The cures and remedies of acne can be started from the understanding of acne itself. What is acne ? What is the causes of acne. What types of acne. How they appear in our face, our chest, our back, our shoulders or our body.

This is important. If may said it’s really important. Why? Because logically, well comprehension of acne will brings you to treat, cure or remedy acne properly and in a precise way. In the other hands wrong treatment or improper therapy caused by misconception of acne theory could make those acne getting worst and not become better and in the end maybe it become severe acne, and finally you get scars. We will discussed about acne here. Hope you will more comprehend this stuff clearly.

Pilosebaceous unit without acne

What is acne ?

Acne is an embarrassing common disorder especially for teenager, and even sometimes for adult. The majority sufferers of acne is teenagers (adolescent), while few are adults. Acne will reduce self confidence or self esteem more  if that acne getting worst. And severe acne could make the sufferer down in the desperate emotional feeling.

Actually acne is a part of normal skin process. Our skin consist of thousands of oil gland called sebaceous gland. The oily substance produced called sebum. This oil lubricates the skin surface thus it will be waterproof and inhibiting microorganism on it.

Acne Development

You can see the picture above is a small unit of our skin called pilosebaceous unit in its normal condition without acne. This unit consist of sebaceous gland connected to narrow canal named follicle, sebum, fine hair and skin surface. The cells that line the follicle called keratinocytes.

The fine hair, sebum, and keratinocytes which fill the narrow follicle may produce a plug, as an early sign of acne. This called microcomedo. This plug will blocked sebum to reach skin surface through follicle. Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes normally live in the skin ) will live in this blocked sebum and cells.

Chemicals and enzymes produced by this bacteria will invite white blood cells and inflammation appears. And when the plugged follicle’s wall breaks down, it spreads everything to neighbour pilosebacous unit produces lesion or pimples.

Types of Lession of Acne

A. Non Inflamed Lesion

1. Whitehead

Whitehead is the plugged follicle, or comedo, stays beneath the skin, often called as a closed comedo and produces a white bump.

2. Blackhead

Blackhead is the plugged follicle, or comedo, that reaches the surface of the skin and opens up, often called as an open comedo. It looks black on the skin’s surface. This black discoloration is due to changes in sebum as it is exposed to air.

B. Imflamed Lesion

1. Papules

Papules is Inflamed lessions that usually appear as small, pink bumps on the skin and can be tender to the touch. It appears if the wall of follicle breaks and spoil anything in plug.

2. Pustules (pimples)

Pustules is papules topped by white or yellow pus-filled lesions that may be red at the base.

3. Nodules

Nodules is large, painful, solid lesions that are lodged deep within the skin.

4. Cysts

Cysts is deep, painful, pus-filled lesions that can cause scarring. Often called severe acne.

Causes Of Acne

Actually none knows exactly the causes of acne, but many people believe including experts some possible related causes of acne are:

1. Heredity

When a boy or a girl has parents with acne history, they tend to have acne breakout too. This acne inherited genetically.

2. Increasing of androgen

Androgen is male sex hormone. In puberty this hormone both in boys and girls increase and make sebaceous glands produce more sebum and chances to get acne raising.

3. Pregnancy causing hormonal changes

4. Starting or stopping birth control pills

5. Certain drugs, including androgens and lithium

6. Oily/greasy cosmetics

It may alter the cells of the follicles and make them stick together, producing a plug. Then acne appears.

There are above some information about acne. By knowing a little bit, I hope you will able to treat acne or cure acne properly.

(resource: National Institutes of health)