What Is Acne ?

WHAT IS ACNE ?

Acne is a common and usually treatable. You may need treatment of several months to erase the stains. Inflamed acne should be treated early to prevent scars. Once the stains are gone, you may need maintenance treatment for years to keep the stains away.

What is acne and who gets it?

Acne is the common cause of stains. Most people with acne are between 12 and 25 years old, but some older and younger people are affected. Boys are more often affected than girls. Acne usually affects the face, but can also affect the back, neck and chest. The severity can range from mild to severe. About 8 in 10 teens develop a certain degree of acne. It is often mild. However, it is estimated that about 3 in 10 teens have acne badly enough to need to be treated to prevent scars. Untreated acne usually lasts about 4-5 years before the end. However, it can last for many years in some cases.

Understanding of normal skin

Small sebaceous glands are located just below the skin surface. These glands make the oil (sebum), that keeps the skin supple and smooth. Tiny holes (pores) on the skin can get the sebum on the skin surface. Hairs grow also through these pores. During the teen years you much more sebum than when you were a child. This is due to the hormonal changes of puberty which stimulate the sebaceous glands. As a rule, the more you make, the more greasy sebum feels your skin and the acne worse. Some people make more sebum than others.