Skin condition | "Acne"
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
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Acne is a skin condition/ disorder that is normally associated with teenagers, but it can affect people at almost any age. It can be a phase as well as it can also be a lifelong battle.
The word ‘acne’ usually refers to the condition acne vulgaris, which is the most common form of acne. It is an hereditary disorder, and requires dedicated treatment for many years. Although it is not infectious, contagious or life threatening, it is not uncommon for the presence of acne to severely affect one’s social life, self-esteem and self-perception.
Causes
Acne does not occur because of a lack of cleanliness. Yes it is important to keep the skin clean, but acne is caused by:
- Heridity and
- Hormones
As acne is a genetic disorder, if parents suffer from acne then chances are that their children will also.
- Stress can also be a factor in the cause of acne.
Heredity
Acne, as a hereditary condition, is also referred to as retention hyperkeratosis. Here, dead skin cells do not shed off the skin’s surface as regularly and as frequently as they would on a normal skin type.
As discussed earlier, skin type is hereditary.
The tendency to have excess sebum production (as is the case with Oily skin) is one skin type that is inherited. The oilier the skin, the greater the tendency for severe acne. With very oily skin, all areas of the skin (not only the T-Zone – forehead, nose, chin) are oily and the scalp may be oily as well. The presence of enlarged pores also facilitate the formation of acne.
For more on oily skin see post Skin Type | Oily Skin
Retention hyperkeratosis will be discussed further in a later post.
Hormones
Hormones are also key in the formation of acne. Androgens, or male hormones, stimulate the skin’s oil glands and cause an increase in its oil (sebum) production. These hormones also cause increased inflammation in pores or the skin’s follicles.
Hormones play a huge part in acne in both tweens/ teenagers (around puberty) and in adults, females more so than males.
Most hormonal acne is minimal and may be treated. The biggest issue with hormonal acne in teenagers is their lack of discipline with treating their skin.
Stress
Of course, stress is also a factor in acne.
It is not uncommon to experience a breakout when one is going through any of life’s many traumas – an exam that you didn’t study for, marriage, divorce, loss of employment etc. This is because stress usually causes hormonal imbalance; it is the production of the adrenaline hormone, which is used by humans to cope with stressful events like danger and emergencies, from the adrenal gland which is partly responsible for this imbalance.
The stimulation of the adrenal gland also causes an increase in the production of androgen. In women, the majority of androgen, the male hormone which increases the oil production, is produced by the adrenal gland. This may explain why women have a greater tendency than men to break out under stress.
Grades of Acne
There are different grades of acne, from the occasional pimples to the acne that is disfiguring or that which causes redness, pustules and even permanent scarring. The severity of the acne is referred to by dermatologists in varying ‘grades’ from grades 1 – 4, Grade 1 being the least worrisome and grade 4 being the most.
Grades 1 – 2
Grades 1 -2 are comprised mostly of open and closed comedones.
- Open comedones - commonly known as blackheads.
- Closed comedones - appear as small bumps just under the skin and are sometimes called whiteheads.
Both of these types of comedones are non-inflammatory lesions i.e. skin is not red or irritated, and is perhaps why, although technically considered to be acne, grades 1 and 2 aren’t usually considered as such by the average person.
In Grade 2 acne:
- Papules, a type of raised lesion that is usually characterized by red bumps or
- pustules, an infected papule, one that is filled with pus, a whitish fluid that is a mixture of dead white blood cells (from fighting against the infection), bacteria, blood and skin cells that have been destroyed by the infection
are also present. These terms will be covered in depth in a later post.
These grades of acne can benefit from the extraction of open and closed comedones by an esthetician.
Grades 3 -4
In grades 3 – 4 acne, in addition to all of the above, skin is inflamed and red. This is what people typically think of when they refer to ‘acne’.
Grade 4 acne is the worst type of acne vulgaris. This type of acne will also comprise of deep nodules and cysts, as well as scarring may be present along with severe inflammation.
Although follow up, deep-cleansing treatments can be done by an esthetician, these grades of acne must first be treated by a dermatologist, as oral and/ or topical medication and other more aggressive treatments may be needed to get this condition under control.
Acne Management
Acne that is hereditary cannot be changed just by visiting the esthetician at your neighborhood Spa. A dermatologist or endocrinologist (a doctor who deals with hormones) may be able to manipulate hormones, but a permanent and complete change may not be successful.
Still, it is possible to control and manage acne to the point where there are no visible and inflamed lesions, although the occasional lesion may pop up from time to time. Regardless of the grade of acne that is present on the skin, regular visits to your esthetician for deep-cleansing facials, coupled with proper skin care management at home are required to keep acne flares under control.
There are other factors that both you and your esthetician can control to keep problem skin under wraps. These too will be discussed at a further point.
Works Consulted:
D’Angelo, J. & Dean, P. Milady’s Standard Comprehensive Training for Estheticians. Thomson Learning, Inc.
Class notes
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