Acne: a Major Threat to the Teenagers and Youngsters

Acne is one of the major health related conditions, which is common in teenagers and youngsters. Acne brings huge problems to teenagers. Teenagers who have acne feel isolated, ugly, and insecure. Who wouldn't when everywhere you look, only clear faced (skinned) people are put on the pedestal.

Acne is an inflammatory disease involving the sebaceous glands of the skin; characterized by papules or pustules or comedones. 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 can simply be defined as a group of skin rashes which appear basically at the teenage. But it can occur at any age and can happen to anybody.

When people think of acne, usually the figure of a person comes up with an occurrence of red, inflamed pores on his or her face. Though this is the most common form, but is not the only type of acne which people experience. There are various types of acne which people may experience and there are numerous causes reported for acne.

Types of acne:

• Acne Vulgaris - most commonly experienced around puberty, typically of the face and shoulders/chest
• Acne rosacea - a red rash predominantly on the face
• Acne keloidalis nuchae (Pseudofolliculitis nuchae) - a rash caused by shaving
• Acne conglobata (Hidradenitis suppurativa) - chronic abscesses or boils of sweat glands and hair follicles; in the underarms, groin and buttocks, and under the breasts in women
• Acne cosmetica - acne caused by cosmetics
• Acne fulminans - an extreme form of acne conglobata
• Acne medicamentosa - acne caused by starting or stopping a medicine
• Baby acne - a rash seen on the cheeks, chin, and forehead of infants
• Chloracne - an acne rash caused by exposure to chlorinated hydrocarbons such as dioxins or PCBs.
These are the several types of acne but the common type which occurs usually is acne Vulgaris. Acne Vulgaris occurs at the time of puberty. It is most common in the teenagers.

Causes of acne:
As stated earlier, acne can be caused due to numerous reasons. But generally there are four major factors responsible for causing acne. They are:
• Overactive oil glands
• Blockage of the skin pores
• Activity of normal skin bacteria
• Inflammation
They act together to cause the characteristic pimples, whiteheads and blackheads associated with acne.

Treatment:
The treatment procedure of acne started many years ago. Since then the treatment procedure gradually developed into better form. Acne treatments are also of considerable antiquity:
• Ancient Rome: bathing in hot, and often sulfurous, mineral water was one of the few available acne treatments. One of the earliest texts to mention skin problems is De Medicina by the Roman writer Celsus.
• 1800s: Nineteenth century dermatologists used sulphur in the treatment of acne. It was believed to dry the skin.
• 1920s: Benzoyl Peroxide is used
• 1930s: Laxatives were used as a cure for what were known as 'chastity pimples'
• 1950s: When antibiotics became available, it was discovered that they had beneficial effects on acne. They were taken orally to begin with. Much of the benefit was not from killing bacteria but from the anti-inflammatory effects of tetracycline and its relatives. Topical antibiotics became available later.
• 1960s: Tretinoin (original Trade Name Retin A) was found effective for acne. This preceeded the development of oral isotretinoin (sold as Accutane and Roaccutane) since the early 1980s.
• 1980s: Accutane is introduced in America
• 1990s: Laser treatment introduced
• 2000s: Blue/red light therapy
Some old treatments, like laxatives, have fallen into disuse but others, like spas, are recovering their popularity. Acne responds well to treatment, particularly if treated early, at the onset of the condition. Treatment is offered to:
• Prevent possible scarring
• Deal with inflamed and painful areas
• Limit the formation of new blackheads and whiteheads
• Lessen any stress or embarrassment associated with the acne
Mild acne can be treated with over-the-counter medications. More serious acne requires treatment by a dermatologist.
Mild acne is managed well by over-the-counter preparations such as benzoyl peroxide, Resorcinol, Salicylic acid, Sulfur, etc. Nowadays acne is also treated with Natural Acne Treatment. Natural acne treatment doesn’t have any side affects and it also totally affective in treating acne. Now acne no longer remains a big problem for the teenagers and the youngsters.