oxy acne

To find acne

Acne

This factsheet is for people who have acne.

Acne is a condition of cause skin blemishes. Most people affected by acne are aged between 12 and 25.1, however, men and women between 30 and 40 may also suffer. There are many treatments available to help deal with the disease.
What is acne?

Acne is a skin condition that usually causes a or more of the following:

* Blackheads (comedones)
* White
* Red or yellow spots
* Oily skin
scars *

Acne typically affects the skin of the face, back, neck, chest and arms and the severity of the disease can vary.

Acne affects people of all skin colors. The processes that cause acne are exactly the same in people with black or brown skin, but the impact is altered by the pigmentation of the skin.

Acne is very common, affecting about 80 100 people from 11 to 30 at some point.

home | health information | health records
The acne

This factsheet is for people who have acne.

Acne is a skin condition that causes spots. Most people affected by acne are aged between 12 and 25.1, however, men and women between 30 and 40 may also suffer. There are many treatments available to help deal with disease.
What is acne?

Acne is a skin condition that usually causes one or more of the following:

* Blackheads (comedones) 2.3
* Whiteheads2, 3
* Red or yellow spots2, 3
* Fat skin2, 3
* Scars2, 3

Acne affects typically to the skin of the face, back, neck, chest and arms and the severity of the disease can vary.1, 4

Acne affects people of all colors skin. The processes that cause acne are exactly the same in people of black or brown skin, but the impact is altered by the pigmentation of the skin.

The Acne is very common, affecting about 80 100 people from 11 to 30 in some time.4
The skin

The surface of the skin has a lot of little sebaceous glands just below the surface. These glands produce an oily substance called sebum that keeps the skin soft and supple.

Small pores (Holes in the skin) allow the sebum to reach the surface of the skin. Hairs also grow through these pores.

IIllustration showing the structure of skin
Illustration showing the structure of the skin
What causes acne?

Acne is caused by overactivity of the glands sebaceous glands that secrete oily substances onto the skin.

The sebaceous glands of people with acne are especially sensitive to the levels normal of a hormone called testosterone, found naturally in both men and women.

Testosterone in people prone to acne causes glands sebaceous glands that produce too much sebum. At the same time, dead skin cells lining the openings of hair follicles (the tubes that hold the hair) uncovered properly and clog follicles.

These two effects combine to make an oil accumulation in the hair follicles. This causes blackheads and whiteheads to form.

For some people, acne does not progress beyond that stage.

But in others, the accumulation of oil in the follicles hair creates an ideal environment for a bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes to grow.

These bacteria normally live harmlessly on the skin, but when the environment ideal is created, they grow. They feed on the sebum and produce substances that cause an immune system response in your body. This inflames the skin and creates the redness associated with blemishes.

In the more severe "inflammatory acne, cysts develop beneath the skin surface. These acne cysts can rupture, spreading infection in the adjacent skin tissue. This can result in scarring.

What makes acne worse?

There are a number of things that can make your acne worse. These include:

* Picking and squeezing the spots may cause further inflammation and scarring1
* Stress can make acne worse In some people, although it is unclear Why1,
* In women, outbreaks may be affected by hormonal changes that occur during menstruation cycle1,
* Excessive production of male hormones such as testosterone from conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome may be another cause.5 For more information, see the ovary of the separate BUPA factsheet Polycystic Syndrome
Certain birth control pills can make acne worse. This is due to type progesterone hormone in some pills that some other types of birth control pills can improve acne – see Treatments section below. Your GP will advise you to take the contraceptive pill
* Some medicines can make acne worse. For example, some medicines for epilepsy, and steroid creams and ointments used for eczema. Do not stop a prescribed medication, if you suspect you are making your acne worse, but tell your doctor. A alternative may be an option
* Steroids can cause acne as a side effect

Treatment

Acne can cause emotional distress considerable, but there are a range of treatment options to help tackle the problem. There is no treatment completely "cure" your acne. The goals of treatment are to prevent new spots forming, to improve those already present, and to avoid scarring.3
Home treatment

It is important to keep prone areas grounds clean, so wash the affected area twice a day with unscented cleanser.1, 6 The skin needs a certain amount of oil to maintain its natural condition so avoid aggressive washing with strong soaps.

There are a number of remedies over the counter in pharmacies to treat mild acne. These agents usually contain antibacterials such as benzoyl peroxide (eg Oxy and Clearasil Max).

In addition to their antibacterial effects, benzoyl peroxide can dry skin and encouraging to shed the surface layer of dead skin. Together, these effects make it harder for clogged pores and infection develops.

Benzoyl peroxide can cause redness and peeling, especially to start. This tends to establish whether reducing the number of times you use it. You can then creating its use gradually.

No home treatments for acne will work immediately. It can take weeks if not months, for significant effects to be noticeable. If home treatments have not worked after two months, or if you have severe acne, you should see your doctor.
prescription drugs

Your doctor may start treatment by prescribing a preparation containing benzoyl peroxide. If this does not work, or if you have more severe acne, There are a number of other treatment options that can be rubbed on the skin (topical) or take in tablet form (oral).
Topical treatments

There Several topical treatments may be prescribed including those listed below:

* Azelaic acid (Skinoren) is an alternative to peroxide benzoyl and can not make your skin as sore as benzoyl peroxide
* Topical retinoids (eg Adapalene) are medicines based on vitamin A, which are rubbed into the skin once or twice day.7 work by encouraging the outer layer of skin peeling
* A topical antibiotic lotion applied to skin can be used to control bacteria P. acnes (eg Dalacin T). Treatment should continue for at least six months. Preparations that combine an antibiotic with acne medication are available (eg Benzamycin which combines an antibiotic with benzoyl peroxide)

Oral treatments

There are several oral treatments may be prescribed including those listed below:

* Oral antibiotics (tablets), such as tetracycline, may be prescribed for inflammatory acne. Must be taken every day for about three months, although it could take four to six months for the benefits seen.7 The success of this treatment may be limited due to the strains of bacteria are often resistant to common antibiotics. Antibiotics do not prevent clogged pores so treatment to prevent blackheads, such as benzoyl peroxide, is often also prescribed at the same time
* Some types of birth control pills oral help women who have acne. A combination of the usual pill hormone called ethinylestradiol with cyproterone acetate (eg Dianette) suppresses the activity of the male hormone it is often used in women with acne
* Isotretinoin (Roaccutane, for example) is a medicine known as an oral retinoid, which also exists in topical form (see above). Isotretinoin works by drying up oily secretions. Tends to be prescribed for people with severe forms of acne that have proven resistant to other treatments. There are a number of serious side effects of this drug, such as liver disorders and depresssion. You should not take isotretinoin if you are pregnant, as it is very dangerous to an unborn baby. For safety reasons, isotretinoin is only prescribed under the supervision of specialists in dermatology.

About the Author

Kerwin Chang writes for http://www.acnestuff.net where you can find out more about acne and other skin care topics.



OXY SKINCARE!


Tagged with: • • • • • • • • •

Filed under: Acne

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!