Almost everyone gets pimples during puberty. One is a few pimples. In some people, acne is a worse skin condition. Acne can cause stress and psychological problems.
Acne can persist after puberty or start in adulthood. In acne vulgaris, there are blackheads (comedones), red papules (papules) and pimples (pustules) on the skin. Inflammation develops under the skin that can leave scars. Squeezing pimples or scratching them increases inflammation.
How does acne develop?
Acne is caused by an inflammation of the skin around the sebaceous glands (sebaceous gland follicles). Several factors play a role in the development of acne. Usually acne starts in puberty, when the skin changes due to hormones. The sebaceous glands in the face, back and chest enlarge and then produce more sebum or sebum. If you secrete too much sebum, the sebum can build up. The output duct of the sebaceous gland can then become blocked. We call these accumulations of sebum blackheads or comedones.
There are open blackheads (black comedones) and closed blackheads (white comedones) that lie under the skin. The accumulation of sebum is made worse because cells in the skin dry out and die (keratinization). This makes the sebaceous gland narrower. The sebaceous glands contain bacteria that convert the sebum into fatty acids. Due to the accumulated sebum and the irritating free fatty acids, the clogged follicle expands further and eventually tears open. The irritants then get into the skin and cause inflammation. This causes pimples and pimples.