Acne

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Problem skin or acne results from over-production of the normal lipid (fat-like) secretion called sebum, which covers the skin in a thin, protective layer. Gender hormones are primarily involved in this skin condition and it is especially when these vital molecules fluctuate that the skin seems to pay the price. Over-sensitivity to the male hormone testosterone leads to the abnormal production of sebum and excess skin cells lining the sebum follicles. Sebaceous follicles are the little tubes that conduct the sebum from the gland to the skin surface.

This in turn causes accumulation and plugging of the conducting tubes called sebaceous follicles with black heads or white heads, infection and then the micro-abscesses which are the visible pimples. Sometimes these abscesses do not remain small, but grow into large infected abscesses which can lead to severe scarring. These small micro-abscesses are different to skin abscesses like those of boils in that the bacteria found in the pus, really only live there and cause more inflammation rather than ever increasing damage to surrounding tissue as one would find with a boil.

It therefore stands to reason that the successful long term management of acne would require three essential steps; normalising sebum production, normalising the behaviour of the cells lining the sebaceous follicles and lastly eliminating the co-habitant bacteria.