What is Acne?
Saturday, December 27th, 2008
Our body is covered with millions of tiny pores. These pores are bigger in some parts like the face. All these pores lead to the sebaceous or the oil glands of the body. Normally, the sebaceous glands secrete sebum, which is oily in nature. On the face, which is the most exposed part of the body, it attracts dust and solidifies into blackheads and whiteheads. These are the most minor form of acne. Acne is a collective term for blocked pores, pimples, and deeper lumps like nodules and cysts.
Acne can occur anywhere, ranging from the face to the neck to the chest, back, upper arms and in some cases the buttocks. Mostly teenagers are affected by these eruptions on the various parts of the body, but adults as old as 40 may also have acne. Although acne starts occurring after a certain age, it is a myth that acne occurs only in the youthful. Acne, as a disease is not fatal, but its consequences are not very desirable either. They can leave marks which wear off with time, but the severe cases can lead to scarring, which disfigures the area of the scars. Acne may not be a very serious medical problem, but the ugliness it causes can be very upsetting.
