Health and You

Archive for the ‘Acne’ Category

Acne is one of the types of skin disease occurring in 80% of persons aged between 11 and 30. It is primarily a hormonal disorder as it is largely brought about by the hormonal changes. At the advent of puberty, the secretion of androgens is increased by the adrenal glands. This causes the secretion of sebum in higher quantities. During the period of puberty, the secretion of sebum is surged again. Usually, the occurrence of acne is due to the extra responsive action of the sebaceous glands to androgens. In some rare cases, there may be excessive production of androgens. This article mainly deals with consequences, causes and treatment procedures of acne.

Consequences of acne
Acne, being a type of skin disease has many negative effects like the skin diseases. The most important consequence of acne is it leads to skin blemishes. These skin blemishes have serious impacts in the appearance and texture of the skin. Acne could also cause scarring. This results in some emotional problems in the person.

Causes
There has been a common perception that acne is due to uncleanliness and frequent consumption of greasy food items and chocolates. Cleansing makes the skin clean and free of impurities. It has soaps, astringents or detergents and eliminates sebum present in the surface. Some cleansing products can also lead to acne. The cleansing products are not known to avoid the oil flow and mainly leads to acne. The use of abrasive products is dangerous as they cause skin irritation and promotes the inflammation.

Treatment procedures used for acne
There are various procedures available for treating acne. Most of these treatment procedures require weeks to months to act. In some cases of acne in women, birth control medications are suggested for treatment as the estrogens are known to fight against the excess of androgen.

In particular, isotretinoin which is a vitamin A derivative greatly aids in giving acne relief and also a permanent solution to acne. But the disadvantage is that this drug has various side effects and can also lead to birth defects. The use of systemic antibiotics is also quite effective in treating acne as this removes the bacteria present in the sebaceous glands. Some other substances employed in treating acne include benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and tretinoin. The use of these substances comprises the topical treatment to acne.

In severe cases of acne, physician’s care is very much necessary. The prescription of medications is based on the acne severity. The treatment procedures to various conditions of acne are as follows;

Topical antibiotics are used for the treatment of papular inflammatory acne. The black and whiteheads that are usually non inflammatory requires salicylic acid or tretinoin (vitamin A derivative) for curing. The cyst formation can be treated by using isotretinoin and finnaly acne which is explosive can be treated by intake of corticosteroids.