SKINIPEDIA - Skin Encyclopedia: Teenagers Acne

Teenagers Acne

Having to cope with acne can be a miserable experience for you guys (teenagers).

Whereas the majority of our body organs undergo changes hidden from view, our skin is very visible and certainly our facial skin is there for all to see. It is extremely unfortunate that as children reach their teens and start to take an interest in their appearance and in how others see them, their skin, which has most probably remained unblemished throughout childhood, should break out in blackheads, white spots, pimples and, horror of all horrors, acne.

Acne is an inflammation of the skin associated with blackheads, whiteheads and red spots. The most common type of acne is acne vulgaris, which appears most often on the face, but also on chest, back and upper arms. Acne affects about 90% of adolescents as well as 20% to 30% of individuals aged 20 to 40 years old and accounts for more doctor visits than any other skin problem. It can be upsetting and disfiguring and cause psychosocial problems and lead to serious and permanent scarring.

Eating chips and chocolate normally has nothing to do with acne. Greasy hair and skin also do not cause acne, but are often a sign of overactive sebaceous glands, which can cause acne. The hormones, and particularly androgen, that are active during puberty, trigger sebaceous glands to produce more sebum and the extra sebum produced can block follicles. The oil is then oxidised by air, turns black and hardens to form a comedone or blackhead. This may then become infected by bacteria, particularly Propionibacterium acnes, to form a white pimple. Research suggests that stress may worsen acne and it does appear to be genetically related. It is more common among Caucasians than Asians or people of African descent.

Propionibacterium acnes is named after its ability to generate propionic acid and is an anaerobic gram positive organism. It is present on most people’s skin and lives on fatty acids in the sebaceous glands and sebum secreted by pores. When a pore is blocked its growth rate multiplies rapidly and it secretes lipases that break down the wall of the pore, spilling bacterial antigens, fatty acids and bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus into the skin, forming an acne lesion.

How to Get rid of Acne?

Acne is a subject that dominates teenage magazines and websites and is targeted by many cosmetic companies and cosmetic ingredient suppliers, although no claim to treat acne by cosmetic products may be made under EU legislation. Inputting teenage skin into Google returns more than 1.5 million hits! Applying finer filters finds many informative and unbiased, ie not overtly commercial, sites offering information and advice, sometimes conflicting. A general consensus is that skin and hair must be kept clean and irritation avoided. One site records that when their complexions are less than perfect, many teens panic and try harsh treatments that can actually make the condition worse. Instead, they should give their skin some tender loving care and relax and use treatments that will help clean, tone and eventually clear up troubled skin.

Propionibacterium species can generally be treated with antibiotics used for the treatment of anaerobic infections and benzoyl peroxide is also effective. However, these materials are not allowed in cosmetic products in Europe. It would appear that a sensible cosmetic approach would be to reduce the production of sebum, to cleanse the skin without irritation, to avoid the use of ingredients known to cause comedones and to use skin treatments that will soften and draw out impurities from the hair follicle. Finally the skin should be left clean and free from irritants and infections.

Acne in Teenagers article continues HERE.

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