Acne Vulgaris

What is Acne Vulgaris?

The term acne vulgaris is one used to describe an inflammatory skin disease which is fairly commonplace and tends to affect the majority of the population – at some point in their lives. Acne vulgaris lesions are often more commonly known as zits, blackheads, whiteheads and pimples and they occur in an environment where there is a change in the skin cell units known as ‘pilosebeaceous units’ which contain sebaceous glands, a substance called sebum, and a hair follicle. When oil or dead skin cells build up and clog these ‘units’, a breakout or lesion is likely to occur.

Which Areas of Skin Are Most Affected?

The surface areas of the skin that contain the majority of the body’s sebaceous glands and will be the areas where acne vulgaris breakouts are most likely to occur. This includes the back, face, and upper portion of the chest. The most common causes of acne vulgaris are hormone fluctuations, excess sebum in the pilosebeaceous units, and, in some cases, genetics has been shown to play a role.

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Categories : Acne Vulgaris

Acne and Pregnancy

What comes in our mind when we think of acne and pregnancy? When we think of acne, we almost always associate it as being one of the standard trials of adolescence.  The reason acne is so common in adolescence is due to the extraordinary changes of hormones that occur during the teenage years.  These hormonal surges are also very common during pregnancy and acne and pregnancy is a very common problem.

Hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy result in a noted increase in sebum production that consequently fills the pores and forms acne.  During the various stages of pregnancy, hormonal fluctuations are extremely high, and as a result, acne and pregnancy quite often go hand in hand.  Acne and pregnancy is most commonly experienced during the first three months of pregnancy as this is when the highest and quickest fluctuations of hormonal surges occur.

Acne and pregnancy is a very difficult condition to treat. The reason for this is that most medications traditionally prescribed for acne would have negative effects on the unborn baby.  One antibiotic known as Erythromycin may be prescribed for acne and pregnancy if the condition is severe.  This is not always the most effective solution however as many bacteria on the skin are resistant to the antibiotic.  Erythromycin may be used as an alternative if other methods have failed, but it is not always the most effective treatment method for acne and pregnancy.  Thus, acne and pregnancy is generally treated with over the counter solutions or through natural remedies.

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Categories : Acne Types

Accutane Acne Treatment

When topical acne treatments fail, such as benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, an oral treatment such as the medicine Accutane (active ingredient isotretinoin) is often prescribed, which is called Accutane Acne Treatment. This treatment is highly effective, because it decreases the production of oils (in the form of sebum) from the sebaceous glands found on the skin, as well as the size of these glands. Although incredibly effective, Accutane acne treatment does come with some risks that will be discussed later.

The Accutane acne treatment and, more specifically, the active ingredient (isotretinoin), is derived from the common fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin A. The specific compound used in the Accutane acne treatment is derived from the acidified form of this vitamin, giving Accutane the acne-combating properties of vitamin A, without several of the adverse effects.

Although it is not exactly known how the Accutane acne treatment system does so, it alters the process, by which DNA is copied, and results in a smaller sebaceous gland (pore) and, therefore, a lower production of Sebum, the oil that accumulates on the skin. With smaller pores and less oil production, the dead skin cells are far less likely to stick inside of a pore and clog it, forming a blackhead. By shrinking the size of the pores and by decreasing the amount of the oil produced by them, Accutane acne treatment is able to reduce significantly the occurrence of clogged pores, or acne.

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Categories : Acne Treatments
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