Symptoms of acne
The symptoms of acne are:
Oiliness of the skin
The sebaceous
glands in the skin normally produce sebum (oil) under the control of the male
hormone testosterone, which is produced by both men and women.
Sebum contributes to the normal protective
barrier of the skin (otherwise known as the acid mantle).
In people with acne, however, there’s
excessive production of sebum by the sebaceous glands.
Blackheads
In acne, the top
layer of the skin becomes stickier, blocking the pores and forming open
comedones. These are usually flat and dark in colour.
Whiteheads
These are closed
comedones that are generally pale creamy or white and slightly raised.
Papules
These are small,
red, tender, raised bumps that occur when the pores in the skin get blocked,
causing bacterial overgrowth.
Pustules (pimples)
These are raised
red bumps with a creamy white or yellow head that contains pus. Many people are
tempted to squeeze them to release the pus.
Deeper cysts and nodules
These are often
tender, abnormal, closed, sac-like structures that contain pus and blood. In
more severe cases of acne, the bacterial infection may go deep into the skin,
causing deep cysts and nodules that can lead to permanent scarring.
Note that acne can appear on the face,
back, chest, shoulders, neck and arms.
Importantly, acne doesn’t just cause
physical symptoms; it can affect a person’s self-esteem. In some instances, it
may lead to a great deal of stress, as well as anxiety and/or depression.
Courtesy by:
specialist dermatologist, Dr Ian Webster, MBChB (UCT) FF DERM (SA), February 2018]
Image Courtesy by: Adobe Stock & Google
