What Is Acne?

Acne is skin condition that can affect people most commonly during adolescence, sometimes continuing into adulthood. Usually it disappears, or at least is less common once people reach their twenties. This common skin disease manifests itself as spots on areas of skin, mostly on the face, sometimes also on the back or upper part of the chest. The skin with dense sebaceous follicles is most affected by acne. Severe acne appears when bacteria get into the pores and inflammatory processes occur. The symptoms can be mild to severe.

The hormones which are secreted in higher amounts during adolescence are what usually causes acne. The increase in male sex hormones causes follicular glands to secrete more sebum. Oils secreted at high levels during puberty or at other times due to stress or health issues form a medium where bacteria can multiply.

Psychological effects of acne, especially the more severe forms, are lowered self-esteem and can make people affected by acne more socially insecure. Early treatment can therefore avoid a more severe impact of this skin condition on individuals.

Is Acne Common?

Acne is very common in teenagers and young adults. It is the most widespread skin condition associated with people aged between 11 and 30. Girls are affected earlier by acne, usually between 14 and 17 while boys between 16 and 19 are most commonly affected by acne.

Flare-ups, or repeated episodes can appear over the years until with age, the symptoms tend to disappear. About 5% or women and 1% of men suffer from acne even after they reach the age of 25.

Outlook

There are effective treatments that can last two to three months until satisfactory results can be achieved. At least 50% improvement can be witnessed with people treating their acne. Preventive treatments can be used in order to prevent the recurrence of acne. Such a maintenance therapy is useful for people who have more severe forms of acne.

Scarring can be the unpleasant result of more severe forms of this skin condition. This is why it is important to start treatment early.