Oily / Acne-prone skin

Did you know that 95% of boys and 83% of girls have acne?

Acne is one of the first signs of puberty, the set of transformations brought about when the reproductive glands “start up” from suprarenal stimulation (of the ovaries for girls, of the testicles for boys). These glands produce hormones that will “flood” the body. Acne is linked to an exacerbated skin sensitivity, particularly of the sebaceous glands.

Under the effects of hormones called androgens, the sebaceous glands increase in volume, secrete more sebum, the skin becomes shiny, the pores dilate and blackheads and pimples appear.
Once the mechanism of acne is under way, its development can vary greatly; an effective dermatological treatment can bring about a full cure, in several months or years.
But it can also happen that acne persists well after adolescence, in particular among women, mostly on the lower part of the face.
This acne, called “tardy” is in fact relatively common. It more often involves the torso in men.

The signs and symptoms of acne

Acne can take on many forms from a proliferation of blackheads to cyst like lesions.

Comedo (plural: comedones): A comedo is a plugged sebaceous follicle. Sebum, dead cells, tiny hairs and bacteria accumulate leading to the plugged sebaceous follicle. An open comedo is called a blackhead. The surface of the plug has a blackish appearance. A closed comedo is referred to as a whitehead. It looks like an inflamed white “bump” in the skin. A comedo should not be squeezed or picked open. Only a dermatologist should extract the comedo under sterile conditions.

Papule: Small, solid lesions that are elevated and appear in groups which give skin a rough “sandpaper” feel.

Pustule: Appears as a dome-shaped lesion containing pus that consists of a mixture of white blood cells, dead skin cells and bacteria. When a pustule forms over a sebaceous follicle, it often has a hair in the center.

Nodule: Similar to a papule in shape, this solid, domeshaped lesion extends into deeper layers of the skin and may be very painful. Nodular acne is a severe form of acne that responds best to therapies administered by a dermatologist such as isotretinoin. If not treated correctly, it may also lead to scarring.

Cyst: A severe form of acne, cysts are sac-like lesions containing liquid or semi-liquid material consisting of white blood cells, dead cells and bacteria. Cysts are often severely inflamed, painful and may result in scarring. Systemic therapy with isotretinoin is often the only effective treatment with this type of acne.

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If you think you have a different skin type or are not sure, then just link to one of the other skin concerns below:

• Sensitive / Intolerant skin
• Redness-prone skin
• Dry, dehydrated skin
• Wounded skin
• Aging skin