Causes of acne are uncertain. Nobody really understands why we get these lumps across our face, or why it’s inevitable. Even if we wash our face on a habitual basis, acne will come. It may go quickly, but the problem lies in the hands of it coming at all. Some people think heredity plays a large role in acne…and based on certain studies, others disagree. Either way, acne is here, but thankfully, it’s not here to stay. Proof is in that once we get out of our teens.

The victims of acne are generally teenagers, although acne can plague people who are in their 30’s at times. That leans to more of a rare case, but a case none the less. All this shows that acne holds no prejudice, and it will harm whomever it can. Like I stated earlier, the best way to feel as little harm as possible would be to stop the acne while it’s in it’s infantry stages. This means that the first sign of acne needs to be taken care of immediately. You can detect acne by detecting the symptoms. So what exactly are the symptoms?

We are all faced with 2 forms of acne AT LEAST. These two forms of the two most popular forms of acne to date. See if you recognize the names. One is inflammatory acne. The other is non-inflammatory acne. Sound familiar? I’ll go into further detail.

• Inflammatory acne: Acne caused by inflammation.
• Non-inflammatory acne: Acne that does not inflame.

Take a good look at the somewhat defined terms above. Which one do you have? Non-inflammatory acne is the one most all of us suffer with…if we’re lucky. With this type, you’ll find a few whiteheads and a few blackheads on your face, and you can treat that with non-prescribed medication, because it is a milder form of acne. The first one, inflammatory acne, isn’t so easy to take care of.

This type inflamed skin, large red pimples with puss ready to burst out. That’s a grotesque image, but one people with inflammatory acne have to look at every time they stand before a mirror. It doesn’t just step at the face, either. You can find this on your chest, you can find it on your neck and on your back, as well. It spreads literally like a plague. If you have inflammatory acne, prescribed medications are needed. Topical creams will not work. As stated earlier, you can use oral medications, hormone medications, and a few other types of medication will take care of inflamed acne. A talk with your doctor will steer you in the right direction.

People may not know what specifically causes acne, but there are several ways to fix it. And thankfully, acne isn’t a silent attacker. There are symptoms, and once spotted, acne won’t have a prolonging, life changing, face disfiguring effects. Even acne in the worst possible form has ways of healing up nicely. Some ways are oral, which involve many unpleasant side effects. But in the end, you’ll be victorious after a painful war with acne. Other alternatives are even worse than the oral, side-effecting ensuring methods. If your acne is in a very developed stage such as inflammatory acne, then surgery is at times prescribed. But whatever way you look at it, acne can be healed.

Like any other type of acne, there is no cure, however there are basic things a woman can do to keep her breakouts in line. For example, gently washing her face a couple times a day with a light cleanser and patting the skin dry rather than rubbing.

It is highly important to the health of the mother and child that a woman refrain from taking any internal acne meds during pregnancy. Complications such as a miscarriage have occurred, as well as certain birth defects.

However, there is a silver lining. If a woman is just getting acne for the first time while pregnant, it will most likely be the last time. As soon as the baby’s born, the pregnancy acne should disappear and the mother’s skin will be back to normal.

- Anabolic Steroids are drugs used most commonly for body building. Male patients who suffered acne from their use had lesions on their back, shoulders, and chest. Women, however, experienced horrendous outbreaks on their face and neck.

- Barbiturates are drugs prescribed as sleep medication and are highly addictive. Although they are helpful for stress and anxiety, many professionals don’t recommend them simply because they cause severe acne problems.

- Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is an anti-aging medication that pumps testosterone into the body. Because of the excess testosterone, patients experience clogging of the new pores and hair follicles, which eventually causes acne.

- Lithium is a drug that professionals distribute to people suffering depression. It is very strong, and causes back and chest acne. What is worse is that many acne meds aren’t compatible with lithium, meaning you would have to strive to find one to treat your skin.

- Corticosteroids are considered “false hormones.” They cure eczema and other skin abnormalities, except they have an adverse effect on acne. Because they are not real hormones, they create acne, even for those who wouldn’t normally have it.

A surprising fact about acne depression is that the severity of the condition has nothing to do with the level of emotional scarring. Children with horrible acne and those with a couple breakouts a year feel the same way about the condition of their skin and how it is visible to the public. This embarrassment can cause unhappiness and thoughts of outrageous solutions to their problems, both common symptoms of depression.

Because many adolescents suffer from depression because of acne, they have the tendency to veer away from peer activity and seclude themselves from others. In some very severe cases, children have been known to develop a phobia of people seeing their faces. They will hide in everyway possible and truly need psychological help.

A tiny area like the back of your hand is covered (literally) with many amazing wonders.  Are you aware of the fact that there are 9,500,000 cells located in this small space? There are also 19 yards of tiny blood vessels, 100 sebaceous glands, 20,000 sensory cells, 65 hairs, 650 sweat glands, 1,300 nerve endings and 78 yards of nerves.  It may be hard to imagine but the largest organ of our body that is more commonly known as the skin can cover 20 square feet and it can add up to 15% of our body’s total weight.  The skin is an amazing part of our body that not only serves to protect us from many harmful effects the environment can cause, but it also allows us the ability to feel both pleasure and pain.  Your skin is at work non-stop renewing cells as needed.

An Introduction to the Epidermis

The top layer of your skin is an organ of your body like many others that work to keep us alive; the skin is also continuously at work doing the same.  You can think of the outermost layer of the skin as your natural body of armor, which protects each of us from the rain, wind and sun.  It is made of dead skin cells that are known as corneocytes.  You skin is continuously renewing itself by sloughing away dead cells and replacing them with healthy new cells that are constantly forming.  As new skin cells located at the base of the epidermis become ready to replace old cells they gradually make their way along the epidermal layer, where they eventually begin to replace the dead ones.  The entire process a cell goes through can take approximately one month to complete.  In the matter of just a few minutes you can lose around 40,000 skin cells, and the entire time this is occurring 95% of the epidermis is hard at work creating new cells.  The remaining 5% contain melanocytes and Langerhan cells.  Melancocytes produce the substance that gives color to our skin or melanin, and Langerhan cells work along with the immune system that continuously helps us to fight off illnesses and disease.

The Delicate Dermis

The dermis is located beneath epidermis, and it makes up a large portion of the skin.  It is also the foundation for our epidermis.  This layer is responsible for producing elastin, collagen and reticulin.  It is also the substance that gives your skin support and structure.  Within the dermis you will find blood vessels, nerve endings, sweat glands and oil glands – you can think of these as the motor that allows the skin to stay in good working order.  The nerve endings are what give us feeling to things like the sun shining on your skin and sand that seems to find its way between each of your toes.  Sebum is produced from the oil glands and sweat glands work like a built in air conditioner helping to keep our skin cool.  While each of these important functions are taking place the blood vessels are also busy at work supplying nutrients that the skin needs to continuously be able to replenish itself.  They also travel to the lungs taking waste products for the process of oxygenation and renewal.

Subcutaneous Fat

Most of us think of fat as being something that is bad for us, but this is not entirely true.  However fat cells are exactly what a majority of the bottom layer of our skin called the subcutaneous layer is made from.  There are several different factors that determine the thickness of this tissue.  Your eating habits, gender, heredity, hormones, even your age play a part in this determination.  When you experience bumps or a jolt of some sort, this layer of your skin helps to protect you like shocks would on a vehicle, and it works similar to insulation by keeping your body nice and warm.  The roots of hair follicles that are located all over your body also begins in the subcutaneous layer.  The sebaceous hair follicles travel up through the dermis delivering sebum to the top layer of your skin serving as protection and it also help it to stay pliable.

Perhaps one reason many of has heard the saying that “beauty is skin deep” is because our skin is a part of our body that is visible to the entire world.  The appearance of our skin can tell many things about our health, origin, our state of mind, and even our age.  Although it can repair itself quite amazingly, it is not totally invincible.  As many as one person out of three will at some point in their life experience some type of skin disorder.  Most all of us are familiar with bothersome pimples, and there are some who suffer serious problems with acne that can be experienced well into adulthood, which can lead to permanent psychological and physical damage.  If you are an individual who suffers from acne, the next step in battling this annoying condition is to find out exactly how acne begins.

The Cause of Acne Scarring

When any area of our skin becomes damaged, numerous inflammatory molecules and white blood cells rush to the injured area to begin repair and attacking infection.  After this process has completed there are many times that the skin is simply unable to restore itself to its original state.

Are certain people more susceptible to scarring from acne?

This is a problem with acne that has yet to be understood completely.  Some feel that it may run in the family in individuals that are more prone to scarring simply because of genetic connections, and the type of scars you get along with the degree in which you scar seem to be affected by this.  There are some who may suffer their entire life with tremendous scarring received from acne, and then there are others who will notice improvement of their scars over time.  It is known that scarring will generally occur in those who have more severe forms of acne that produces modular lesions that are deep and become inflamed.

Are there ways to avoid scarring from acne?

Because of the fact that so little information is known as to why some scar much easier than others, it is best to simply try to prevent flare ups from acne.  The more success that you have in preventing inflamed flare-ups, the less likely it is for your skin to become scarred.  It is very important to try and treat acne in its early stages, and you will need to treat the condition for however long is necessary.  Using the appropriate medication is also important.  You can actually increase your chances of scarring when you pick or squeeze the pimples that form, and this is because an increase in damage to the surrounding tissue can occur.

A note to remember: A pimple left alone will generally go away a lot faster than one that has been picked and squeezed.  Bothersome lesions should be left to your aesthetician or dermatologist for treatment and safe extraction.

You might be surprised at the rate your body can heal when you take the time to eat a well balanced diet, drink plenty of water, and get a sufficient amount of sleep.  It is also recommended to use protection from UVA and UVB rays when you are out in the sun, as they can cause scarring to last longer.  Smoking is another known problem that sucks away the reserves of oxygen that is so important to your skins health.  It also leads to even more problems with acne scars and aging because of the toxins that are deposited and the free radicals it produces in your body.

Types of Scars Caused by Acne

It is possible for acne blemishes to heal.  Although the reddish spot or macule that is left behind as inflamed areas begin to flatten can last for as long as six months, it will eventually go away without leaving behind scarring.  This is actually the last stage of bothersome acne lesions.  This is also true for those who have problems with post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which causes a darkened area on the skin at sites where an acne lesion is healing.  This is a condition that is most common in individuals who are Asian, Latino, and African-American and they can last as long as 18 months.  Both post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and macules are known as “pseudo-scarring” because over time they will generally disappear entirely.

Acne is known to leave behind two types of scars – scars that are caused by loss of tissue, and scars that are caused by the formation of increased tissue.  The latter is known as hypertropic scars or keloid, and this type of scarring occurs less frequently and it appears to be one that is hereditary.  It is also found mainly in individuals who are Latino, Asian, and African-American.  When skin cells have been injured they produce excess amounts of collagen that can form in masses of lumpy fibrous tissue that generally forms in areas such as the chest, back, and jaw line.  This type of lesion has a shiny appearance and it can last for many years.

Scarring that is caused by the loss of tissue is a much more common form of acne scarring and there are many forms it can take on.

Depressed fibrotic acne scars – Over a period of time scarring known as ice-pick scars can eventually evolve into a depressed fibrotic scar.  This type of scar is firmer and larger at the base, with narrower steep sides as well as sharp edges.

Soft acne scars – Soft acne is generally linear in its shape, circular, small, and they feel soft when touched.  They have rolled edges that gently merge with skin that surrounds them.

Atrophic macules – This type is commonly found in Caucasians and they are soft in texture with a base that appears wrinkled.  They may also appear purplish in color because of blood vessels that are located just beneath the surface.  This noticeable color may fade to a more pale ivory color over time.  When Atrophic macules appear on the face they are normally small in their size, but when they appear on other areas of the body they can be as large as a centimeter in size or even larger.

Follicular macular atrophy – This common type individuals suffer from will generally appear on your back or the chest area.  They are white lesions that can resemble a whitehead that did not develop completely and they are soft to touch.  It can last for many months or even years.

Ice-pick acne scars – Ice-pick acne is usually deep and small, with sides that are steep as well as jagged edges.  They are most commonly found on the cheek.  Although scarring is hard to treat, when you notice areas that are soft when they are touched, they can sometimes be improved simply by stretching the skin.

Are my acne scars treatable?

Even though it might be impossible to restore the original smoothness you enjoyed at one time with your skin, there are a variety of different treatments that are available that work great for the improvement of acne scarring and many of the emotional side effects this condition can cause.  There are topical resurfacing agents that are used to treat some cases of superficial acne scarring.  It is available over the counter and in prescription form in products such as in Renova and Rein-A.  Bleaching agents are used for the improvement of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and macules.  Microdermabrasion or dermatologic surgery is a treatment that is used for other forms of acne scarring and generally requires 6 to 8 treatments.

A consultation with your dermatologist will give you the helpful information that you need for the recommended treatment that will work the best for your individual situation.

This is a very common situation for numerous sufferers of acne all around the world.  When you suffer from this well known condition it is quite common to experience continuous problems with stress and other issues that can cause low self-esteem.  Many times a person experiencing acne vulgaris is looked at as simply being oversensitive because of the cosmetic nature of the condition.

All too often the way this condition makes a person feel is overlooked, and this is often more important to them as how acne makes them look.  Very strong feelings of depression, feeling angry, dirty, and ugly are consistent emotions that are commonly dealt with by a large number of acne sufferers.

Is anything being done for these emotions?

A tremendous amount of money is being spent every single year on advancements made in the study of medical research concerning acne and its treatment.  There are also large amounts of money being spent to further marketing and development of various remedies that are available without a prescription.  Unfortunately, very little has been done to study the social and psychological effects that this widely known condition causes to its sufferers.

Take this statement into consideration that was published in an article in 1948 by Zaidems and Sulzberger.  “There is no single condition which causes more psychic trauma, more maladjustment between parent and children, more general insecurity and feelings of inferiority and greater sums of psychic suffering than does acne vulgaris.”  Numerous studies have in fact found that acne can cause a significant amount of emotional problems are comparable to those causing disabilities that are caused by skin conditions.  Even though it is very clear that acne causes more damage people feel inside, it is still sadly being dismissed as more of a vanity issue.

How do you measure emotion?

Because such problems as depression, low self esteem, and anger that are commonly associated with acne can also be linked to various other issues such as stress on a job and problems in school, it is impossible to measure these conditions with psychological scales, which are commonly used to measure various other conditions of the mind.  Surprisingly the only tool used today to help a person with acne that also has problems in these areas is the simple act of listening.

How much power is in a patient’s testimony?

Until there are further advancements made in the technology of science that will provide us with an scale of measurement that can be more accurate for these issues, we will need to rely on statements made by acne sufferers and the troublesome effects they have experienced.  During a study taken in San Francisco in 1995 questions were asked of patients and they were encouraged to give detailed answers, with excerpts below.

“It has been many years since I have looked in a mirror. I comb my hair using a silhouette on the wall to show the outline of my head. I have not looked myself in the eyes in years, and that is painful to not be able to do that, and that is a direct result of acne.

When my acne got more severe, I began to really examine more things, become more aware of social norms, what is acceptable, what is attractive. That is when I began to have lower self-esteem; it made me become more of an introvert. It made me want to avoid certain occasions. ‘Ask her out? Well, maybe not. She won’t be interested because of how I look.

It’s associated with being dirty, and I hate that, because it’s not at all like that. I inherited it from my mother, and she is always telling me that she had the exact same thing, and that it will go away. I am mad that I inherited it from her. My dad makes me feel bad because he never had bad skin when he was younger, so he doesn’t understand.

My mother doesn’t know what she has done to hurt me. If I ate fatty foods, she would criticize. If I ate spicy food — which Thai food is, they are all spicy — she would say that because I ate spicy food, that was why I had pimples. She kept telling me how ugly my face was, and no one was going to marry me if I had bad-looking skin. And that really hurts me.

I know I am so insecure in this way — but if I go into a store, I won’t buy candy, even if I really want it. I think in my mind that people are looking at what I am buying, and thinking, ‘Oh, she eats junk. No wonder she has so many zits on her face. ”

As you can see the varying range of emotional impact that these individuals suffered was in their opinion, directly related to acne.  Even though it is not easy to measure the levels of impact this condition has caused to numerous individuals, the testimonies provide a deep look into the significant amount of emotional suffering this condition has been known to cause.

Although this information is nothing new to acne sufferers, you may find some level of relief in knowing that you are not alone.  New treatments are continuously becoming available, and one may be the perfect choice for you.