Thursday, September 13, 2007
Acne an introduction
Acne is a skin condition in which spots, especially on the face, shoulders, and upper back. It is a skin condition that shows up as different types of bumps. Acne is not just a problem for teenagers, it can affect people from ages 10 through 40. It is not unusual for women, in particular, to develop acne in their mid-to-late 20's, even if they have not had breakouts in years (or ever). Acne can appear as any of the following; congested pores, whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, pustules, or cysts (deep pimples).They include whiteheads, blackheads, red bumps (pimples), and bumps that are filled with pus (cysts). These blemishes occur wherever there are many oil (sebaceous) glands, mainly on the face, chest, and back.Acne tends to begin at puberty, and although most sufferers are over it within a few years, it may carry on for life.Generally many young women and men will have at least a few pimples over the course of their lives. Young men are more likely to have a more serious form of acne. Acne is easily recognised by the appearance of the spots, and by their distribution on the body. Acne is caused due to sebaceous glands which come to life around puberty stimulated by male hormones from the adrenal glands of both boys and girls. Acne is caused by the overactivity of the sebaceous glands that secrete oily substances onto the skin. Acne affects the skin of the face, back, neck, chest and arms and the severity of the condition can vary. The processes that cause acne are exactly the same in people with black or brown skin but the impact is altered by the skin pigmentation. But acne seems to affect men and women in different ways.
Signs and symptoms of acne
- Severe acne can produce hundreds of pimples that cover large areas of skin. Cystic lesions are pimples that are large and deep.
- Acne typically appears on your face, neck, chest, back and shoulders, which are the areas of your skin with the largest number of functional oil glands.There are two main types of acne: non-inflammatory and inflammatory.
- In non-inflammatory acne, there are usually just a few whiteheads and blackheads on the face. With inflammatory acne, the whiteheads become inflamed, and red pimples and pustules develop.Blackheads – tiny dark coloured blocked pores. The black of the blackheads is due to skin pigment, not dirt.
- Whiteheads - small, firm bumps with a white centre. Pustules - pus-filled spots with an obvious balloon of white pus, which may turn yellow as the spot begins to heal.Nodules - hard lumps under the skin that can be very painful, go deep into the skin and often cause scars
causes of acne
Causes of acne
Acne is a disease of the pilosebaceous units (PSUs). Found over most of the body, PSUs consist of a sebaceous gland connected to a canal, called a follicle, that contains a fine hair The cause of pimples is unknown. Yet the main Causes of adult acne and teen acne may include hormones, diet, evolutionary biology, vitamin deficiency, stress, and more. The real explanation may be a complex mix of many of these factors.Hormonal changes can cause acne Another factor is heredity or genetics. Researchers believe that the tendency to develop acne can be inherited from parents. Stress does not cause acne
What triggers Acne?
The following conditions are listed as possible triggers for Acne: Skin rubbing Skin picking or squeezing Pollution High humidity Skin scrubbing Menstrual periods - usually 2-7 days before it starts. Stress
- Following are the factors which triggers acne in womens
Family history or hereditaryHormone changes during puberty. During puberty, girls have an increase in male sex hormones called androgens. This increase causes the glands to get larger and make more sebum. Hormone changes as an adult.The menstrual cycle is one of the most common acne triggers. Acne lesions tend to form a few days before the cycle begins and go away after the cycle is completed. Other hormone changes, such as pregnancy and menopause, improve acne in some women. Stopping use of birth control pills can play a role as well.Medicines- Certain medicines, such as those used to treat epilepsy and types of depression. Make-up. Pressure or friction on the skin. Friction caused by bike helmets or backpacks can make acne worse.Medications such as following can also trigger acneDactinomycin Cosmegen Corticotropin ACTH Acthar
Acne treatment information
How is it treated?
- Treatment and medication
- Oral prescription medications for acne should not be used during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester.
- Your doctor or dermatologist may recommend one or more of the following treatments for acne:Topical treatment such as Benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, resorcinol, salicylic acid or lactic acid as their active ingredient. These products can be helpful for very mild acne. A combination of such products is required to achieve optimal results.
- Antibiotics For moderate to severe acne, prescription oral antibiotics may be needed to reduce bacteria and fight inflammation. You may need to take these antibiotics for months, Isotretinoin (Accutane) is a powerful medication available for scarring cystic acne or acne that doesn't respond to other treatments.
- Oral contraceptives. Oral contraceptives, including a combination of norgestimate and ethinyl estradiol (Ortho-Cyclen, Ortho Tri-Cyclen), have been shown to improve acne in women. Cosmetic surgery.Dermabrasion, intense light therapy and laser resurfacing and Peeling proceduresDrug classes used to treat AcneAnti-Infectives, TopicalAntibiotics, TopicalLincosamidesMacrolidesRetinoids, OralRetinoids, TopicalTetracyclines
- some home remedies or treatments for acne treatment
- using Coriander and Mint JuiceAcne treatment using Coriander and Mint JuiceA teaspoon of coriander juice, mixed with a pinch of turmeric powder, is another effective home remedy for pimples and blackheads.
- The mixture should be applied to the face after thoroughly washing it every night before retiring.
- Acne treatment using CucumberGrated cucumber applied over the face, eyes, and neck for fifteen to twenty minutes has been found effective.Apply a paste of fresh methi (fenugreek) leaves over the face every night for 10-15 minutes and washed with warm water. This will prevent acne, pimples, blackheads, and wrinklesAnother method is to massage the face with the skin of lemon before washing with lukewarm water.
Some other reasons
keratosis disease
is most likely to appear on sun exposed areas: face, ears, bald scalp, neck, backs of hands and forearms, and lips. It tends to lie flat against the skin of the head and neck and be elevated on arms and hands.An actinic keratosis (AK), also known as a solar keratosis, is a small, rough spot occurring on skin that has been chronically exposed to the sun. Actinic keratoses generally measure in size between 2 to 6 millimeters in diameter (between the size of a pencil point to that of an eraser). They are usually reddish in color and often have a white scale on top.An actinic keratosis is a scaly or crusty bump that forms on the skin surface. They are also known as a solar keratosis. Actinic keratosis (also called solar keratosis, senile keratosis, or AK) These are premalignant condition of thick, scaly, or crusty patches of skin. It is most common in fair-skinned people who are frequently exposed to the sun, because their pigment isn't very protective. It usually is accompanied by solar damage. Since some of these pre-cancers progress to squamous cell carcinoma, they should be treated.
signs
There are more than 100 different kinds of arthritis, The main symptoms of all forms of arthritis are stiffness, pain, and restricted movements of the joints. Swelling, warmth and redness of the skin over the joint may also occur.Inflammation is a reaction of the body that causes swelling, redness, pain, and loss of motion in an affected area.
It is the major physical problem in the most serious forms of arthritis. Arthritis pain and inflammation of joints has many forms.slight stiffness is all they will experience, but others go on to have grating joints, knobbly bone growths (especially on the hands), and joints that go out of alignment. The pain and loss of movement tends to get worse as the day goes on, as the joints are used moreOsteoarthritis Arthritis SymptomsCommonly affects feet, knees, hips, and fingers.Rheumatoid Arthritis SymptomsInvolves the whole body, and may also cause fatigue, weight loss and anemia, and affect the lungs, heart and eyes.Gout Arthritis SymptomsCauses sudden, severe attacks, usually in the big toe, but any joint can be affectedAnkylosing Spondylitis Arthritis SymptomsA chronic inflammatory disease of the spine that can result in fused vertebrae and rigid spineJuvenile.
Arthritis Symptoms Affects about 200,000 Americans.Psoriatic Arthritis SymptomsBone and other joint tissues become inflamed, and, like rheumatoid arthritis, it can affect the whole body.Systemic Lupus Erythematosus SymptomsInvolves skin, joints, muscles, and sometimes internal organs. Symptoms usually appear in women of childbearing age but can occur in anyone at any age.
Causes of Actinic Keratosis
What causes Actinic KeratosisAK was recognized almost 100 years ago, the name AK was not introduced until 1958. The name literally means thickened scaly growth (keratosis) caused by sunlight (actinic). An actinic keratosis site commonly ranges in between 2 to 6 millimeters, and can be dark or light, tan, pink, red, a combination of all these, or the same pigment of ones skin. It may appear on any sun-exposed area, such as the face, ears, neck, scalp, chest, back of hands, forearms, lips etcsome of these lesions may progress to invasive squamous cell carcinoma with metastatic potential. They can be safely and effectively eradicated, and therefore therapy is warranted.. It is by far the most common lesion with malignant potential to arise on the skin. AK is seen in fair-skinned persons in areas of long-term sun exposure, with an estimated frequency of 40-50% of the adult population older than 40 years in Australia, the country with the highest skin cancer rate in the world. Actinic keratosis can be the first step in the development of skin cancer, and, therefore, is a precursor of cancer or a precancer. It is estimated that up to 10 percent of active lesions, which are redder and more tender than the rest will take the next step and progress to squamous cell carcinomas.It is lifetime sun exposure, not recent sun-tanning that adds to your risk.
Ultraviolet rays bounce off sand, snow, and other reflective surfaces; about 80 percent can pass through clouds. The thinning of the ozone layer may be allowing more ultraviolet rays reach the earth. Those who develop actinic keratoses tend to be fair-skinned people who have spent a lot of time outdoors at work or at play over the course of many years. Their skin often becomes wrinkled, mottled, and discolored from sun exposure.AKs range from barely perceptible rough spots of skin to elevated, hyperkeratotic plaques several centimeters in diameter. Most often, they appear as multiple discrete, flat or elevated, keratotic lesions.