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Many of us will be plagued with acne at some point in our lives - just when you think you're safe, those hormonal changes kick in and - it's blemish-central. Acne is characterised by primary lesions on the face, chest, and back, which form when the skin pores become clogged with oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria. Such lesions are either noninflammatory (open and closed comedones, also called whiteheads and blackheads) or inflammatory (papules and pustules).

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What is Acne?

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What is Acne?

Acne & Blemishes

Acne is a common inflammatory disorder of the face, back, and chest that is characterised by the presence of blackheads, pustules, and potentially cysts and scars. Acne usually starts at puberty and varies in severity from a few spots, which most adolescents will have at some time, to a more serious problem that may be embarrassing, sap self-confidence and cause scarring. The sebaceous (oil-producing) glands of people who get acne are particularly sensitive to normal blood levels of a hormone called testosterone, which is present in both men and women. This causes the glands to produce an excess of oil. At the same time, the dead skin cells lining the pores are not shed properly and clog up the follicles. These two effects result in a build-up of oil producing blackheads (where a darkened plug of oil is visible) and whiteheads. During the teenage years, you make much more sebum than when you were a child. This is due to the hormonal changes of puberty which stimulate the sebaceous glands. As a rule, the more sebum that you make, the more greasy your skin feels and the worse acne is likely to be.

What is P. Acnes?

Propionibacterium acnes is the skin bacteria significantly responsible for the condition. The increased production of testosterone during puberty (which occurs in both boys and girls) causes the sebaceous glands to increase production of oily sebum. Normally, the oil just seeps out, keeping the skin lubricated and helping to remove dead skin cells. But when the flow increases, pores get clogged. Since P. acnes loves sebum, it multiplies rapidly in skin pores, causing redness and swelling and a variety of lesions ranging from open comedones to pustules and cysts. Acne most commonly develops on:

Face – this affects almost everyone with acne
Back – this affects more than half of people with acne
Chest – this affects about 15% of people with acne

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Mild-To-Moderate Acne - Blackheads, Whiteheads & Small Pimples

Topical (applied to the skin) prescription products are the most common medical treatment for mild to moderate acne. The active ingredients often target only one cause of acne – help to control abnormal shedding of skin cells, or kill bacteria or reduce excess oil production. Newer combination treatments have been developed that include several active ingredients and target multiple factors at the same time. The main active ingredients in topicals are: Retinoids, Antibiotics, and Benzoyl peroxide