Posts Tagged “sebaceous glands”

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While there are always new questions to answer, many of the factors that tend to produce acne have been well researched.

Hormones and Sebum

It’s no accident that acne tends to be associated with teens. It strikes over 85% of us during those years. It’s at that stage of life when hormone levels rise sharply. Androgen levels increase in both males and females.

Among other effects, those stimulate the sebaceous glands that produce sebum, the natural oil found in hair follicles. The largest increases occur in the face, back and upper chest - right where acne tends to concentrate. The result can well be an outbreak of acne.

Increased oil or sebum isn’t generally a problem if it reaches the surface. It’s spread around, and often washed off with alcohol or soap and water by those who take good care of their skin. Still, blackheads may form as a result of the excess oil. Read the rest of this entry »

A pimple is, by definition, a red, raised bump that is clogged with oil and dead skin and is infected with bacteria. The pimple bursts beneath the skin and sends the bacteria into the surrounding tissue. It is then called a papule. If this spreads deeper into the skin it is called a papule. If it goes even deeper it is then called a pustule. A pustule is not usually as red as other pimples, but it may have a white center and be painful. If it goes deeper than a pustule, then it is called a cyst. A cyst can be very serious needs to be treated by a trained professional.

Propionibacterium acne is found on the skin. This type of acne usually increases during puberty, as it uses sebum as a nutrient. Some people may have even more bacteria on their skin. When this occurs it collects in the pore of the hair follicle and becomes clogged with dead cells, a comedone is formed. A comedone is the medical term for blackheads and whiteheads. After the whitehead is formed, the body sends white blood cells to the follicle. The white blood cells begin to fight the bacteria and try to destroy it. This causes inflammation in the area.

A normal follicle has sebum that is produced by your sebaceous glands. The sebum fills the hair follicle and spreads over your skin; this is what causes skin to appear oily. When the cells slough off after dying, they may become lodged in the hair follicle with the sebum. If the oil breaks through to the surface, then you will see a whitehead. If the oxygen oxidizes the oil, then the comedone changes from white to black and you see a blackhead.

You shouldn’t pick at or pop pimples, but sometimes they are painful and you have to relieve the pressure. There is a sanitary way to do this that we will share with you later. In the meantime you are wondering what comes out of the pimple when you pop it – right? What you see is a whitish-yellow fluid. The fluid contains white blood cells, old tissue that has become liquefied and other cellular debris. This pus is often the site of infection where a foreign body has entered the body. This stuff is perfectly natural for it to be found in a pimple. The pus is the result of your body trying to fight off the bacteria.

There is a persistent rumor that sugar and chocolate cause acne and acne flareups. This may be true occasionally but mostly it is just that, a myth. There are many researchers that are looking at the link between chocolate and sugar and acne.

Maybe it is becasue it tastes so good, bnut chocolate and sugar are always blamed for acne and have been for years. Other foods that are blamed include allmost every junk food as well as alcohol and smoking. No foods have been proven to cause acne. But as we have seen many people have a really good diet and still get acne, doesn’t seem fair does it?

Overactive oil glands, non clean oily skin, heredity, and hormonal changes are what cause acne. Androgen production is at its highest during the teenage years, which stimulates sebaceous glands to enlarge and make more sebum. Outbreaks of pimples and blackheads can become a traumatic event for young boys and girls.

If however, upon eating something there is an outbreak of zits the next day, it is advisable to stay away from that food for a while. Much research suggests that foods do not cause acne, but it has not been proven as fact. If on eating the same food again after a few days the result is an outbreak, the chances are it is an allergic reaction rather than an outbreak of acne.

In recent studies, scientists have demonstrated the possibility of regulating hormones as a significant reduction element of acne, although this could have negative side effects.

Teenagers are not the only ones with acne. Women who are pregnant or in their 40s can have outbreaks, but by the time a person is 50 it usually has run its course. During the teenage years, boys are more susceptible to stronger breakouts than girls, but when they reach around 40, the women take the lead in numbers of flare-ups.

Chocolate has been blamed for many ailments including acne, tooth decay, obesity, and lacking of food value. It has also been known to have an anti-depressant effect, cause hypertension and even have an aphrodisiac effect.

We know that sugar is basically harmless with your acne problems unless, like everything else, it is over-consumed. Chocolate and sugar has been found not to cause nor aggravate outbreaks of acne. These results are backed up by further research that shows acne in no way is affected by chocolate.