ACNE

DEFINITION:-

                                   Acne is a chronic disorder of the hair follicles and sebaceous glands.

CHARACTERISTICS:-

                 1) black heads, 

                 2) pimples, cysts, 

                 3) infected abscesses, and 

                 4) rarely scarring. 

COMMON AGE:- 

                        1) acne starts during puberty and tends to get worse for people with oily skin

                        2)teenage boys (affects badly)

                        

                        3)women (middle-aged )

SITES COMMONLY SEEN :-

                1) neck, 

                2)chest, 

                3)back, 

                4)shoulders, 

                5)scalp, and 

                6)upper arms and legs.

ETIOLOGY:-

                 heredity and hormonal problems

STAGES OF ACNE:- 

Types of acne:-

      1) comedo - an enlarged hair follicle plugged with oil and bacteria residing under the                  surface of your skin, that waits for the right conditions to grow into an inflamed                lesion. Whenever the skin produces more oil, the bacteria grows within the                        swollen follicle. The surrounding skin becomes increasingly inflamed as your white blood cells fight against the intruders. 

      2) Non-inflammatory acne :-

               a) Closed comedo :

                  definition:- If the plugged follicle stays below the surface of the skin.

                  site:-         on the skin as small, whitish bumps. also called as (whitehead)

            

                b) Open comedo :

                       definition:- If the plug enlarges and pushes through the surface of the skin.                      

              characteristics:-The dark appearance of the plug is not due to dirt, but due to the  buildup of melanin, the pigmentation element of the skin. Also called as (blackhead.)

       3) Inflammatory acne :-

              a) Papule:

                    site:- on the skin as a small, firm pink bump. 

                   The papules are tender in nature and are often considered an intermediary step between non-inflammatory and clearly inflammatory lesions.

             b) Pustule:

                       definiton:- These are small round lesions that are inflamed and contain visible pus, which appear red at the base with a yellowish or whitish center. Pustules do not contain a large amount of bacteria. 

                       cause:-The inflammation is caused by chemical irritation from sebum components such as fatty free acids.

              c) Cyst:

                         definition:- These are large pus-filled lesions that are usually present deep within the skin. The cysts are very painful lesions, as they are inflamed.

                          cause:-

                               1) contents of a comedo spilling over the surrounding skin and

                              2)due to the response of the local immune system in producing pus

                               The cysts often leave deep scars.

          d) Acne conglobata:

                             definition:-This is a rare but serious form of inflammatory acne 

                             site:- develops primarily on the back, buttocks, and chest. 

Symptoms:-

persistent, recurrent red spots or swellings on the skin known as pimples. 

The pimples become inflamed and get filled with pus. 

SITES:-face, chest, shoulders, neck, or upper portion of the back. 

other symptoms :- include dark spots with open pores at the center, which are known as blackheads, bulged spots under the skin without openings, which are known as whiteheads, and red swellings or lumps filled with pus, which are known as pustules. 

The pustules can develop from blackheads or whiteheads. 

Inflamed fluid-filled lumps under the skin known as cysts are also a symptom of acne. 

These cysts can become as large as an inch across.