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Acne: Skin
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Acne is an inflammatory disease of the skin, caused by changes in the pilosebaseous units (skin structures consisting of a hair follicle and its associated sebaceous gland). The most common form of acne is known as "acne vulgaris", which means common acne. Excessive secretion of oils from the glands combine with naturally occurring dead skin cells to block the hair follicles. Oil secretions build up beneath the blocked pore, providing a perfect environment for the skin bacteria Propionibacterium acnes to multiply uncontrolled. In response, the skin inflames, producing the visible lesion (acne). The face, chest, back and upper arms are especially affected by acne.
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Acne is an infection of the skin. The oil from glands in the skin combines with dead skincells and blocks pores in the skin. Bacteria start to grow under the skin producing a red, swollen area or pimple. This happens most often in the face, chest, back and upper arms. It can ... affect any part of the skin.
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Acne most often starts at around age 11 for girls and 13 for boys. Scientists think a hormone called androgen plays a role in acne. Among other things, androgen stimulates the sebum-producing glands. After puberty, boys produce 10 times as much androgen as girls, and so it's not surprising that more boys than girls develop severe cases of acne. Also, bacteria called Corynebacterium acnes, which cause skin fats to break down into irritating chemicals, can directly contribute to an outbreak.
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Acne affects nearly 17 million people in the U.S., making it the most common skin disease in the country. But why does it happen? When skin is functioning optimally, the sebaceous glands produce oil that empties onto the skin’s surface. At the same time, dead skin cells are shed at a normal rate as newer, fresher cells rise to the surface. Sometimes, these dead cells shed too fast, clump together and clog the pore. This is called non-inflammatory acne.
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Acne scars may be treated by a number of procedures that remove damaged skin and promote growth of new, smoother skin. These include dermabrasion and laser resurfacing. Other physical methods of treating acne scars involve loosening or filling the skin beneath the scar and the surgical removal of the scar.
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Acne vulgaris is characterized by comedones, papules, pustules, and nodules in a sebaceous distribution. A comedone is a whitehead (closed comedone) or a blackhead (open comedone) without any clinical signs of inflammation. Papules and pustules are raised bumps with obvious inflammation. The face may be the only involved skin surface, but the chest, the back, and the upper arms are often involved.
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