Understanding Acne

By Rosemary Verghese, MD

Mid-Atlantic Skin Surgery Institute

. https://midatlanticskinsurgery.com/

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Understanding Acne

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, all types of acne blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, and cysts develop when pores in our skin become clogged. The culprit is sebum, an oil in our skin. Our bodies make more sebum when our hormones surge. This is why teens get acne and this is why women often break out before their periods. Since hormones fluctuate in the years leading up to menopause, many women in their 40s and 50s get acne.

What's inside the clogged pore determines the type of acne we see.

A blackhead appears when sebum and dead skin cells clog the pore. While the pore is clogged, its surface remains open. This lets us look into the pore and see a black color. Your dermatologist may call a blackhead an “open comedone.”

A whitehead forms when the excess oil and dead skin cells clog the pore and block the opening of the pore. Because the pore closes, dermatologists call this type of acne a “closed comedone.”

The excess oil does more than clog pores. Bacteria that normally live on our skin, p. acnes, thrive in this excess oil. Immersed in excess oil, the bacteria can rapidly increase in number. As the bacteria multiply in a clogged pore, the pore becomes inflamed. Inflammation is what causes a pimple to look red, hot, and swollen.

When inflammation reaches deep into the skin, an acne cyst forms. The most severe type of acne, cysts, can be very painful and often lead to permanent scarring after it heals.

Thanks to advances in medicine today, virtually every case of acne can be controlled. Many people with mild acne can see clear skin with good skin care and acne products available without a prescription. However, this won't control everyone's acne. Sometimes acne control requires a dermatologist's help. Even severe acne can be successfully controlled with treatment from a dermatologist.

While treating acne may seem unimportant, research shows treatment has value. Treating acne can prevent additional breakouts and scars. It can improve a person's quality of life. People living with acne can suffer from low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. When acne is under control, a person's confidence grows, and anxiety and depression diminish.

More information about acne is available on the American Academy of Dermatology's website, www.skincarephysicians.com/acnenet.