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What is Acne?
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Acne is a disorder that causes outbreaks of
skin lesions commonly called pimples. It is caused by the skin’s
oil glands making too much sebum, an oily substance, which leads
to plugged pores. It also can be caused by the rapid production
of a bacteria P. acnes.
Acne lesions occur mostly on the face, neck, back, chest, and shoulders.
It is the most common skin disease. Although acne is not a serious
health threat, severe acne can lead to disfiguring and permanent
scarring.
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| It’s affects :
Most young women and men will have at least a few pimples over the
course of their lives. But acne seems to affect men and women in
different ways. Young men are more likely to have a more serious
form of acne. Acne in young women tends to be more random and linked
to hormone changes, such as the menstrual cycle.
As women get older, acne often gets better. But some women have
acne for many years. Some women even get acne for the first time
at age 30 or 40.
For many women, acne can be an upsetting illness. Women may have
feelings of depression, poor body image, or low self-esteem. But
you don’t have to wait to outgrow acne or to let it run its
course. Today, almost every case of acne can be resolved. Acne also
can, sometimes, be prevented. Talk with your doctor or dermatologist
(a doctor who specializes in treating skin problems) about how you
can help prevent acne and if treatment would help you.
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What are the different types of acne lesions?
- Comedo (whiteheads or blackheads) or papules.
The comedo is the basic acne lesion, which is a plugged pore. If the plugged
pore stays under the skin, it’s called a closed comedo
and forms a white bump or whitehead. Blackheads are comedos
that open up and appear blackish on the surface of the skin.
This black color is not due to dirt, but because the air reacts
with the excess oil.
- Pustules or pimples.
Pustules or pimples are acne lesions
that contain pus and are red at the base.
- Nodules.
These are more serious acne lesions. They lodge
deeper in the skin, are painful, and can cause scarring.
- Cysts.
Like nodules, these lesions are deep within in the
skin, are painful, and are filled with pus, and can cause scarring.
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What triggers acne in women?
Many things can trigger acne in women:
- Hormone changes during puberty. During puberty, girls have
an increase in male sex hormones called androgens. This increase
causes the glands to get larger and make more sebum.
- Hormone changes as an adult. The menstrual cycle is one of
the most common acne triggers. Acne lesions tend to form a few
days before the cycle begins and go away after the cycle is
completed. Other hormone changes, such as pregnancy and menopause,
improve acne in some women. But some women have worse acne during
these times. Stopping use of birth control pills can play a
role as well.
- Medicines. Certain medicines, such as those used to treat
epilepsy and types of depression.
- Make-up.
- Pressure or friction on the skin. Friction caused by bike
helmets or backpacks can make acne worse.
- Family history. If other people in your family have acne,
there is a greater chance you will have it.
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