Acne is a skin disease that occurs when the sebaceous glands become chronically inflamed.
Acne is a skin disease caused by chronic inflammation of the sebaceous glands . The term comes from a Greek word that means “efflorescence” or “film.”
Excessive secretions from these glands, together with dead skin cells, cause a blockage in the hair follicle . Beneath the clogged pore, oily secretions harbor the epidermal bacteria Propionibacterium acnes , which infects the pore and causes the excretion of pus.
Appearance of acne
Acne usually appears on the face and back during puberty , as an abnormal response to the hormone testosterone . Over time, acne usually diminishes or even disappears.
In addition to hormonal activity, acne is partially hereditary and can arise from stress , the accumulation of dead skin cells, the presence of bacteria in the pores and exposure to high levels of chlorine.
On the other hand, there are factors that are often mentioned as causing acne but which, according to specialists, are not. Certain foods , such as fried foods or chocolate , are rich in fat and promote sebaceous secretions, which can worsen existing acne. In any case, various scientific studies affirm that they would not cause the emergence of the disease.
Dermatology is the specialization of medicine that treats acne.
Classification according to type
There are different types of acne based on their external appearance and the time of their appearance. Thus, we find, for example, the so-called acne vulgaris , which is the one that occurs most commonly among adolescents and is characterized by the appearance of follicles or pustules on the neck and face .
In the same way, we can also talk about premenstrual acne , which is acne that, as its name indicates, appears on a woman's face during the period before her menstruation comes.
Another of the most frequent types is acne neonatorum , which is the one that every newborn presents and that appears especially during the first 72 hours of the baby's life. And we cannot forget tropical acne , which receives this name because it appears in parts of the body that are considered moister and warmer, such as the buttocks or thighs, among other things.
Acne treatment
The most common treatment for acne is usually exfoliation of the skin , which can be done with an abrasive cloth or through a chemical procedure with salicylic acid or glycolic acid . Other treatments include bactericides, antibiotics, and hormonal treatments.
In this sense, we cannot forget that there are various treatments or home remedies against acne, such as, for example, applying aloe vera gel or a few drops of lemon juice daily to the grains.
Garlic , cucumber , oats , carrots or even alcohol itself are other products that are used to carry out the home treatment of acne problems as established by those known as “grandmother's remedies”. .