Acne

Acne - You hear a good many people, particularly young people, complain about it -- but do you really know what acne is? In this article we article we pre4sent you with some basic information on acne. Of course, if you would like more information on acne, you should consult a skin care specialist.

Acne is the term for plugged pores (blackheads and whiteheads), pimples, and even deeper lumps (cysts or nodules) that occur on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and even the upper arms. Acne affects most teenagers to some extent. However, the disease is not restricted to any age group; adults in their 20s - even into their 40s - can get acne. While not a life threatening condition, acne can be upsetting and disfiguring. When severe, acne can lead to serious and permanent scarring. Even less severe cases can lead to scarring.

When you read about acne or other skin diseases, you encounter words or phrases that may be confusing. For example, the words used to describe the lesions of acne—comedo, papule, pustule, nodule and cyst—are understandable only if you know each word’s definition. It also is helpful to have a photo that is characteristic for each type of lesion.

Here is a brief summary of definitions of words used to describe acne, with accompanying photos. Let’s begin, though, with the definition of lesion, an all-purpose word:

Lesion—a physical change in body tissue caused by disease or injury. A lesion may be external (e.g., acne, skin cancer, psoriatic plaque, knife cut), or internal (e.g., lung cancer, atherosclerosis in a blood vessel, cirrhosis of the liver).

Thus, when you read about acne lesions you understand what is meant—a physical change in the skin caused by a disease process in the sebaceous follicle.

Acne lesions range in severity from comedones (blackheads and whiteheads) to nodules and cysts. Here is a brief definition of acne lesions:

Comedo (plural comedones)—A comedo is a sebaceous follicle plugged with sebum, dead cells from inside the sebaceous follicle, tiny hairs, and sometimes bacteria. When a comedo is open, it is commonly called a blackhead because the surface of the plug in the follicle has a blackish appearance.

Myths About Acne Busted Again

Many years ago when I was a teenager I was known as the Acne Boy. Those days where horrible as you can imagine. My face was like a mine field with lots of black and white heads ready to blow up. I remember it was a very difficult time to get to know other people, especially the cool girls. I always hoped that one day a solution for my problem would surface that would help me get rid of my acne for good.

All the traditional myths about acne did not help me at all. My mother and father and other family members really believed that my acne was a result of eating junk food on a daily basis. I must admit that I do have a weak spot when it comes to eating fast food but I definitely don’t eat it everyday.

Therefore I wasn’t so sure that eating this food was the main cause of my acne problem. Many of my friends snacked away the same food I did. Some ate even more frequently but they hardly had any acne. Something had to be wrong with this old and popular belief right?

I had seen the myth being shattered right in front of my eyes. Yet another myth I hear a lot of people talk about is the chocolate myth. Since I’m a big fan chocolate, I really thought about giving it up, even at the risk of remaining the acne boy. But having read up and followed news and medical reports on the subject, I discovered to my huge relief that eating chocolate had nothing to do with acne.

Those of you who are not familiar with the latest information on Acne now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.

My friends were not much of a help either when I needed them the most. My friends hinted often with stupid sarcasm. They once told me that my acne face was the result of my computer addiction. It didn’t need much thought to conclude this was also a myth.

Another myth that I did believe, and which sounded truly genuine and even scientific at that point in time was the assumption that acne was a result of dirt accumulation on the pores of ones face. I never stopped to consider that if that was the case, why wasn’t the skin on my arms and legs, which were more in contact with dirt and grime than any other part of my body, covered with acne?

I remember clearly that I spent several months assiduously washing my face with all kinds of soaps and anti acne creams in a quest to get rid of my acne. I did all of this with no effect of course. At one point in my life I changed my attitude and concluded that the more I focused myself on my acne the longer they would remain.

Exactly at that point I made the decision to stop bothering myself about my acne filled face. And guess what happened? A couple of years later when I grew out of my adolescence, the acne disappeared on it’s own like magic. Today my face is very clear and radiant and I love it!

That’s how things stand right now. Keep in mind that any condition can change over time; sometimes all you need to do is give it a little more time.

About the Author:

Bill Johnson - Natural Skin Care