Acne

Acne

With acknowledgement of The NHS website and the information on acne contained there.

Acne is a condition that blights the teen years of many a young boy or girl and can be absolute misery.  It is a fairly common skin condition and it causes spots to develop on the skin, usually on the face, back and chest. These spots can range from blackheads and whiteheads at the milder end of the spectrum, all the way to inflamed pus-filled pustules and cysts, which can be severe and long lasting.  These are the types of lesions that can lead to scarring.    

Why do people get acne?

Changes in hormone levels during puberty are often thought to be the cause of the onset of acne.   You can find a fuller explanation on the NHS website.  Normally harmless bacteria that live on the skin infect blocked follicles, and cause pus-filled papules or cysts.  The condition also runs in families.  There are some myths surrounding acne that being dirty or some sexual activity can give rise to the condition but there is no evidence of this. 

What to do if you have acne

Keeping skin clean is important to prevent new spots developing. Washing the affected area twice a day with a mild soap or cleanser is recommended to combat this but the skin should never be scrubbed. 

Although there is no cure for acne as such, with treatment it can be considerably improved. Several creams, lotions and gels to treat spots are available at pharmacies. If you do develop acne a pharmacist can be a great source of advice.

If acne is severe and is also on the chest and back, antibiotics or stronger creams might be needed and a doctor can prescribe them.

Treatments can take up to three months to work, so some patience is required with any course of treatment. When they do start to work, the results will generally be very good.

There is always the temptation to pick or squeeze the spots but this is really a very bad idea as it is this that will lead to permanent scarring.

You are not alone!

Acne is really very common in teenagers and younger adults. Some 80% of the population between the ages of 11 and their later teens will be affected by acne.

Commonly, girls between the ages of 14 and 17 are most affected while in boys acne is most common between the ages of 16 and 19.

Mostly once it arrives acne will occur on and off for several years then symptoms will start to improve, as the sufferer gets older. Acne will usually disappear by the mid twenties.

In some cases, acne does continue into adult life. About 5% of women and 1% of men still have acne over the age of 25.

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Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio