Acne Facts and Statistics
Question: What's the one thing people hate about puberty?
Answer: Acne!
When acne hits, the world comes to an end. The worst part about being a teenager is getting a huge zit on the tip of your nose and having to face the entire population of your school. Some people continue breaking out into their early twenties, and the population of the entire school gets a lot bigger!
Acne isn't just a big, red pimple on your face; it actually comes in many different forms. The various forms are as follows:
- Open comedones (blackheads) - dialted follicles with central dark, horny plugs
- Closed comedones (whiteheads) - small follicular papules with or without inflammatry changes
- Superficial pustules - collections of pus at follicular
- Cysts - from nodules that fail to discharge contents to the surface
- Large deep pustules - from nodules that break down adjacent tissue leading to scars
About 80 percent of people are hit by acne sometime between the ages of 12 and 24, and more commonly occurs in males because of adrogens that stimulate the production of keratin and sebum, which leads to clogged pores.
A common misconception is that acne is caused by "dirty" pores, but that is not true. Overactive oil glands are more responsible for acne than "dirt," because the excess oil makes the pores sticky, allowing bacteria to become trapped inside.
Other factors that contribute to acne are heredity, stress, the use of certain drugs; overconsumption of junk food, saturated fats, gydrogenated fats, and animal products; nutritional deficiencies; exposure to industrial pollutants; the use of cosmetics; monthly menstrual cycles; and overwashing or repeated rubbing of the skin (popping zits).
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