Acne

What Is Acne?

Acne is a skin condition characterized by blemishes and bumps of various sizes and colors ranging from white (whiteheads), black (blackheads), red (pimples), and those filled with pus (cysts). For teens, acne begins at the onset of puberty (usually around twelve, but sometimes earlier and sometimes later) and affects 8 out of every 10 kids. It is a common and therefore normal occurrence in adolescence.

There are two main categories for acne: non-inflammatory and inflammatory.

• Non-inflammatory lesions (whiteheads and blackheads) are those which serve as clogs or "plugs" of oil, dead skin, and bacteria in the pores of the skin.


• Inflammatory lesions (swellings, cysts), on the other hand, are usually a deep red, filled with pus, firm and tender to the touch, painful, and can lead to scarring and infection. This kind of acne usually requires consulting the attention of a dermatologist (a doctor who specializes in skin conditions).

Teens having non-inflammatory acne should keep their skin clean so that their acne doesn’t reach the inflammatory stage.

What Causes Acne?

Acne is due to the build up of oils, dead skin, and bacteria in tiny holes in the skin, called hair follicles (or pores) containing sebaceous glands that create sebum, an oil that moistens the hair and skin. Whiteheads occur when hair follicles clog up, close, and/or bulge out from the skin. When pores, or hair follicles, stay open and grow dark on the surface, blackheads occur. Occasionally, this sebum, dead skin, and bacteria break through the wall of the inner pore and collect under the skin. Small, red infections called pimples result but can lead to more serious and painful infections called cysts. This is the inflammatory stage of acne requiring the attention of a doctor.

Why Does Acne Occur?

A common form of adolescent acne, known as acne vulgaris, appearing usually on the upper body, is due to hormone changes associated with the onset of puberty. When the sebaceous glands become overactive and create too much sebum due to hormone stimulation, the pores clog, causing either whiteheads or blackheads to show up on the skin.

Stress also creates acne. As stress increases (such as at test time or just before that scary first date), the sebaceous glands generate increased amounts of sebum and acne occurs.

Acne is somewhat predictable. Children who tend to get acne are those whose parents had acne during puberty. Fortunately, acne decreases as adolescents grow (although this isn’t always the case), and, with luck, becomes more manageable as teens enter young adulthood.