in the form of tablets and capsules and need to be taken orally. When the problem with acne is serious, you should consult your doctor and if you only have some pimples you can treat yourself.

ACNE - WHERE AND WHEN?

Acne appears usually on the parts where many sebaceous glands are, especially on the face, in the middle of the chest, upper part of the back, on the shoulders and around the neck. Some forms of acne affect the arms and the legs as well. Most often acne appears in the puberty and very rarely before that. Since puberty starts sooner for girls than it does for the boys, also acne occurs a bit sooner. When people are more than 21 years old the number of black-heads and inflamed forms of acne starts to drop.

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF ACNE?

Sever forms of acne, sometimes even painful and inflamed cysts develop, can do serious and permanent damage to the skin. These are scars which are above and under the healthy skin layer. Some people are left with darker spots on the skin, which can be seen especially in the summer, when the amount of pigment in the skin is higher. These changes can only be made smaller or less obvious, that is why it is important to prevent acne and treat them on time and in the appropriate way.

In order to treat acne in the right manner it is important to start with the treatment already after the first signs of illness have appeared and it is necessary to follow all the instructions. However the use of the products will be safer and much more effective with the help of the experts from the Gorenjske lekarne.